The gaseous envelope surrounding our planet Earth, known as the atmosphere, consists of five main layers. These layers originate on the surface of the planet, from sea level (sometimes below) and rise to outer space in the following sequence:
- Troposphere;
- Stratosphere;
- Mesosphere;
- Thermosphere;
- Exosphere.
Diagram of the main layers of the Earth's atmosphere
In between each of these main five layers are transition zones, called "pauses", where changes in air temperature, composition and density occur. Together with pauses, the Earth's atmosphere includes a total of 9 layers.
Troposphere: where weather occurs
Of all the layers of the atmosphere, the troposphere is the one with which we are most familiar (whether you realize it or not), since we live on its bottom - the surface of the planet. It envelops the surface of the Earth and extends upward for several kilometers. The word troposphere means "change of the globe." A very appropriate name, since this layer is where our everyday weather occurs.
Starting from the surface of the planet, the troposphere rises to a height of 6 to 20 km. The lower third of the layer, closest to us, contains 50% of all atmospheric gases. This is the only part of the entire atmosphere that breathes. Due to the fact that the air is heated from below by the earth's surface, absorbing thermal energy The sun, with increasing altitude, the temperature and pressure of the troposphere decrease.
At the top there is a thin layer called the tropopause, which is just a buffer between the troposphere and the stratosphere.
Stratosphere: home of the ozone
The stratosphere is the next layer of the atmosphere. It extends from 6-20 km to 50 km above the Earth's surface. This is the layer in which most commercial airliners fly and hot air balloons travel.
Here the air does not flow up and down, but moves parallel to the surface in very fast air currents. As you rise, the temperature increases, thanks to the abundance of naturally occurring ozone (O3), a byproduct of solar radiation and oxygen, which has the ability to absorb the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays (any increase in temperature with altitude in meteorology is known as an "inversion") .
Because the stratosphere has warmer temperatures at the bottom and cooler temperatures at the top, convection (vertical movement of air masses) is rare in this part of the atmosphere. In fact, you can view a storm raging in the troposphere from the stratosphere because the layer acts as a convection cap that prevents storm clouds from penetrating.
After the stratosphere there is again a buffer layer, this time called the stratopause.
Mesosphere: middle atmosphere
The mesosphere is located approximately 50-80 km from the Earth's surface. The upper mesosphere is the coldest natural place on Earth, where temperatures can drop below -143°C.
Thermosphere: upper atmosphere
After the mesosphere and mesopause comes the thermosphere, located between 80 and 700 km above the surface of the planet, and contains less than 0.01% of the total air in the atmospheric envelope. Temperatures here reach up to +2000° C, but due to the strong rarefaction of the air and the lack of gas molecules to transfer heat, these high temperatures are perceived as very cold.
Exosphere: the boundary between the atmosphere and space
At an altitude of about 700-10,000 km above the earth's surface is the exosphere - the outer edge of the atmosphere, bordering space. Here weather satellites orbit the Earth.
What about the ionosphere?
The ionosphere is not a separate layer, but in fact the term is used to refer to the atmosphere between 60 and 1000 km altitude. It includes the uppermost parts of the mesosphere, the entire thermosphere and part of the exosphere. The ionosphere gets its name because in this part of the atmosphere the radiation from the Sun is ionized when it passes through the Earth's magnetic fields at and. This phenomenon is observed from the ground as the northern lights.
The atmosphere is the gaseous shell of our planet, which rotates along with the Earth. The gas in the atmosphere is called air. The atmosphere is in contact with the hydrosphere and partially covers the lithosphere. But the upper limits are difficult to determine. It is conventionally accepted that the atmosphere extends upward for approximately three thousand kilometers. There it smoothly flows into airless space.
Chemical composition of the Earth's atmosphere
Formation chemical composition the atmosphere began about four billion years ago. Initially, the atmosphere consisted only of light gases - helium and hydrogen. According to scientists, the initial prerequisites for the creation of a gas shell around the Earth were volcanic eruptions, which, along with lava, emitted huge amounts of gases. Subsequently, gas exchange began with water spaces, with living organisms, and with the products of their activities. The composition of the air gradually changed and modern form recorded several million years ago.
The main components of the atmosphere are nitrogen (about 79%) and oxygen (20%). The remaining percentage (1%) comes from the following gases: argon, neon, helium, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, krypton, xenon, ozone, ammonia, sulfur and nitrogen dioxides, nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide, which are included in this one percent.
In addition, the air contains water vapor and particulate matter (pollen, dust, salt crystals, aerosol impurities).
IN Lately Scientists note not a qualitative, but a quantitative change in some air ingredients. And the reason for this is man and his activities. In the last 100 years alone, carbon dioxide levels have increased significantly! This is fraught with many problems, the most global of which is climate change.
Formation of weather and climate
The atmosphere plays a critical role in shaping the climate and weather on Earth. A lot depends on the amount of sunlight, the nature of the underlying surface and atmospheric circulation.
Let's look at the factors in order.
1. The atmosphere transmits the heat of the sun's rays and absorbs harmful radiation. The ancient Greeks knew that the rays of the Sun fall on different parts of the Earth at different angles. The word “climate” itself translated from ancient Greek means “slope”. So, at the equator, the sun's rays fall almost vertically, which is why it is very hot here. The closer to the poles, the greater the angle of inclination. And the temperature drops.
2. Due to the uneven heating of the Earth, air currents are formed in the atmosphere. They are classified according to their sizes. The smallest (tens and hundreds of meters) are local winds. This is followed by monsoons and trade winds, cyclones and anticyclones, and planetary frontal zones.
All these air masses constantly moving. Some of them are quite static. For example, trade winds that blow from the subtropics towards the equator. The movement of others depends largely on atmospheric pressure.
3. Atmospheric pressure is another factor influencing climate formation. This is the air pressure on the surface of the earth. As is known, air masses move from an area with high atmospheric pressure towards an area where this pressure is lower.
A total of 7 zones are allocated. The equator is a low pressure zone. Further, on both sides of the equator up to the thirtieth latitude - the region high pressure. From 30° to 60° - low pressure again. And from 60° to the poles is a high pressure zone. Air masses circulate between these zones. Those that come from the sea to land bring rain and bad weather, and those that blow from the continents bring clear and dry weather. In places where air currents collide, zones are formed atmospheric front, which are characterized by precipitation and inclement, windy weather.
Scientists have proven that even a person’s well-being depends on atmospheric pressure. Normal by international standards Atmosphere pressure- 760 mm Hg. column at a temperature of 0°C. This indicator is calculated for those areas of land that are almost level with sea level. With altitude the pressure decreases. Therefore, for example, for St. Petersburg 760 mm Hg. - this is the norm. But for Moscow, which is located higher, normal pressure is 748 mm Hg.
The pressure changes not only vertically, but also horizontally. This is especially felt during the passage of cyclones.
The structure of the atmosphere
The atmosphere is reminiscent of a layer cake. And each layer has its own characteristics.
. Troposphere- the layer closest to the Earth. The "thickness" of this layer changes with distance from the equator. Above the equator, the layer extends upward by 16-18 km, in temperate zones by 10-12 km, at the poles by 8-10 km.
It is here that 80% of the total air mass and 90% of water vapor are contained. Clouds form here, cyclones and anticyclones arise. The air temperature depends on the altitude of the area. On average, it decreases by 0.65° C for every 100 meters.
. Tropopause- transition layer of the atmosphere. Its height ranges from several hundred meters to 1-2 km. The air temperature in summer is higher than in winter. For example, above the poles in winter it is -65° C. And above the equator it is -70° C at any time of the year.
. Stratosphere- this is a layer whose upper boundary lies at an altitude of 50-55 kilometers. Turbulence here is low, the content of water vapor in the air is negligible. But there is a lot of ozone. Its maximum concentration is at an altitude of 20-25 km. In the stratosphere, the air temperature begins to rise and reaches +0.8° C. This is due to the fact that the ozone layer interacts with ultraviolet radiation.
. Stratopause- a low intermediate layer between the stratosphere and the mesosphere that follows it.
. Mesosphere- the upper boundary of this layer is 80-85 kilometers. Complex photochemical processes involving free radicals occur here. They are the ones who provide that gentle blue glow of our planet, which is seen from space.
Most comets and meteorites burn up in the mesosphere.
. Mesopause- the next intermediate layer, the air temperature in which is at least -90°.
. Thermosphere- the lower boundary begins at an altitude of 80 - 90 km, and the upper boundary of the layer runs approximately at 800 km. The air temperature is rising. It can vary from +500° C to +1000° C. During the day, temperature fluctuations amount to hundreds of degrees! But the air here is so rarefied that understanding the term “temperature” as we imagine it is not appropriate here.
. Ionosphere- combines the mesosphere, mesopause and thermosphere. The air here consists mainly of oxygen and nitrogen molecules, as well as quasi-neutral plasma. The sun's rays entering the ionosphere strongly ionize air molecules. In the lower layer (up to 90 km) the degree of ionization is low. The higher, the greater the ionization. So, at an altitude of 100-110 km, electrons are concentrated. This helps to reflect short and medium radio waves.
The most important layer of the ionosphere is the upper one, which is located at an altitude of 150-400 km. Its peculiarity is that it reflects radio waves, and this facilitates the transmission of radio signals over considerable distances.
It is in the ionosphere that such a phenomenon as the aurora occurs.
. Exosphere- consists of oxygen, helium and hydrogen atoms. The gas in this layer is very rarefied and hydrogen atoms often escape into outer space. Therefore, this layer is called the “dispersion zone”.
The first scientist to suggest that our atmosphere has weight was the Italian E. Torricelli. Ostap Bender, for example, in his novel “The Golden Calf” lamented that every person is pressed by a column of air weighing 14 kg! But the great schemer was a little mistaken. An adult experiences pressure of 13-15 tons! But we do not feel this heaviness, because atmospheric pressure is balanced by the internal pressure of a person. The weight of our atmosphere is 5,300,000,000,000,000 tons. The figure is colossal, although it is only a millionth of the weight of our planet.
The atmosphere is a shell of gas or air that surrounds our planet. The atmosphere is a mixture of gases, it contains various impurities of condensation (condensation products of water vapor, particles that make up fogs, clouds, precipitation) and non-condensation (solid particles: dust, smoke, fumes, plant spores, etc.) origin . Atmospheric composition: nitrogen (78.8%), oxygen (20.95%), argon (0.93%). In addition, the atmosphere contains water vapor and carbon dioxide, which greatly affect the temperature regime of the atmosphere.
Troposphere - closest to earth's surface layer. It extends to an altitude of 8..10 km in the polar regions, up to 10...12 km in temperate latitudes and up to 16..18 km in the tropics. In the troposphere there is a boundary layer (friction layer), located at an altitude of up to 100 m from the western point. In the troposphere, the temperature decreases with height, averaging about 65 for every 100 m. The decrease is due to the fact that the air in the troposphere is heated and cooled by the earth's surface. Clouds, fogs are observed here, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes develop. The wind increases with height, its speed reaches maximum values at an altitude of 8..10 km (in moderate latitudes), sometimes reaching 100 km/h or more (jet currents). The prevailing wind direction is westerly. Various air masses form, atmospheric fronts form, cyclones and anticyclones develop. The dustiest part of the atmosphere
The stratosphere extends from the tropopause (located between the troposphere and the stratosphere) to an altitude of about 50 km. The air temperature is almost constant; higher temperatures increase due to the absorption of ultraviolet particles from the solar spectrum by atmospheric ozone. There are practically no clouds, only pearlescent clouds at altitudes of 20...30 km, where the air temperature is -55...-100. It can only be observed at dusk, after sunset or before sunrise. Observed mainly over Alaska and Scandinavia. The speed of the westerly wind decreases with height, reaching a minimum value at an altitude of 18...21 km, after which the speed begins to increase again, changing directions to the east. The easterly direction separates from the underlying westerly layers with weak, erratic winds. This transition layer is called the velopause. Sometimes sharp stratospheric warmings are observed.
The region of the atmosphere with charged particles is called the ionosphere. The concentration of ions and electrons is not constant. Maximum concentration occurs at an altitude of 70…80 km
2.Standard atmosphere (sa). Problems can be solved using sa
Standard atmosphere- this is a conditional constant atmosphere, independent of the latitude of the place, time of year and synoptic conditions. It uses long-term meteorological observations based on the results of measurements using radio sounding and weather rockets. The flight performance of an aircraft is affected by the state of the atmosphere. To compare the performance data of different airplanes and helicopters, they are subjected to the same atmospheric conditions. For these purposes, a standard atmosphere is used.
Encyclopedic YouTube
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Subtitles
Atmospheric boundary
The atmosphere is considered to be that region around the Earth in which the gaseous medium rotates together with the Earth as a single whole. The atmosphere passes into interplanetary space gradually, in the exosphere, starting at an altitude of 500-1000 km from the Earth's surface.
According to the definition proposed by the International Aviation Federation, the boundary of the atmosphere and space is drawn along the Karman line, located at an altitude of about 100 km, above which aviation flights become completely impossible. NASA uses the 122 kilometers (400,000 ft) mark as the atmospheric limit, where the shuttles switch from powered maneuvering to aerodynamic maneuvering.
Physical properties
In addition to the gases indicated in the table, the atmosphere contains Cl 2 (\displaystyle (\ce (Cl2))) , SO 2 (\displaystyle (\ce (SO2))) , NH 3 (\displaystyle (\ce (NH3))) , CO (\displaystyle ((\ce (CO)))) , O 3 (\displaystyle ((\ce (O3)))) , NO 2 (\displaystyle (\ce (NO2))), hydrocarbons, HCl (\displaystyle (\ce (HCl))) , HF (\displaystyle (\ce (HF))) , HBr (\displaystyle (\ce (HBr))) , HI (\displaystyle ((\ce (HI)))), couples Hg (\displaystyle (\ce (Hg))) , I 2 (\displaystyle (\ce (I2))) , Br 2 (\displaystyle (\ce (Br2))), as well as many other gases in small quantities. The troposphere constantly contains a large amount of suspended solid and liquid particles (aerosol). The rarest gas in the Earth's atmosphere is Rn (\displaystyle (\ce (Rn))) .
The structure of the atmosphere
Atmospheric boundary layer
The lower layer of the troposphere (1-2 km thick), in which the state and properties of the Earth's surface directly affect the dynamics of the atmosphere.
Troposphere
Its upper limit is at an altitude of 8-10 km in polar, 10-12 km in temperate and 16-18 km in tropical latitudes; lower in winter than in summer.
The lower, main layer of the atmosphere contains more than 80% of the total mass atmospheric air and about 90% of all water vapor available in the atmosphere. Turbulence and convection are highly developed in the troposphere, clouds appear, and cyclones and anticyclones develop. Temperature decreases with increasing altitude with an average vertical gradient of 0.65°/100 meters.
Tropopause
The transition layer from the troposphere to the stratosphere, a layer of the atmosphere in which the decrease in temperature with height stops.
Stratosphere
A layer of the atmosphere located at an altitude of 11 to 50 km. Characterized by a slight change in temperature in the 11-25 km layer (lower layer of the stratosphere) and an increase in the 25-40 km layer from minus 56.5 to plus 0.8 ° C (upper layer of the stratosphere or inversion region). Having reached a value of about 273 K (almost 0 °C) at an altitude of about 40 km, the temperature remains constant up to an altitude of about 55 km. This area constant temperature called the stratopause and is the boundary between the stratosphere and mesosphere.
Stratopause
The boundary layer of the atmosphere between the stratosphere and mesosphere. In the vertical temperature distribution there is a maximum (about 0 °C).
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
The upper limit is about 800 km. The temperature rises to altitudes of 200-300 km, where it reaches values of the order of 1500 K, after which it remains almost constant until high altitudes. Under the influence of solar radiation and cosmic radiation, ionization of the air (“auroras”) occurs - the main regions of the ionosphere lie inside the thermosphere. At altitudes above 300 km, atomic oxygen predominates. The upper limit of the thermosphere is largely determined by the current activity of the Sun. During periods of low activity - for example, in 2008-2009 - there is a noticeable decrease in the size of this layer.
Thermopause
The region of the atmosphere adjacent above the thermosphere. In this region, the absorption of solar radiation is negligible and the temperature does not actually change with altitude.
Exosphere (scattering sphere)
Up to an altitude of 100 km, the atmosphere is a homogeneous, well-mixed mixture of gases. In more high layers The distribution of gases by height depends on their molecular masses; the concentration of heavier gases decreases faster with distance from the Earth's surface. Due to the decrease in gas density, the temperature drops from 0 °C in the stratosphere to minus 110 °C in the mesosphere. However, the kinetic energy of individual particles at altitudes of 200-250 km corresponds to a temperature of ~ 150 °C. Above 200 km, significant fluctuations in temperature and gas density in time and space are observed.
At an altitude of about 2000-3500 km, the exosphere gradually turns into the so-called near space vacuum, which is filled with rare particles of interplanetary gas, mainly hydrogen atoms. But this gas represents only part of the interplanetary matter. The other part consists of dust particles of cometary and meteoric origin. In addition to extremely rarefied dust particles, electromagnetic and corpuscular radiation of solar and galactic origin penetrates into this space.
Review
The troposphere accounts for about 80% of the mass of the atmosphere, the stratosphere - about 20%; mass of the mesosphere - no more than 0.3%, thermosphere - less than 0.05% of total mass atmosphere.
Based on electrical properties in the atmosphere, they distinguish neutrosphere And ionosphere .
Depending on the composition of the gas in the atmosphere, they emit homosphere And heterosphere. Heterosphere- This is the area where gravity affects the separation of gases, since their mixing at such an altitude is negligible. This implies a variable composition of the heterosphere. Below it lies a well-mixed, homogeneous part of the atmosphere, called the homosphere. The boundary between these layers is called the turbopause, it lies at an altitude of about 120 km.
Other properties of the atmosphere and effects on the human body
Already at an altitude of 5 km above sea level, an untrained person begins to experience oxygen starvation and without adaptation, a person’s performance is significantly reduced. The physiological zone of the atmosphere ends here. Human breathing becomes impossible at an altitude of 9 km, although up to approximately 115 km the atmosphere contains oxygen.
The atmosphere supplies us with the oxygen necessary for breathing. However, due to the drop in the total pressure of the atmosphere, as you rise to altitude, the partial pressure of oxygen decreases accordingly.
History of atmospheric formation
According to the most common theory, the Earth's atmosphere has had three different compositions throughout its history. Initially, it consisted of light gases (hydrogen and helium) captured from interplanetary space. This is the so-called primary atmosphere. At the next stage, active volcanic activity led to the saturation of the atmosphere with gases other than hydrogen (carbon dioxide, ammonia, water vapor). This is how it was formed secondary atmosphere. This atmosphere was restorative. Further, the process of atmosphere formation was determined by the following factors:
- leakage of light gases (hydrogen and helium) into interplanetary space;
- chemical reactions occurring in the atmosphere under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, lightning discharges and some other factors.
Gradually these factors led to the formation tertiary atmosphere, characterized by a much lower content of hydrogen and a much higher content of nitrogen and carbon dioxide (formed as a result of chemical reactions from ammonia and hydrocarbons).
Nitrogen
Education large quantity nitrogen is caused by the oxidation of the ammonia-hydrogen atmosphere by molecular oxygen O 2 (\displaystyle (\ce (O2))), which began to come from the surface of the planet as a result of photosynthesis, starting 3 billion years ago. Also nitrogen N 2 (\displaystyle (\ce (N2))) released into the atmosphere as a result of denitrification of nitrates and other nitrogen-containing compounds. Nitrogen is oxidized by ozone to NO (\displaystyle ((\ce (NO)))) in the upper layers of the atmosphere.
Nitrogen N 2 (\displaystyle (\ce (N2))) reacts only under specific conditions (for example, during a lightning discharge). The oxidation of molecular nitrogen by ozone during electrical discharges is used in small quantities in the industrial production of nitrogen fertilizers. Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and nodule bacteria, which form rhizobial symbiosis with leguminous plants, which can be effective green manures - plants that do not deplete, but enrich the soil with natural fertilizers, can oxidize it with low energy consumption and convert it into a biologically active form.
Oxygen
The composition of the atmosphere began to change radically with the appearance of living organisms on Earth as a result of photosynthesis, accompanied by the release of oxygen and the absorption of carbon dioxide. Initially, oxygen was spent on the oxidation of reduced compounds - ammonia, hydrocarbons, ferrous form of iron contained in the oceans and others. At the end of this stage, the oxygen content in the atmosphere began to increase. Gradually, a modern atmosphere with oxidizing properties formed. Since this caused serious and abrupt changes in many processes occurring in the atmosphere, lithosphere and biosphere, this event was called the Oxygen Catastrophe.
Noble gases
Air pollution
Recently, humans have begun to influence the evolution of the atmosphere. The result of human activity has been a constant increase in the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels accumulated in previous geological eras. Enormous quantities are consumed during photosynthesis and are absorbed by the world's oceans. This gas enters the atmosphere due to the decomposition of carbonate rocks and organic substances of plant and animal origin, as well as due to volcanism and production activities person. Over the last 100 years content CO 2 (\displaystyle (\ce (CO2))) in the atmosphere increased by 10%, with the bulk (360 billion tons) coming from fuel combustion. If the growth rate of fuel combustion continues, then in the next 200-300 years the amount CO 2 (\displaystyle (\ce (CO2))) in the atmosphere will double and may lead to
Note 1
The structure of the Earth's atmosphere is layered, and the layers differ from each other in physical and chemical properties, the most important of which are temperature and pressure. Based on this, the planet’s atmosphere is divided into the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.
The density of the atmosphere changes with height and at an altitude of $11$ km it becomes $4$ times less than in the surface layer. Let us consider the layers of the atmosphere depending on the density, composition and properties of gases.
Troposphere
Translated from Greek, the term “troposphere” means "turn, change", which very accurately reflects its properties. Within this layer there is a constant mixing of air and its movement in different directions, so only here fogs, rains, snowfalls and others are observed. weather conditions.
The troposphere is the lower layer of the atmosphere, the upper boundary of which lies at an altitude of $8-10$ km at the poles and $16-18$ km at the equator. The thickness of the troposphere can vary depending on the season of the year. In summer, when the air is warm, the upper limit of the troposphere rises higher.
This layer contains up to $80\%$ of the entire mass of the atmosphere and almost all the water vapor, which indicates its density and massiveness. In the troposphere, air temperature with height goes down every $100$ m by $0.6$ degrees and, naturally, it will be negative at the upper limit. This principle is typical only for the troposphere, because with increasing altitude the air temperature will begin to rise. At the boundary of the troposphere and stratosphere there is a zone called tropopause– within its limits the temperature remains unchanged. The lower layer of the troposphere, called surface boundary layer, is in direct contact with the lithosphere and plays a huge role in atmospheric circulation. This is where water exchange– water taken from the surface of the land and from the oceans is returned back in $8-12$ days.
The troposphere is associated with atmospheric pressure at the Earth's surface, which normally corresponds to $1000$ millibars. A pressure of $1013$ millibar is the standard and is one “atmosphere”. With height there is a rapid decrease in pressure and at the $45-kilometer mark it drops to $1$ mbar.
Stratosphere
Translated from Greek, stratosphere means "flooring, layer", which is located above the troposphere and extends to an altitude of $50-55$ km.
The stratosphere is characterized by low air density and pressure. The air is rarefied, but is represented by the same gases as the troposphere. There is almost no water vapor in this layer. With altitude, pressure in the stratosphere goes down– if in the lower part of the layer the pressure is $10$ times less than the near-surface pressure, then in its upper part it is already $100$ times less. At an altitude of $15-30$ km, ozone gas appears, absorbing the short-wave part solar energy, as a result of which the air is heated and in the lower part of the troposphere the temperature increases to $+56$ degrees, and at the border with the mesosphere it reaches $0$ degrees. Heating stops at the stratopause.
Mesosphere
This layer is located above the stratosphere and extends to an altitude of $80$ km. The air density here is $200$ times less than at the Earth's surface, and the temperature drops to -$90$ degrees. This is the coldest place on the planet; here in the upper layer of the mesosphere the air cools to -$143$ degrees. Of all the layers of the atmosphere, the mesosphere is the least studied. The gas pressure is extremely low and below the surface one by $1000-10000 times. As a result, the movement of the balloons is limited, they simply hang in place because their lifting force reaches zero. A similar situation occurs with jet aircraft, so only rockets or aircraft with rocket engines can fly in the mesosphere. For example, X-15 rocket plane. It is considered the fastest plane in the world, but its record flight lasted only $15$ minutes. Devices exploring the mesosphere can stay at a given altitude for a limited time - they fly higher or fall down. The study of the mesosphere from satellites and suborbital umbrellas is problematic, because even low pressure slows down and even burns spacecraft.
The main part of meteors burns up in this layer of the atmosphere, the meteorite entering the Earth's atmosphere under acute angle, and, having a speed of $11$ km/h, lights up due to friction. Cosmic dust from burnt meteorites settles on the surface every day, leaving $100-$10 thousand tons of meteorite matter.
Thermosphere
It is located above the mesosphere and rises to an altitude of $800$ km. The thermosphere is characterized by processes of absorption and transformation of ultraviolet and x-ray radiation.
At an altitude of $100$ km there is a conventional boundary between the Earth and space - this is the so-called Karman line. The lower boundary of the thermosphere coincides with this line. In the thermosphere there is a small amount of gases that rotate with the Earth, but above the Karman line there are very few gases, so any flight beyond the $100$ kilometer mark is considered to be cosmic. The temperature here rises again and at an altitude of $150$ km reaches $220$ degrees, and at an altitude of $400$ km it reaches a maximum of $1800$ degrees. In the central part of the thermosphere, the pressure is $1$ million times less than the air concentration at the Earth's surface. Individual particles have very high energy, but huge distances between them. The result is that spacecraft are in a vacuum.
Within the thermosphere it is released ionosphere, where, under the influence of short-wave solar radiation, individual electrons are separated from the shells of atoms and layers of charged particles appear. As a result of the low air density, the sun's rays are scattered and the stars shine brightly in the black sky. Powerful forces are formed in the ionosphere electric currents causing disturbances magnetic field Earth and auroras arise.
Note 2
Actually thermosphere represents open space; the orbit of the first Soviet satellite passed within its boundaries. Many artificial satellites operating at this same altitude study the Earth's surface, oceans and atmosphere.
Exosphere
This layer of the atmosphere means "sphere of dispersion", because it borders on space and is air dissipating into interplanetary space. The layer consists of hydrogen atoms, which is the lightest element. Oxygen and nitrogen atoms may also enter, but they are highly ionized by solar radiation.
The exosphere is located at an altitude of $800-3000 km and has a temperature of over $2000 degrees. The gases of this sphere are represented by hydrogen and helium, the speed of which is close to critical and amounts to $11.2$ km/s.
As a result, individual particles can overcome gravity and escape into outer space.
The exosphere layer is small in size and grows into the Earth’s corona, stretching up to $100$ thousand km from the planet.
Note 3
Role in the life of the planet atmosphere exceptionally great - the Earth would simply be dead without it. All weather phenomena are associated with the atmosphere, and human activity is associated with them. Being an intermediary between the Earth and space, the atmosphere serves as powerful armor for iron-stone meteor showers. Thanks to this air shell, the wind blows on Earth, precipitation falls, twilight and auroras occur, and there is a continuous exchange of heat and moisture with the living surface.
