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The atmosphere of Earth is composed of a layer of gas mixture that surrounds the Earth's planetary surface (both lands and oceans), known collectively as air, with variable quantities of suspended aerosols and particulates (which create weather features such as clouds and hazes), all retained by Earth's gravity.
- Troposphere
- Stratosphere
- Mesosphere
- Thermosphere
- Exosphere
The troposphere is the layer closest to the Earth’s surface. It is the area of space roughly between 8 to 15 km above the ground. This layer includes most of the cloud layers along with the majority of water particles and dust. The troposphere is not the same thickness all over the Earth. It is actually known to be at its thinnest at the South and ...
The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere just above the troposphere. It ranges from approximately 15 km above the earth’s surface to 50 km (30 miles) above the Earth. The stratosphere is most well known for having a large amount of ozone gas, an oxygen compound. Because of this, this region is often referred to as the "ozone layer." T...
The next layer in the Earth’s atmosphere is known as the mesosphere. The mesosphere reaches 85 km (53 miles) out from the surface of the earth. It is very cold, with the coldest temperatures found at the top of this layer where it can reach -90 °C (-130 °F). The atmosphere is much thinner here than it is closer to the Earth, but there is still enou...
Above the mesopause, ending some 600 km (372 miles) from the surface of the Earth is the thermosphere. As the prefix Thermosuggests, this layer has much higher temperatures. Because this layer is much closer to the sun, it can reach temperatures up to 2,000 °C (3,600 °F).
The final layer is where the Earth’s atmosphere meets outer space. This region is known as the exosphere, as it circles all the other layers. This layer is almost as thin as space itself, as the gravitational pull of Earth is too weak to hold many molecules. This means that the layer is extremely thin, and blends into outer space as molecules float...
May 13, 2024 · When we talk about the Earth's Atmosphere, what do we mean? Imagine a layer cake, wrapping around the Earth. That is essentially what the Earth’s atmosphere is like: layers upon layers of gas surrounding the Earth, working to protect the planet.
The Earth’s Atmosphere is largely composed gases:— chemical substances in which the molecules are in constant motion, colliding with one another, and against the walls of any solid objects in the Atmosphere.
Jan 21, 2023 · A 1-cm 2 cross section of the earth’s surface supports a column weighing 1030 g; the total mass of the atmosphere is about 5.27 x 10 21 g. About 80% of the mass of the atmosphere resides in the first 10 km; this well-mixed region of fairly uniform composition is known as the troposphere .
Oct 19, 2023 · Earth’s atmosphere is composed of about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon, and 0.1 percent other gases. Trace amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and neon are some of the other gases that make up the remaining 0.1 percent.
Each of the planets in our solar system has an atmosphere, but none of them have the same ratio of gases or layered structure as Earth's atmosphere. Nitrogen and oxygen are by far the most common gases in our atmosphere. Dry air is composed of about 78% nitrogen (N 2) and about 21% oxygen (O 2).