Thermosphere

Thermosphere

What is it?

The thermosphere is the layer of the earth's atmosphere that lies above the mesosphere at altitudes between 80 and 200 kilometers above the earth's surface. The thermosphere is also the lower part of the ionosphere.

Give me an example!

The lower levels of the thermosphere are composed of molecules of nitrogen (N and N2) and Oxygen (O and O2). The higher you go in the thermosphere, the warmer the temperature becomes because solar radiation is absorbed by oxygen molecules.

Mesosphere

Mesosphere

What is it?

The mesosphere is the layer of the earth's atmosphere that extends from an altitude of 50 kilometers up to 80 kilometers above the earth's surface. The mesosphere is above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere.

Give me an example!

The temperature in the mesosphere starts out at 0 degrees Celsius in its lowest regions and decreases in the upper regions to -100 degrees Celsius. The only people who have ever been in the mesosphere are astronauts!

Stratosphere

Stratosphere

What is it?

The stratosphere is the layer of the earth's atmosphere that exists between approximately 15 and 50 kilometers above the earth's surface. The stratosphere is between the troposphere and the mesosphere.

Give me an example!

Conditions in the stratosphere are not affected by the water cycle or any other earthly changes in weather. Temperatures in the stratosphere start at about -50 degrees Celsius at the bottom and climb to around 0 degrees Celsius in the upper parts. The stratosphere also contains the earth's fragile ozone layer which has been damaged by chloroflourocarbons.

Troposphere

Troposphere

What is it?

The troposphere is the lowest layer of the earth's atmosphere. The troposphere extends from the surface of the earth to between 10 and 12 miles up (or 10 to 20 kilometers).

Give me an example!

The troposphere is where all our weather happens! Water molecules moving through the water cycle do their thing within the troposphere. That's a whole lot of evaporation, condensation, and percipitation (rain, sleet, hail, and snow)! The level level of the earth's atmosphere directly above the troposphere (called the stratosphere) forms a barrier that keeps the earth's moisture from escaping. The ceiling of the troposphere is higher over the Equator than at the Poles, and it is higher over the Poles in summer than in winter.

Atmosphere

Atmosphere

What is it?

The atmosphere is the mass of air surrounding the Earth.

Give me an example!

There are many layers of atmosphere: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere.

Surface

Surface

What is it?

A surface is the exterior or upper boundary of an object. It is the external part or layer of something.

Give me an example!

The part of a window pane I can touch is its surface!

Area

Area

What is it?

In general, an area is a particular extent of space or surface. It can even refer to the scope of a concept or an activity!

In mathematics, an area is the surface included within a set of lines, or the number of unit squares equal in measure to the specific surface.

Give me an example!

The formula for calculating the area of a rectangle is height multiplied by width!