Download Layers of the Atmosphere

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Ranges from 0 km to 12 km
Lowest layer of the atmosphere
Where we live
Where almost all of the Earth’s
weather
weather occurs
“Tropo” means turning or changing; named because
conditions are always changing
Shallowest layer of the atmosphere with almost all of the
mass of the entire atmosphere… How is this possible?
It is the most dense because gravity pull the molecules
towards the surface.
As altitude increases, temperature drops. Why?
Because the air gets less dense as altitude increases. (fewer
molecules to trap in the heat)
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Ranges from 12 km to 50 km
“Strato” means layer or
spreading out
The ozone layer is located in
the upper stratosphere, and it
protects the Earth by absorbing
and filtering out the sun’s harmful U-V rays.
As altitude increases, temperature increases. Why?
The upper stratosphere contains the ozone layer
which absorbs energy and turns it into heat causing
the temperature to be greater in the upper
stratosphere.
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Ranges from 50 km to 80 km
Middle layer of the atmosphere
“Meso” means middle
protects the Earth from
most meteors
As altitude increases, temperature drops. Why?
The lower mesosphere is closer to the ozone layer
(hot) and the air gets less dense with altitude so it
gets colder.
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Ranges from 80 km and beyond
very thin air
“Thermo” means heat
Broken into 2 layers- The Ionosphere and the
Exosphere
As altitude increases, temperature increases. Why?
Although the air is very thin, the molecules are the
first to receive energy from the sun, so the molecules
are very hot.
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Is the lower portion of the Thermosphere
Ranges from 80 km to 550 km
where gas molecules become electrically charged
particles called ions
Radio waves bounce off ions and back to Earth
Where the Aurora borealis is found (Northern Lights)
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Is the outer portion of the Thermosphere
Ranges from 550 km to outer space
“Exo” means outer
satellites orbit here
Temperature decrease.
 The air gets less dense as altitude
increases. There are less
molecules to hold heat.
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Temperature increases.
 The ozone layer is found at the
top of the stratosphere.
 The ozone layer holds in heat, so
as altitude increases temp.
increases.
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Temperature decreases.
 The bottom of the mesosphere
starts out warm because of the
ozone layer.
 As altitude increases, there are
less air molecules to hold heat.
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Temperature increases.
 This layer is the closest to the
sun.
 The air molecules receive the
heat from the sun.
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