Earth Science, Discovery Education, The Atmosphere

Auroras

caused when solar flare wind activity interacts with the charged particles in the ionosphere

Ozone Layer

contains a high concentration of ozone molecules. The ozone layer absorbs dangerous short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation and provides a defensive shield for organisms living on the planet

Stratosphere

extends from 12 to 50 km above the surface of the planet. It is dominated by ozone, which absorbs short-wavelength UV radiation, causing the air to warm. The temperature in the stratosphere increases with altitude throughout the stratosphere. The pronounced temperature difference between the stratosphere and the troposphere prevents the air from mixing between these two regions

Mesophere

extends from 50 to 80 km above the planet's surface. Almost 99.9% of the mass of the atmosphere is contained below the mesosphere. Temperature in the mesosphere decreases with increasing altitude

Thermopshere

extends from the planet's surface to roughly 12 km into the atmosphere. It contains 80% of the atmosphere by mass. The troposphere is where weather occurs. Air temperature in the troposphere decreases by 6.5°C/km with increasing altitude

Exosphere

extends from the thermosphere to 190,000 km above the surface of Earth. The exosphere is the final boundary between the planet and space

Thermosphere

extends from the top of the mesosphere to about 600 km above the planet's surface. Solar activity causes the temperature to increase with altitude

Gases in the Atmosphere

most abundant gas is nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), argon (0.9%), other (0.1%)

Ionosphere

overlaps the mesosphere, thermosphere, and lower exosphere. It extends from 50 to 1,000 km above the surface of the planet. The thickness of the ionosphere varies both daily and seasonally depending on solar activity

Coriolis Effect

the effect that Earth's rotation has on a moving object, including fluids such as winds and ocean currents. As the object moves in a straight path away from the equator, it is deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere

Thermal Energy

winds and convection currents in the atmosphere are caused by the uneven distribution of