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Jul 9, 2020 · The Earth’s atmosphere is made up of gases. It is less dense than the Earth’s crust, which is a solid. This is why the Earth’s surface and atmosphere form distinct layers. Layers of the Earth (© 2020 Let’s Talk Science using an image by Mats Halldin Vectorization: Chabacano [CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons ).
- Earth Layering: Compositions, Properties, Locations. The geosphere is a term used to describe the “solid earth” as a means to distinguish it from the hydrosphere (oceans) and the atmosphere.
- Characteristics of the Crust. In a nutshell (and it does kind of resemble a nut!)– scientists have come to recognized three major compositional layers to planet earth.
- Characteristics of the Mantle. A “diamond delivery” system? Sounds to good to be true! Alan Lester sitting on a KIMBERLITE outcrop, Green Mountain, Boulder, CO– unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately (?)
- Characteristics of the Inner and Outer Core. Do you want to take a journey to the center of the earth? Jules Verne’s imagined core was fiery. But we know that the outer core is molten metal, as seen above.
- Overview
- Key points
Review your understanding of the composition and layers of Earth's atmosphere in this free article aligned to AP standards.
•Earth is surrounded by a mixture of gases called the atmosphere. The composition of the atmosphere is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, with the remaining 1% consisting of water vapor, argon, carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases.
•Earth’s atmosphere consists of five distinct layers that are distinguished by temperature gradients—the layers alternate between having temperatures that increase or decrease with altitude. The five principal layers of the atmosphere are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.
•Troposphere: The troposphere is the layer closest to Earth. It is the densest layer (i.e., contains the most air particles), and is where most of Earth’s weather and cloud formation occurs. The troposphere is heated primarily by energy from the sun radiating off the Earth’s surface. This, along with the decrease in pressure that occurs with altitude, means that the troposphere has a temperature gradient that decreases with altitude.
•Stratosphere: The stratosphere is the layer above the troposphere. It has a concentrated region of ozone gas called the ozone layer, which keeps about 95% of the sun's harmful UV radiation from reaching the Earth’s surface. Ozone molecules absorb UV radiation and release heat, which causes the stratosphere to have a temperature gradient that increases with altitude.
•Mesosphere: The mesosphere is the layer above the stratosphere. The mesosphere is heated primarily by the stratosphere below, so it has a temperature gradient that decreases with altitude. The mesosphere is one of the coldest places on Earth. The average temperature is around minus 85° C (−120° F)!
•Thermosphere: The thermosphere is the layer above the mesosphere. It has a very low density of gas molecules. These molecules absorb highly energetic radiation from the sun, so the thermosphere has a temperature gradient that increases with altitude.
Dec 1, 2020 · The atmosphere extends from Earth’s surface to more than 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) above the planet. Those 10,000 kilometers are divided into five distinct layers. From the bottom layer to the top, the air in each has the same composition. But the higher up you go, the further apart those air molecules are.
Earth’s layers. crustal generation and destruction. Three-dimensional diagram showing crustal generation and destruction according to the theory of plate tectonics; included are the three kinds of plate boundaries—divergent, convergent (or collision), and strike-slip (or transform). (more)
Mesosphere. Thermosphere. The atmosphere is layered, corresponding with how the atmosphere’s temperature changes with altitude. By understanding the way temperature changes with altitude, we can learn a lot about how the atmosphere works.
Sep 22, 2023 · 1 Lesson Objectives. 2 Air Temperature. 3 Troposphere. 4 Stratosphere. 5 Mesosphere. 6 Thermosphere. 7 Lesson Summary. 8 Review Questions. 9 Vocabulary. 10 Points to Consider. The atmosphere is layered, and these layers correspond with how the atmosphere's temperature changes with altitude.
