Atmosphere layers

Published: January 4, 2010, 12:15 am Author: Michael Pidwirny

Topics: Atmospheric cience The !arth"s atmosphere contains se#eral di$$erent layers that can be de$ined accordin% to air temperature& 'i%ure 1 displays these layers in an a#era%e atmosphere& Accordin% to temperature, the atmosphere contains $our di$$erent layers& The $irst layer is called the troposphere& The depth o$ this layer #aries $rom about ( to 1) *ilometers& +reatest depths occur at the tropics where warm temperatures causes #ertical e,pansion o$ the lower atmosphere& 'rom the tropics to the !arth"s polar re%ions the troposphere becomes %radually thinner& The depth o$ this layer at the poles is rou%hly hal$ as thic* when compared to the tropics& A#era%e depth o$ the troposphere is appro,imately 11 *ilometers as displayed in 'i%ure 1&

Figure 1: Vertical change in average global atmospheric temperature. Variations in the way temperature changes with height indicates the atmosphere is composed of a number of different layers (labeled above). These variations are due to changes in the chemical and physical characteristics of the atmosphere with altitude. (Source: hysical!eography.net)

About (0 - o$ the total mass o$ the atmosphere is contained in troposphere& .t is also the layer where the ma/ority o$ our weather occurs 0'i%ure 21& Ma,imum air temperature also occurs near the !arth"s sur$ace in this layer& 2ith increasin% hei%ht, air temperature drops uni$ormly with altitude at a rate o$ appro,imately )&53 4elsius per 1000 meters& This phenomenon is commonly called the !n#ironmental 5apse 6ate& At an a#era%e temperature o$ 75)&53 4elsius, the top o$ the troposphere is

reached& At the upper ed%e o$ the troposphere is a narrow transition 8one *nown as the tropopause& Abo#e the tropopause is the stratosphere& This layer e,tends $rom an a#era%e altitude o$ 11 to 50 *ilometers abo#e the !arth"s sur$ace& This stratosphere contains about 19&9 - o$ the total mass $ound in the atmosphere& :ery little weather occurs in the stratosphere& ;ccasionally, the top portions o$ thunderstorms breach this layer& The lower portion o$ the stratosphere is also in$luenced by the polar /et stream and subtropical /et stream& .n the $irst 9 *ilometers o$ the stratosphere, temperature remains constant with hei%ht& A 8one with constant temperature in the atmosphere is called an isothermal layer& 'rom an altitude o$ 20 to 50 *ilometers, temperature increases with an increase in altitude& The hi%her temperatures $ound in this re%ion o$ the stratosphere occurs because o$ a locali8ed concentration o$ o8one %as molecules& These molecules absorb ultra#iolet sunli%ht creatin% heat ener%y that warms the stratosphere& ;8one is primarily $ound in the atmosphere at #aryin% concentrations between the altitudes o$ 10 to 50 *ilometers& This layer o$ o8one is also called the o8one layer& The o8one layer is important to or%anisms at the !arth"s sur$ace as it protects them $rom the harm$ul e$$ects o$ the sun"s ultra#iolet radiation& 2ithout the o8one layer li$e could not e,ist on the !arth"s sur$ace&

Figure ": #ost of our planet$s weather occurs in the troposphere. This image shows a view of this layer from an airplane$s window ( hoto % "&&' (dward Tsang).

eparatin% the mesosphere $rom the stratosphere is a transition 8one called the stratopause& .n the mesosphere, the atmosphere reaches its coldest temperatures 0about 7903 4elsius1 at a hei%ht o$ appro,imately (0 *ilometers& At the top o$ the mesosphere is another transition 8one *nown as the mesopause& The last atmospheric layer has an altitude %reater than (0 *ilometers and is called the thermosphere& Temperatures in this layer can be as hi%h as 120034& These hi%h temperatures are %enerated $rom the absorption o$ intense solar radiation by o,y%en molecules 0;21& 2hile these temperatures seem e,treme, the amount o$ heat ener%y in#ol#ed is #ery small& The amount o$ heat stored in a substance is controlled in part by its mass& The air in the thermosphere is e,tremely thin with indi#idual %as molecules bein% separated $rom each other by lar%e distances& 4onse<uently, measurin% the temperature o$ thermosphere with a thermometer is a #ery di$$icult process& Thermometers measure the temperature o$ bodies #ia the mo#ement o$ heat ener%y& =ormally, this process ta*es a $ew minutes $or the conducti#e trans$er o$ *inetic ener%y $rom countless molecules in the body o$ a substance to the e,pandin% li<uid inside the thermometer& .n the thermosphere, our thermometer would lose more

heat ener%y $rom radiati#e emission then what it would %ain $rom ma*in% occasional contact with e,tremely hot %as molecules&