Atmosphere Layers
By: Kara Johnston
Trophosphere
This layer begins at the Earth's surface and goes up 12km and meets the Stratosphere. The temperature gets colder the higher you go up. This layer is the most compressed because of the other layers being stacked on top of it. This layer is also where weather appears.
Stratosphere
This layer goes from the end of the Troposphere up to 50km. The temperature in this layer gets colder as you go up as well. Airliners fly here to avoid bad weather, as well as to avoid turbulence.
Mesosphere
This layer extends from the end of the Stratosphere to 80km. This layer is the coldest, it is at -130ºF here. The bottom of this layer is warmer than the top of the layer. This is where most meteors burn up.
Thermosphere
This is the largest layer of the atmosphere, it goes from the end of the Mesosphere and goes on forever. This layer can get up to 3600ºF, which makes this layer the hottest. This layer contains the Exosphere, the beginning of outer space, the Ionosphere, where the Northern Lights can be seen. Radio waves are reflected back to Earth from here. This layer has the thinnest air pressure.