Layers of the Layers of the AtmosphereAtmosphere

Today’s ObjectivesToday’s Objectives

1. Identify the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere.

2. Describe the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere.

3. Diagram and label the layers of the atmosphere with temperature and composition.

Students will be able to:

Troposphere – 0-10 milesTroposphere – 0-10 miles• The layer we walk around in

• Most airplanes fly here

• Where most weather occurs

• Height varies due to solar energy

Low at poles, higher over equator

Troposphere – 0-10 milesTroposphere – 0-10 miles

-3.5ºF per 1000 feet (-6.4ºC per 1000 m)

• Air gets colder with altitude

• 18ºC (56ºF) at surface

• -58ºC (-50ºF) at upper limit

• ambient atmospheric lapse rate (ESL)

Tropopause – ~10 milesTropopause – ~10 miles• Divides troposphere and

stratosphere

• The height at which the temperature stops decreasing.

• Temperature can reach -70ºF

Above 90% of total atmosphere

Stratosphere – 10-30 Stratosphere – 10-30 milesmiles

Why the inversion?

• Lower limit mixes with troposphere to form the jet stream (115+ mph)

• Air gets warmer with altitude

• This is called a temperature inversion

The Ozo

ne layer

The Ozo

ne layer

Stratosphere – 10-30 Stratosphere – 10-30 milesmiles

• High concentration found around 15 miles high

• Absorbs most of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

• Absorption raises the temperature

The Ozone layer

The Ozone layer

Stratopause – 30 milesStratopause – 30 miles• Divides stratosphere and

mesosphere

• The height temperature STOPSSTOPS increasing.

• Temperature can reach 40ºF

• 1 mb (millibar) of pressure

Above 99.9% of total atmosphere

• Again, temperature decreases as elevation increases.

• This is due to no ozone and molecules being far apart

• Can reach temperatures as low as -130ºF

Mesosphere – 30-50 Mesosphere – 30-50 milesmiles

Why?Why?

Mesopause – 50 milesMesopause – 50 miles• Divides mesosphere and

thermosphere

• The 2nd height at which the temperature stops decreasing.

• Temperature can reach -130ºF

• the “Hot Layer”

• Oxygen atoms absorb energetic solar rays, warming the air

• Reaches around 2,700ºF

Thermosphere – 50-120 Thermosphere – 50-120 milesmiles

Protects us from meteors and Protects us from meteors and obsolete satellitesobsolete satellites

• Auroras occur in this layer

Thermosphere – 50-120 Thermosphere – 50-120 milesmiles

• Upper reaches of atmosphere

• So little gravity that atoms are able to shoot off into space

• Range 570ºF to over 3,000ºF

Exosphere – 120+ milesExosphere – 120+ miles

Satellites and Space Shuttle flySatellites and Space Shuttle fly

IonosphereIonosphereNot really a layer…but a regionNot really a layer…but a region

IonosphereIonosphere

RadiosondeRadiosonde• Instrument used

to measure:

• vertical profile of air

• temperature up to ~20 mil

RadiosondeRadiosonde