iNTRODUCING layers of the atmosphere b1.ppt

Our earth is protected by many important layers, each one has curious facts, let´s learn about them

1. LAYERS OF THE
ATMOSPHERE
MS. MORENO

2. Essential Questions
1.What are the four main
layers of the atmosphere?
2.What are the
characteristics of each
layer?

3. Essential Questions Answered
1.What are the four main
layers of the atmosphere?
Troposphere, stratosphere,
mesosphere, thermosphere

4. 2.What are the characteristics of
each layer?
Troposphere: weather happens here,
we live here, thinnest layer, lowest
layer.
Stratosphere: ozone layer and jet
stream are here.
Mesosphere: coldest layer, shooting
stars happen here.
Thermosphere: thickest, hottest
layer.

5. Earth’s atmosphere is divided into four main layers
based upon changes in temperature.

6. Troposphere
•Lowest layer of the atmosphere (closest to Earth)
•You live here
•Tropomeans turning or changing (there is more
change in this layer than any other)
•Weather occurs here
•Shallowest layer (thinnest)
•Contains almost all the mass of the atmosphere
•It is 16 km thick at equator and less than 9 km thick at
poles
•As altitude increases, temperature decreases
•At the top, temp is about -60̊C. Water here forms
clouds of ice

7. Stratosphere
•Second layer of the atmosphere
•Reaches from troposphere to about 50 km
above surface of Earth
•Strato means layer or spread out
•Ozone layer is here (remember it protects
living things from ultraviolet radiation from
Sun)
•Jets often fly here because it is calm
•As altitude increases, temperature increases
(because ozone layer absorbs heat)

8. Mesosphere
•Third layer
•Mesomeans middle
•Reaches from 50 km to 80 km above Earth’s
surface
•Protects Earth’s surface from being hit by
meteoroids (chunks of stone and metal from
space –but some still get through)
•A shooting star is a trail of hot, glowing gases a
meteoroid leaves behind in the mesosphere
•Coldest layer -Temperatures reach –90̊C at the
top of the mesosphere
•As altitude increases, temperature decreases

9. Thermosphere
•Outermost layer of our atmosphere
•Reaches from 80 km above Earth’s surface into
outer space. There is no definite upper limit
•Thermo means heat
•Thickest layer
•Hottest layer, temperatures reach up to 1,800̊C,
but you would not feel warm here (Find out Why?)
•As altitude increases, temperature increases
•Has two other layers

10. Ionosphere
•Lower layer of the Thermosphere
•Reaches from about 80 km to 400 km above
Earth’s surface
•Energy from the sun causes gas molecules here
to become electrically charged particles
•Radio waves bounce off ions back to Earth
(makes signals travel much farther at night)
•Auroras happen near the poles because of the
ionosphere –these are brilliant streaks of light in
night skies

11. Exosphere
•Exo means outer
•Is the outer portion of the thermosphere
•Reaches from about 400 km outward for
thousands of kilometers
•Space shuttles and satellites orbit Earth
here

12. Asteroid
grazing
Earth’s
atmosphere

13. Remember:
•Earth’s atmosphere is
divided into four main
layers based upon
changes in temperature.

14. -Layers of the Atmosphere

16. Can you pick out what might be the
layers?