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Atmosphere

Atmosphere
The lowest layer of the atmosphere, 6 mi.
This layer is about 35 km deep. It ex-
(10 km) high in some areas and as much
tends from about 15 to 50 km above the
as 12 mi. (20 km) high in others, within
Earth's surface. The lower portion has a
which there is a steady drop in tempera-
nearly constant temperature with height
ture with increasing altitude and within
but in the upper portion the temperature
which nearly all cloud formations occur
increases with altitude because of ab-
and weather conditions manifest them-
sorption of sunlight by ozone
selves.

Troposphere Stratosphere

This layer extends from 80 km above the


Directly above the stratosphere, extending Earth's surface to outer space. The tem-
from 50 to 80 km above the Earth's sur- perature is hot and may be as high as
face is a cold layer where the temperature thousands of degrees as the few mole-
generally decreases with increasing alti- cules that are present receive extraordi-
tude. Here the atmosphere is very rarefied nary large amounts of energy from the
nevertheless thick enough to slow down Sun. However, it would actually feel very
meteors hurtling into the atmosphere, cold to us because of the probability that
where they burn up, leaving fiery trails in these few molecules will hit our skin and
the night sky. transfer enough energy to cause apprecia-
ble heat is extremely low.

Mesosphere Thermosphere
The lowest layer of the atmosphere, 6 mi.
This layer is about 35 km deep. It extends
(10 km) high in some areas and as much
from about 15 to 50 km above the Earth's
as 12 mi. (20 km) high in others, within
surface. The lower portion has a nearly
which there is a steady drop in tempera-
constant temperature with height but in the
ture with increasing altitude and within
upper portion the temperature increases
which nearly all cloud formations occur
with altitude because of absorption of
and weather conditions manifest them-
sunlight by ozone
selves.

Troposphere Stratosphere

This layer extends from 80 km above the


This layer extends from 50 to 80 km above Earth's surface to outer space. The tem-
the Earth's surface is a cold layer where the perature is hot and may be as high as thou-
temperature generally decreases with in- sands of degrees as the few molecules that
creasing altitude. The atmosphere is very are present receive extraordinary large
rarefied nevertheless thick enough to slow amounts of energy from the Sun. However,
down meteors hurtling into the atmosphere, it would actually feel very cold to us because
where they burn up, leaving fiery trails in the of the probability that these few molecules
night sky. will hit our skin and transfer enough energy
to cause appreciable heat is extremely low.

Mesosphere Thermosphere

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