The depth of the atmosphere is difficult to define because it has no clear outer boundary; the topmost layer - the exosphere - becomes increasingly rarefied, gradually merging into outer space. The troposphere, the lowest layer, contains about 80 per cent of the total mass of the atmosphere. It extends up to about 8km over the poles, 10 to 11km over the middle latitudes, and 18km over the equator, where the greatest heating takes place.
The troposphere is the atmospheric zone of most interest to meteorologists, because it contains almost all of the water vapor and because most of the various weather phenomena occur in it. In the troposphere temperatures generally fall with increasing altitude; near the upper boundary (the tropopause), however, they stabilize at about -57°C, although this may vary by as much as 20°C. Above the tropopause is the stratosphere.
In the middle latitudes, strong winds rotate around the Earth in shifting bands from west to east. These winds are concentrated in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Called the circumpolar vortex, or jet streams, these winds blow between the permanent areas of low pressure over the poles (caused by the sinking of cold air) and permanent areas of high pressure over the tropics (caused by ascending warm air).
These high-level jet streams are fairly regular, because they are not subject to friction with land surfaces nor are they affected by various other factors that complicate wind flows near the Earth's surface. The jet streams often move as fast as 290km/h and so they are of great importance to aircraft. On long flights a subsonic jet plane can save up to one hour and 10 tons of fuel if it uses routes with the strongest tail winds or the weakest headwinds. First discovered by high-flying aircraft during World War II, the jet streams are now known to have a considerable influence on the weather at ground level in middle latitudes.
The stratosphere extends from the tropopause to about 50km above ground level. In this zone is the important ozone layer, where heat is generated by the absorption of ultraviolet radiation. Hence, although temperatures are stable in the lower stratosphere, they increase steadily at higher levels, reaching about -10°C at the stratopause.
Between 50 and 500km above the surface is the rarefied ionosphere, which is often divided into the mesosphere (50 to 80km) and the thermosphere (80 to 500km). In the mesosphere temperatures fall again, reaching about -80°C at the mesopause (the boundary between the mesophere and the thermosphere). But in the thermosphere, they increase steadily with height. This phenomenon occurs because at an altitude of about 200km a layer of atomic oxygen (0) absorbs ultraviolet radiation.
In addition to ultraviolet radiation, the ionosphere is also bombarded by cosmic radiation and solar X-rays, which cause the gases in the ionosphere to ionize (that is, the gas molecules are changed into electrically-charged particles called ions). Brilliant displays of colored lights in the sky - called the Aurora Borealis in the Northern Hemisphere and the Aurora Australis in the Southern Hemisphere - occur when streams of electrically-charged particles from the Sun (the solar wind) ionize the atmospheric gases. Aurorae are normally visible only relatively near the poles and are usually accompanied by magnetic storms.
Beyond 500km above the Earth's surface is the very rarefied exosphere, which consists only of scattered atoms of oxygen, hydrogen and helium.
belts sink and zones rise
Stratosphere
intertropical convergence zoneThe Intertropical Convergence Zone lies roughly along the equator. This zone is made up of a band of clouds, usually thunderstorms, that circle the Earth near the equator.
Yes. Tornadoes are an atmospheric phenomenon.
The atmospheric cycle is the exchange of heat between the sun and the surface of the earth. It is these atmospheric cycles that determine the weather.
belts sink and zones rise
The atmospheric zone is stratospheric zone. This is located 8 to 32 miles above earth's surface.
See "What is the ozone layer?"
Cyclone is caused due to the variation of atmospheric pressure in the air. Especially in the low atmospheric zone, air comes from all sides to balance the atmospheric pressure in that area. That's why cyclone is created. So the force for cyclone comes from variation in atmospheric pressure.
Stratosphere
A high pressure zone. Site of clear skies and warm weather.
no, goldilocks is a zone around a star where a planet with appropriate atmospheric pressure can maintain the liquid water on its surface
intertropical convergence zoneThe Intertropical Convergence Zone lies roughly along the equator. This zone is made up of a band of clouds, usually thunderstorms, that circle the Earth near the equator.
It is the stratosphere atmospheric zone where the temperature stays fairly constant, at -60 degrees Celsius. The stratosphere layer contains the ozone layer.
macro-The climate of a large geographic area. micro- is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area
In the atmosphere. "Atmospheric" means "related to the atmosphere".In the atmosphere. "Atmospheric" means "related to the atmosphere".In the atmosphere. "Atmospheric" means "related to the atmosphere".In the atmosphere. "Atmospheric" means "related to the atmosphere".
You must add the atmospheric pressure.