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May 14, 2024 · That is essentially what the Earth’s atmosphere is like: layers upon layers of gas surrounding the Earth, working to protect the planet. We asked Rei Ueyama, an atmospheric scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, to explain a little bit more about the function and importance of our atmosphere. Ueyama is part of the Atmospheric Science Branch ...
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- 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.
The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. It extends from Earth's surface to an average height of about 12 km (7.5 mi; 39,000 ft), although this altitude varies from about 9 km (5.6 mi; 30,000 ft) at the geographic poles to 17 km (11 mi; 56,000 ft) at the Equator, with some variation due
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Jul 23, 2023 · Stratosphere. The stratosphere is the second layer of Earth's atmosphere. The stratosphere begins above the troposphere and extends approximately 31 miles (50 km) high. According to NIWA, most of ...
Earth - Atmosphere, Climate, Ozone: Earth is surrounded by a relatively thin atmosphere (commonly called air) consisting of a mixture of gases, primarily molecular nitrogen (78 percent) and molecular oxygen (21 percent). Also present are much smaller amounts of gases such as argon (nearly 1 percent), water vapour (averaging 1 percent but highly variable in time and location), carbon dioxide (0 ...
The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth. It helps make life possible by providing us with air to breathe, shielding us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation coming from the Sun, trapping heat to warm the planet, and preventing extreme temperature differences between day and night. Without the atmosphere, temperatures ...
Oct 6, 2023 · Scientists divide the atmosphere into 5 different layers based on factors like air pressure and density. The names of these layers, in order of lowest to highest, are: 1. Troposphere. Temperature: 62°F (17°C) around the lowest point to -60°F (-51°C) near the top. The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere, and it is where we live.
