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  1. Jun 25, 2024 · The mesosphere is the least-understood part of Earth’s atmosphere. It is too high for aircraft or weather balloons to operate, but too low for spacecraft. Sounding rockets have provided meteorologists and astronomers their only significant data on this important part of the atmosphere.

  2. The atmosphere serves as a protective buffer between the Earth's surface and outer space, shields the surface from most meteoroids and ultraviolet solar radiation, keeps it warm and reduces diurnal temperature variation (temperature extremes between day and night) through heat retention (greenhouse effect), redistributes heat and moisture among ...

  3. Oct 19, 2023 · Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide —the most dangerous and prevalent greenhouse gas —are at the highest levels ever recorded. Greenhouse gas levels are so high primarily because humans have released them into the air by burning fossil fuels.

  4. May 13, 2024 · “The Earth’s atmosphere allows life to exist. . . like a protective bubble that surrounds the planet,” stated Ueyama. Although we cannot directly see the atmosphere, it provides the air we breathe and protects us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

    • Overview
    • Key points

    Review your understanding of the composition and layers of Earth's atmosphere in this free article aligned to AP standards.

    •Earth is surrounded by a mixture of gases called the atmosphere. The composition of the atmosphere is 78%‍  nitrogen and 21%‍  oxygen, with the remaining 1%‍  consisting of water vapor, argon, carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases.

    •Earth’s atmosphere consists of five distinct layers that are distinguished by temperature gradients—the layers alternate between having temperatures that increase or decrease with altitude. The five principal layers of the atmosphere are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.

    •Troposphere: The troposphere is the layer closest to Earth. It is the densest layer (i.e., contains the most air particles), and is where most of Earth’s weather and cloud formation occurs. The troposphere is heated primarily by energy from the sun radiating off the Earth’s surface. This, along with the decrease in pressure that occurs with altitude, means that the troposphere has a temperature gradient that decreases with altitude.

    •Stratosphere: The stratosphere is the layer above the troposphere. It has a concentrated region of ozone gas called the ozone layer, which keeps about 95%‍  of the sun's harmful UV radiation from reaching the Earth’s surface. Ozone molecules absorb UV radiation and release heat, which causes the stratosphere to have a temperature gradient that increases with altitude.

    •Mesosphere: The mesosphere is the layer above the stratosphere. The mesosphere is heated primarily by the stratosphere below, so it has a temperature gradient that decreases with altitude. The mesosphere is one of the coldest places on Earth. The average temperature is around minus 85°‍ C (−120°‍ F)!

    •Thermosphere: The thermosphere is the layer above the mesosphere. It has a very low density of gas molecules. These molecules absorb highly energetic radiation from the sun, so the thermosphere has a temperature gradient that increases with altitude.

  5. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer, a part of the atmosphere that contains a relatively high concentration of ozone between roughly 15 to 35 km in altitude. The ozone layer absorbs...

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  7. www.nasa.gov › image-article › earths-upper-atmosphereEarth's Upper Atmosphere - NASA

    Jan 25, 2013 · The Earth’s atmosphere has four primary layers: the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. These layers protect our planet by absorbing harmful radiation. Thermosphere 53–375 Miles – In the thermosphere, molecules of oxygen and nitrogen are bombarded by radiation and energetic particles from the Sun, causing the ...

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