Layers of the atmosphere

1. THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE

2. Atmosphere - the body of air
and gases that protects the
planet and enable life.
Nitrogen 78%, Oxygen 21%,
other gases 1% (Ar, Ne, He, Kr,
Xe, CO2, CH4,O3,)

3. Blue light is scattered more
than other wavelength by the
gases in the atmosphere,
giving Earth a blue halo when
seen from space.

4. LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere is divided into
five layers according to major
changes in its temperature.
It is thickest near the surface
and thins out with height until it
eventually merges with space.

6. TROPOSPHERE
The lowest layer of the
atmosphere
The layer where we live in and
touches the earth’s surface.
Almost all of the weather
changes occur in this layer
because it contains most of the
water vapor.

7. Without water there would be
no clouds, rain, snow or other
weather changes.
Air in the troposphere is
constantly moving as a result
aircraft flying through the
troposphere may have a very
bumpy ride – turbulence.

8. The height of the troposphere
varies from the equator to the
pole.
About 17 km. around the equator
about 12 km in the north and
south areas of the equator
About 6 – 8 km at the poles.

9. “Tropopause = the zone
where the temperature
remains constant. It divides the
troposphere from the next
layer.

10. Temperature drops about 6.50
C for every km above the
earth’s surface.
But the temp. seems to stop
dropping at an altitude above
12 km.

11. Temperature in the
stratosphere decreases as
altitude increases.

13. STRATOSPHERE
Is the layer of the air that
extends to about 50 km from
the Earth’s surface
Lower stratosphere = air
temperature remains constant
and very cold at
-60 C.

14. Many jet aircraft fly in this
layer because it is very stable.
Stratopause = zone of highest
temperature.
It seperate the stratosphere
from the next layer.

15. Ozone = special form of oxygen
it is formed when 3 atoms of oxygen
combine to form as molecule.
(oxygen that we breath has 2 atoms”
total amount of ozone is very small
but very important to life on earth.

16. Acts as a shield for the earth’s
surface as it absorbs UV
radiation from the sun.
Ozone is responsible for the
temperature increase in the
upper stratosphere.

18. MESOSPHERE
The temperature decreases as
altitude increases.
The air is thin in this layer, it
absorbs only small amount of
radiation from the sun.
About 50 – 80 km above the
earth’s surface

19. The temperature drops nearly
-100 C
“Upper mesosphere is the
coldest region of the
atmosphere”

20. It helps protect the Earth from
meteoroids, large rock objects in
space.
When meteoroids enter the
atmosphere, they burn up in
mesosphere. However, some
meteoroids are large enough to survive
the passage and actually hit the Earth.

21. “meteorites” – the pieces of
meteoroids that reach the
surface of the Earth.

23. THERMOSPHERE
Begins above the mesosphere
at a height of about 80 – 110
km.
a.k.a “heat sphere or warm
layer” because temperature
may reach 2000 C or more.

24. It is where the space shuttle and
International Space Station (ISS)
orbits and where the auroras are
found.
Aurora are caused when the
solar wind strikes gases in the
atmosphere above the Poles.

25. Ionosphere – is found within
the thermosphere, ion-rich
region.
about 80 – 550 km above the
earth’s surface.


26. nitrogen, oxygen and other gas
particles absorb the uv and x –
ray from the sun. they become
electrically charge called “ions”
They reflect radio waves,
thereby making long distance
radio communication possible.

28. EXOSPHERE
The upper limit of our
atmosphere
This layer of the atmosphere
merges into space.

29. Satellites are station in this
area, 500 – 1000 km from
Earth.
It is the region where atoms
and molecules escape into
space.

30. FACT
PHYSICS CONNECTION:
The size of an inflated balloon
increases as it flies up the
atmosphere. This is because of
the interaction between the
high air pressure inside the
balloon and the low air
pressure outside the balloon. In
the atmosphere, air pressure
decreases as altitude
increases.