What's the difference between weather and climate? The atoms shed this excess energy by emitting photons of light, which we see as the colorful aurora borealis and aurora australis. Here, the ions from solar wind collide with atmospheric oxygen and hydrogen molecules, exciting them into higher states of energy. We have the ionosphere to thank for the beautiful aurora displays that dance across the night sky. It is not a distinct layer and actually grows and shrinks depending on how much energy it is absorbing from the sun. The ionosphere is a very active layer of Earth's atmosphere that spans the mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere, according to NASA. The exosphere is composed of particles of hydrogen and helium, that are so widely dispersed they rarely collide. The exosphere is the highest layer of Earth's atmosphere and extends from the top of the thermosphere approximately 6,200 miles (10,000 km) above Earth's surface according to NASA. In fact, this is where the space shuttles flew and where the International Space Station orbits Earth. The thermosphere is considered part of Earth's atmosphere, but air density is so low that most of this layer is what is normally thought of as outer space. Earth's lower atmosphere is expanding due to climate change What makes Earth's atmosphere so special? The warming is caused by the absorption of ultraviolet light and X-rays emitted from the sun. The thermosphere is another atmospheric layer where temperatures rise with altitude, according to NIWA. It begins just above the mesosphere and extends to approximately 372 miles (600 km) high, according to NASA.

The fourth layer of Earth's atmosphere is the thermosphere. We do however know that most meteors burn up in this layer, and high-clouds known as noctilucent clouds (also known as polar mesospheric clouds) occasionally form in the mesosphere. The mesosphere is tricky to analyze as jets and balloons don't go high enough but satellites fly too high to directly study the layer. The top of the mesosphere, called the mesopause, is the coldest part of Earth's atmosphere, with temperatures averaging about minus 130 degrees F (minus 90 degrees C) according to the National Center for Atmospheric Research. According to NASA the mesosphere begins just above the stratosphere and extends to approximately 53 miles (85 km) high. The mesosphere is the third layer of Earth's atmosphere. Commercial airplanes tend to fly in the lower stratosphere so as to avoid the weather systems in the troposphere, according to aviation education site Aero Corner. According to temperatures in the stratosphere range from approximately -60 degrees Fahrenheit (-51 degrees Celsius) at the bottom to 5 degrees F (-15 degrees C) at the top. The absorption of UV radiation heats up the stratosphere and temperatures in this layer actually increase with height. Ozone protects us by absorbing harmful UV rays from the sun. According to NIWA, most of the ozone found in Earth's atmosphere is in the stratosphere. The stratosphere begins above the troposphere and extends approximately 31 miles (50 km) high. The stratosphere is the second layer of Earth's atmosphere. According to WorldAtlas most helicopters and light airplanes fly in the troposphere. The cool air sinks forming high pressure systems. The warm air rises and then expands (due to the lower air pressure) and cools. According to educational website CK-12, turbulence in the troposphere is created when the sun warms the Earth's surface, warming the air above. Gases are constantly mixing in the troposphere and most of Earth's weather is found here. The troposphere extends from Earth's surface to approximately 5 to 9 miles (8 to 14.5 km) high.Īccording to NASA, the height of the troposphere is lower at Earth's poles and higher at the equator.Īccording to NASA, 'Tropos' means change, and this atmospheric layer lives up to its name. The troposphere is the lowest and densest layer of the atmosphere and according to NIWA, approximately 75% of all the air in the atmosphere is found in this layer. That makes it harder for a person to breathe and get enough oxygen to live, although there is evidence for microbial life high up in the clouds. At 10,000 feet (3 km), the air pressure is 10 pounds per square inch (0.7 kg per square cm), which means molecules of gas that make up the atmosphere are less dense. At sea level, air pressure is about 14.7 pounds per square inch (1 kilogram per square centimeter), and the atmosphere is relatively dense. The layers are separated based on temperature according to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).The atmosphere thins out in each higher layer until the gases dissipate in space. The five main layers of the Earths atmosphere.

Thermosphere meteorological phenomena