You will be lying if you say that you have never looked at the sky and imagined what could be up there. Did you ever think how far stars are from Earth? Also, what protects the Earth from bacteria? Hope you are still here and not caught in the nostalgia of your childhood. These things about the universe used to excite me a lot in childhood. But, with increasing age and the drift in priorities, we lost our passion for knowing more and learning better. For that matter, we are here with a few facts about the atmospheric layers. As we know, after COVID-19, the topics regarding air and atmospheric layers have got trendy. So, you can speak out these facts in front of your friends as a boast of your scientific knowledge. Or, say it out in front of your kids to let them know their parents were not backbenchers.
5 Facts About The Atmospheric Layers
The reason we have life on Earth is because of the existence of the Atmosphere around it. There are five atmospheric layers, and all of these have different functions. The Atmosphere is around 500 kilometers thick and full of 10 types of gases. Specifically, the Atmosphere contains 78% Nitrogen gas, around 21% of Oxygen, and the rest of it are other gases. These stay confined to the Earth due to the force of gravity. The five layers of the Atmosphere are Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere.
The Atmospheric Layers
The troposphere-The Atmospheric layers
This one of the atmospheric layers, the Troposphere, is the thinnest and closest to the surface of Earth. But, it is the densest layer in the Atmosphere, with about 80% of the total weight of the Atmosphere. There is a temperature limit in the Troposphere called Tropopause, which is -55 degrees Celsius. It is the lowest temperature in the layer.
Also, read: Top 5 Largest Seas Ranked
The Stratosphere
The next layer is Stratosphere which is around 50 kilometers in width. The Ozone layer is found on the top edge of this layer. This belt has the maximum amount of Oxygen in it. Apart from that, it also protects the Earth from Ultra violent Rays. This happens because the ozone particles in the layer absorb the UV rays. The purity of the Ozone layer is reducing each day due to pollution, and a few parts have also formed holes in it.
The Mesosphere
The next layer is Mesosphere, which extends 50-85 kilometers above sea level. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Earth’s Atmosphere was done in this layer. This layer is the home of ice clouds and a destroyer of falling stars.
The Thermosphere
The Thermosphere extends from 90 km to 500 km and 1,000 km above our planet. The temperature here can reach 1500 degrees celsius as it has the lowest air density. This layer is further divided into Ionosphere and Magnetosphere. The ionosphere helps in radio wave transmission. In contrast, the magnetosphere saves the Earth from particles of high density.
The Exosphere
The Helium and Hydrogen layer of the Atmosphere is called the Exosphere. This 10,000-kilometre thick layer has the lowest air density.
But, with time, this magical gift of the atmospheric layers is being hampered by inhumane activities. The increasing pollution has led to the formation of holes in the Ozone Layer, which is the only protection we have against the sun’s UV rays. So, spread the knowledge and help the world save the Ozone layer.
