Layers of Earth’s Atmosphere—Teacher

1. Which layer of the atmosphere do you live in? What kinds of meteorological phenomena can be found
in this layer?
We live in the troposphere, the layer of Earth’s atmosphere closest to the ground. Weather-
related phenomena such as storm clouds and short-term changes in pressure and
temperature exist in the troposphere.

2. If a rocket were launched to a height of 210 kilometers above sea level, which layer of the atmosphere
would it rise to? What kinds of phenomena might it experience?
The rocket would enter the thermosphere and might encounter the ionosphere and
auroras.

3. Describe the pattern of air density changes within layers of the atmosphere.
Air density decrease as altitude increases.

4. Describe the pattern of air pressure changes within layers of the atmosphere.
Air pressure decrease as altitude increases

5. What is the relationship between air density and air pressure?

As pressure increases, so does density. This is because the weight of gases at higher
altitudes presses down on the air below, compressing its molecules and increasing its
density.

6. Describe the pattern of temperature changes within the layers of the atmosphere. Why do you think
temperature changes follow this unique pattern?
Temperature decreases as altitude increases in the troposphere, increases as altitude
increases in the stratosphere, decreases as altitude increases in the mesosphere, and
finally increases again as altitude increases in the thermosphere.

This unique pattern of temperature changes within layers of the atmosphere is due to the
fact that some atmospheric gases absorb energy from the Sun more easily than others do.
Temperature increases with altitude in the stratosphere because the ozone layer absorbs
ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, heating the air around it. Similarly, temperature
increases with altitude in the thermosphere because oxygen molecules near the top of the
thermosphere absorb short-wave ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
 Atmospheric Data
Density
Altitude Pressure Temperature
(% of Sea Level
(km) (Pa) (C)
Density)
0 100 101300 15
5 60.7 54048 -18
10 33.6 26499 -50
25 3.2 2599 -52
50 0.09 90 -2
60 0.02 22 -26
75 0.0044 2.7 -102
100 0.000023 0.0174 -65
150 0.00000025 0.00107 557
200 0.000000034 0.000195 957
400 0.0000000011 0.0000098 1230
Altitude Phenomenon Descriptions of Phenomenon
storm clouds, short term pressure and temperature
5 weather
changes near Earth’s surface in the troposphere
winding ribbons of strong winds caused by
temperature differences near the top of the
10 jet stream
troposphere that can reach 185 kilometers per
hour
located in the stratosphere; form of oxygen with
three atoms of oxygen unlike oxygen we breath
25 Ozone Layer that has only two; important to life on earth,
protects living things from the damage of solar
radiation
Highest clouds in Earth’s atmosphere, exist in the
Noctilucent
75 mesosphere; form when Ice crystals cling to dust
Clouds
particles in the air
sometimes called shooting stars, are actually
rocks or other particles from space entering
100 Meteor Trails earth’s atmosphere and burning up before they hit
the ground; usually become visible around 100
km above sea level
layer of electrically charged particles located in
the thermosphere; these particles called ions
Radio waves
interfere can with radio waves sent from earth. the
150 reflected by
presence of the ionosphere makes it possible to
Ionosphere
transmit radio signals from one side of the globe
to the other
are brilliant flashes of colorful light that occur
200
when solar flares from the Sun create magnetic
and Auroras
storms near the poles of the Earth. They are
400
sometimes called Northern or Southern Lights.