Layers

of the
Atmosphere
 The Earth is completely surrounded
by “a sea of air” known as the
atmosphere. The pull of the Earth
keeps this sea of air close to the Earth.
Without the atmosphere life cannot
exist on Earth, for the atmosphere
contains oxygen, the life sustaining gas.
From the air, plants get carbon dioxide
needed in order to live. The layer of air
also protects us from the intense
radiation by day and too much loss of
heat by night.
Air is a mixture of many gases.
How does
temperature
vary in the
atmosphere?
 Troposphere

• The lowest layer is • Where winds, clouds,

which makes up and water vapor are
approximately 75% of found. This is also
the total mass of the where weather
atmosphere and phenomena occur.
contains 99% of the
• Temperature goes
atmosphere’s water.
from warm to cold as
• The troposphere starts
you increase in
at the Earth’s surface
altitude.
and extends 8 km to
14.5 km high.
 Stratosphere

• From 10km to 50km • Temperature goes up

above sea level. as you rise in altitude
• Absorption of UV due to the ozone
radiation in the absorbing the suns
ozone layer occurs. heat.
• The “pause” at the
• Planes and aircrafts
top of the
often fly here.
stratosphere is the
stratopause.
 Mesosphere

• “Meso” means • Temperature decreases

middle and is the as altitude goes up.
middle layer of the • Air pressure so low
atmosphere. that a human could not
survive in this layer.
• Starts at 50km above
• It has no gases which
sea level and ends at
can absorb UV rays
80km. from the sun.
• Protects the earth
from meteoroids.
 Thermosphere

• “Thermo” means • As you increase in

heat. altitude, temperature
goes up.
• Lies above the
• Temperatures reach
mesosphere and is up to 1,800 degrees
between 80 km and Celsius.
110 km above the • Space shuttles fly in
Earth. this area
 Ionosphere
• A sublayer in the • Temperature goes
thermosphere up as you increase
• Called ionosphere in altitude.
because suns • Occurrence of
energy heats auroras.
molecules to
become ions.
 Exosphere

• “Exo” means outside. • Temperature

• Is the outermost layer increases as you
of the atmosphere. increase altitude.
Hottest of the layers.
• It is more than 700 • Satellites orbit
km, maybe up to 10 Earth in this layer.
000 km from the
surface of Earth with
no clear boundary.
Directions: Fill in the table with necessary
data. Write your answer on a separate sheet
of paper. The first layer has been answered
already for you.