Layers of the Atmosphere

LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE

TROPOSPHERE

• The layer of the atmosphere closet to earth

• The lowest portion of the atmosphere is the troposphere, a layer where temperature generally decreases with height.

• This layer contains most of Earth’s clouds and is the location where weather primarily occurs.

Stratosphere

• The stratosphere is where you'll find the very important ozone layer.

• The ozone layer helps protect us from ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun.

• In fact, the ozone layer absorbs most of the UV radiation the sun sends to us

Mesosphere

• Mesosphere, region of the upper atmosphere between about 50 and 80 km (30 and 50 miles) above the surface of the Earth.

• The base of the mesosphere is defined as the temperature maximum existing at the top of the stratosphere

Thermosphere

• The thermosphere is the fourth layer, and it absorbs the sun's radiation, making it very hot.

• The thermosphere puts on a dazzling light show (the auroras) cause by colliding particles, and the thermosphere is also where satellites orbit the Earth.

EXOSPHERE

• The exosphere is the uppermost region of Earth's atmosphere as it gradually fades into the vacuum of space. 

• There are very few molecules in this layer. This means that it has the lightest atmospheric gases such as hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide and atomic oxygen near the base of exosphere.