World Geography
Chapter 1
The Atmosphere
What is the atmosphere?
The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds the Earth. It is made up of several gases,
including nitrogen (about 78%), oxygen (about 21%), and small amounts of other gases such as carbon
dioxide, argon, and water vapor.
This atmosphere acts as a blanket because it keeps the average temperature of the Earth nearly
constant. The atmosphere plays a crucial role in supporting life on Earth by providing oxygen for breathing,
protecting us from harmful solar radiation. The Earth’s atmosphere can be divided into five main layers:
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.
1. Troposphere
• “Tropos” means change.
• This layer gets its name from the weather that is constantly changing and mixing up the
gases in this part of our atmosphere.
• The lowest layer (up to 10-15 km above the Earth’s surface).
• Contains 80% of the atmosphere’s total mass.
• Weather like clouds, rain, and snow happens here.
• Temperature decreases as you go higher.
Example:
- The clouds you see and the air you breathe are in this layer.
- Airplanes usually fly at the top of this layer to avoid turbulence closer to the ground.
- Hot air balloons fly within the troposphere.
2. Stratosphere
• “Strat” means layer.
• This layer of our atmosphere has its own set of layers.
• The boundary between the stratosphere and the troposphere is called the tropopause.
• It is the region where airplanes fly.
• Starts above the Troposphere (around 15-50 km above the Earth).
• The ozone layer is here, protecting us from the Sun’s harmful UV rays.
• The air is thinner, and the temperature increases with altitude.
• Commercial jets fly here for smoother riders because of stable air.
Example:
- The ozone layer is like sunscreen for Earth, absorbing harmful sunlight.
- Pilots fly in this layer to avoid the unstable weather below.
3. Mesosphere
• “Meso” means middle.
• This layer is located above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere.
• Third layer in our atmosphere which is 35 km (22 miles) thick.
• Lies between 50-85 km above the Earth.
• The transition boundary which separates the mesosphere from the stratosphere is called
stratopause.
• Meteors burn up in this layer due to friction with air particles.
• Coldest layer of the atmosphere (temperatures can drop to -90 degree Celsius)
• Most meteors burn up in this atmospheric layer.
• Very thin air; you’d need oxygen to survive here.
Example:
- The ‘shooting stars’ you see at night are meteors burning up in the Mesosphere.
- If this layer didn’t exist, meteors could hit Earth more often.
Meteor
Meteor is piece of rock or matter that has been broken off in space and travels
through the atmosphere.
When they cross the Mesosphere, friction and momentum cause the meteor to burn
up and appear as a light crossing the sky.
4. Thermosphere
• ‘Thermo’ means heat.
• This layer has extremely high temperatures and located above the mesosphere and below
the exosphere.
• Starts around 85-600 km above the Earth.
• The boundary between the mesosphere and the thermosphere atmospheric regions is called
Mesopause.
• Starts around 85-600 km above the Earth.
• The thickest layer in the atmosphere.
• Temperatures are extremely high due to absorption of the Sun’s radiation.
• Auroras (Northern and Southern Lights) are seen here.
• Satellites, spacecraft and the International Space station orbit in this layer.
Examples:
- The beautiful colors of the auroras are caused by particles from the Sun hitting the gases in
this layer.
- Astronauts in the International Space live in this layer.
Aurora
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky, particularly in the high-latitude regions,
that is caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high-latitude
atmosphere.
5. Exosphere
• ‘Exo’ means outside.
• The exosphere represents the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere.
• It extends from the top of the thermosphere to 10,000 kilometers (6,214 miles) above
Earth’s surface.
• The outermost layer, blending into outer space.
• Extremely thin, mostly made of hydrogen and helium.
• Atoms and molecules escape into space and higher altitude satellites orbit our planet.
• No defined boundary; it gradually fades into space.
Examples:
- Communication satellites in this layer help us use phones and the internet.
- This layer is like the gateway to space.
