Layers of the Earth's atmosphere

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Layers of the Earth's atmosphere
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Thermosphere
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Troposphere

• The troposphere is where all weather takes place
  it is the region of rising and falling packets of
  air. The air pressure at the top of the
  troposphere is only 10 of that at sea level (0.1
  atmospheres). There is a thin buffer zone between
  the troposphere and the next layer called the
  tropopause.

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Stratosphere

• Above the troposphere is the stratosphere, where
  air flow is mostly horizontal. The thin ozone
  layer in the upper stratosphere has a high
  concentration of ozone, a particularly reactive
  form of oxygen. This layer is primarily
  responsible for absorbing the ultraviolet
  radiation from the Sun. The formation of this
  layer is a delicate matter, since only when
  oxygen is produced in the atmosphere can an ozone
  layer form and prevent an intense flux of
  ultraviolet radiation from reaching the surface,
  where it is quite hazardous to the evolution of
  life. There is considerable recent concern that
  manmade flourocarbon compounds may be depleting
  the ozone layer, with dire future consequences
  for life on the Earth.

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Mesosphere

• The mesosphere is characterized by temperatures
  that quickly decrease as height increases. The
  mesosphere extends from between 31 and 50 miles
  (17 to 80 kilometers) above the earth's surface.

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Thermosphere

• The thermosphere is a thermal classification of
  the atmosphere. In the thermosphere, temperature
  increases with altitude. The thermosphere
  includes the exosphere and part of the
  ionosphere.

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IonosphereLocated in the Thermosphere

• The ionosphere starts at about 43-50 miles (70-80
  km) high and continues for hundreds of miles
  (about 400 miles 640 km). It contains many ions
  and free electrons (plasma). The ions are created
  when sunlight hits atoms and tears off some
  electrons. Auroras occur in the ionosphere.

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ExosphereLocated in the Thermosphere

• The exosphere is the outermost layer of the
  Earth's atmosphere. The exosphere goes from about
  400 miles (640 km) high to about 800 miles (1,280
  km). The lower boundary of the exosphere is
  called the critical level of escape, where
  atmospheric pressure is very low (the gas atoms
  are very widely spaced) and the temperature is
  very low.