The Atmosphere

The Atmosphere

Our atmosphere is made up of five layers. The Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and the Exosphere.

 

The troposphere is the first layer of the atmosphere. It begins at the surface and extends 10 km.
Within the troposphere, 80% of the atmospheres mass is located here.

The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere. The temperature increases with height because of the increased absortion of ultraviolet radiation from the ozone layer.

The mesosphere is the third layer of the atmosphere and this is the layer where most meteors burn when entering the atmosphere. Unlike the stratosphere the mesosphere decreases temperature with height. Due to such cold temperatures, ice clouds form in the mesosphere.

The thermosphere is the fourth layer of the atmosphere.

The final layer of earths atmosphere is the exosphere. It is mainly composed of hydrogen and helium. Particles in this part of the atmosphere are so far apart that they can travel hundreds of km without colliding with one another.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Earth

Ozone Layer.

The Ozone layer is the layer of ozone gas in the upper atmosphere. This gas plays a huge role is protecting humans and other things from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.
In 1977, scientists discovered that man made chemicals had the potential to destroy the ozone layer, and this a problem we are now facing in modern times. Slowly, the ozone layer is disappearing.
Watch this video to learn more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QyI3Yo1sf4