Warm-up

Page: 518, 1. The Earth’s atmosphere has a

distinct ______ of temperature.

pattern

Page: 518, 2. Scientist identify ______ main

layers of the atmosphere.

four

• Page: 518, 3. In the troposphere almost all

___________ occurs.

weather

Objectives: SWBAT

• Compare/contrast he layers of the

atmosphere

• Understand that temperature changes or

various with altitude

• Temperature range and change is how

scientist label regions (layers of

atmosphere)

• Most life is contained in the troposphere

Activities:

• Warm-up

• Notes/discussion

• Atmosphere graph handout – students plot

and mark regions/patterns and locations of

important sections of the atmosphere

Layers of the Atmosphere

The Earth’s atmosphere has a distinctive

pattern of temperature changes with altitude

Scientist identify 4 main layers

1.Troposphere – the lowest layer of the

atmosphere

• Temp. drops at a constant rate with as

altitude increases

• The part of the atmosphere where weather

conditions exist

• Almost all water vapor and CO2

At an average altitude of 12km(7.5 miles)

the temp. stops decreasing –this region

called the tropopause

• Represents the upper boundary of the

troposphere

2. Stratosphere – layer lies above the

tropopause

• Average altitude of 50 km

• Almost all ozone (O3) found in this region

• Temp. increases with altitude

• Air is heated by absorption of solar radiation

The stratopause region 50 km (30miles)marks

the upper boundary to the stratosphere

3. Mesosphere - layer of atmosphere above

the stratopause

• Coldest layer

• Temp. decreases with altitude

• Extends up to 80 km up (50 miles)

• Meteors burn up/vaporize in this region

• The mesopause is the upper boundary of the

mesosphere average temp. = -90ºC

The Thermosphere is the uppermost layer of

the atmosphere

• Temperature increases tremendously with

altitude (hottest layer)

• 80 to 600 km altitude

• Very highly energized layer (solar wind) hits

causing upper auroras – northern lights

• Region known as the ionosphere is

contained in this zone – makes possible for

radio waves broadcast to bounce off and

travel great distance

ionosphere

Exosphere • Above the thermosphere / ionosphere the

atmosphere blends into almost a complete

vacuum of space

• This region extends 1000 of kilometers

above the Earths surface (transition zone)

Cool down

1. What layer is the coldest?

mesosphere

2. Ozone is concentrated in what layer?

stratosphere