the sun
Solar radiation
The Thermosphere primarily blocks solar energy.
No, the thermosphere is actually heated by the sun's intense radiation. The air in the thermosphere is very sparse, so it can be heated to extremely high temperatures due to the absorption of solar energy.
The thermosphere has a higher temperature than the mesosphere because it absorbs a significant amount of high-energy solar radiation, including ultraviolet and X-ray radiation. This energy causes the molecules in the thermosphere to become highly energized, resulting in elevated temperatures that can reach up to 2,500 degrees Celsius or more. In contrast, the mesosphere lies below the thermosphere and does not receive as much solar energy, leading to cooler temperatures.
The troposphere and thermosphere are the layers of the atmosphere where most of the energy transfer occurs. In the troposphere, heat is transferred through processes like convection and radiation, while in the thermosphere, energy is primarily transferred through absorption of solar radiation.
Oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the Earth's atmosphere absorb energy from the sun in the thermosphere. This is the layer of the atmosphere that experiences the highest temperatures due to the absorption of solar radiation.
The thermosphere is the layer of Earth's atmosphere with the highest temperatures. In this layer, temperatures can reach up to 2,500 degrees Celsius due to the absorption of high-energy solar radiation.
In the thermosphere, x-rays and gamma rays are mostly absorbed by atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen. These high-energy photons ionize these gases, creating free electrons which contribute to the electrical conductivity of the thermosphere.
The increase in temperature in the thermosphere is primarily due to the absorption of high-energy solar radiation by the few gas molecules present in this layer. While the density of gas molecules is extremely low in the thermosphere, the absorbed solar energy leads to a significant increase in temperature.
It has a high temperature but it is not hot. Temperature (kinetic energy) and hot (thermal energy - a way of transferring energy between objects) are not the same thing. Temperature is the average velocity of particles, which in the thermosphere is quite high, but they are far less dense than in the troposphere, which means that they collide much less often and those fewer collision mean less energy transfer (less heat).
The thermosphere has the highest temperature of all atmospheric layers due to its absorption of high-energy solar radiation, particularly ultraviolet and X-ray radiation. This energy excites molecules and atoms, causing them to increase in kinetic energy, which translates to higher temperatures. Additionally, the thermosphere is less dense, meaning there are fewer particles to absorb and distribute heat, allowing temperatures to rise dramatically without a corresponding increase in thermal energy transfer.
The temperature in the thermosphere (above 80 km altitude) rises because of the absorption of high-energy solar radiation by the few gas molecules present in this region. This absorption of extreme ultraviolet and X-ray radiation leads to the heating of the gas molecules in the thermosphere.