Question

Draw a labelled diagram of the structure of the atmosphere and write about the characteristics of its different layers.

Answer 1

The atmosphere is divided into various layers that lie on one another and exert pressure on the layer lying below it. They are as follows:

1. Troposphere: It is the lowest layer of the Earth's surface that extends to a height of 8 km at the poles and 18 km at the Equator. This layer is characterised with weather phenomenon like cloud formation, thunderstorms, rainfall and snowfall. Here, temperature decreases with the increase in height.

2. Stratosphere: This layer extends to a height of 50 km from the surface. Temperature increases with increase in height, and this layer is comparatively calm, making the conditions favourable for the movement of aircraft. Here, the presence of ozone layer is witnessed, which protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet rays.

3. Mesosphere: This layer extends to a height of around 80 km from the Earth's surface. Here, the temperature starts decreasing with the increasing height.

4. Thermosphere: In this layer of atmosphere, the electrically charged ions are present that reflects the radio waves back to the Earth making the communication process possible on the Earth. This layer extends up to a height of around 450 km. It is also known as ionosphere.

5. Exosphere: This layer extends to a height of around 1,600 km and beyond that, it merges with the interplanetary space.

The layers can be understood with the help of below mentioned diagram: