Directions: Fill in the table below with the needed information from the background
information and Figure 1 then answer the guide questions
Table 1.1 Data about Earth's Atmosphere
Layer Estimated Estimated Relationshi Events
Other
Distance Temperatur p between Happening Information
from the
temperatur in that
ground
e and
Layer
altitude
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere
Guide Questions:
1.
of the
From the data presented in Table 1.1. Identify and discuss what layer
atmosphere is the hottest? Coldest?
2. Discuss how distance from the sun affects Earth's atmosphere?
3.
Discuss how each layer of the
atmosphere interacts with the sun's energy
information and Figure 1 then answer the guide questions
Table 1.1 Data about Earth's Atmosphere
Layer Estimated Estimated Relationshi Events
Other
Distance Temperatur p between Happening Information
from the
temperatur in that
ground
e and
Layer
altitude
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere
Guide Questions:
1.
of the
From the data presented in Table 1.1. Identify and discuss what layer
atmosphere is the hottest? Coldest?
2. Discuss how distance from the sun affects Earth's atmosphere?
3.
Discuss how each layer of the
atmosphere interacts with the sun's energy
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Answer:
ANSWER
Troposphere
Estimated Distance from the ground:
The troposphere starts at the Earth's surface and extends 8 to 14.5 kilometers high (5 to 9 miles). This part of the atmosphere is the most dense. Almost all weather is in this region. The stratosphere starts just above the troposphere and extends to 50 kilometers (31 miles) high.
Estimated Temperature:
The temperature in the troposphere also decreases with height in response. As one climbs higher, the temperature drops from an average around 62°F (17°C) to -60°F (-51°C) at the tropopause.
Events/Activities happening in that layer:
The cycle, which occurs in the troposphere, begins as the sun evaporates large amounts of water from the earth's surface and the moisture is transported to other regions by the wind. As air rises, expands, and cools, water vapor condenses and clouds develop.
Stratosphere
Estimated Distance from the ground:
The Stratosphere extends around 31 miles (50 km) down to anywhere from 4 to 12 miles (6 to 20 km) above the Earth's surface. This layer holds 19 percent of the atmosphere's gases but very little water vapor.
Estimated Temperature:
Temperature increases from an average -60°F (-51°C) at tropopause to a maximum of about 5°F (-15°C) at the top of the stratosphere.
Events/Activities happening in that layer:
The ozone layer within the stratosphere absorbs harmful ultraviolet rays of sunlight. Mesosphere. As the mesosphere extends upward above the stratosphere, temperatures decrease.
Mesosphere
Estimated Distance from the ground:
The mesosphere is directly above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. It extends from about 50 to 85 km (31 to 53 miles) above our planet.
Estimated Temperature:
The mesosphere is directly above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. It extends from about 50 to 85 km (31 to 53 miles) above our planet. Temperature decreases with height throughout the mesosphere. The coldest temperatures in Earth's atmosphere, about -90° C (-130° F), are found near the top of this layer.
Events/Activities happening in that layer:
Most meteors burn up in the mesosphere. A type of lightning called sprites sometimes appears in the mesosphere above thunderstorms. Strange, high-altitude clouds called noctilucent clouds sometimes form in this layer near the North and South Poles.
Thermosphere
Estimated Distance from the ground:
The thermosphere begins at a distance of approximately 53-56 miles above the earth's surface and extends to between 311 and 621 miles from the earth, where the exosphere begins and extends into space.
Estimated Temperature:
The thermosphere is typically about 200° C (360° F) hotter in the daytime than at night, and roughly 500° C (900° F) hotter when the Sun is very active than at other times. Temperatures in the upper thermosphere can range from about 500° C (932° F) to 2,000° C (3,632° F) or higher.
Events/Activities happening in that layer:
The thermosphere is the layer in the Earth's atmosphere directly above the mesosphere and below the exosphere. Within this layer of the atmosphere, ultraviolet radiation causes photoionization/photodissociation of molecules, creating ions; the thermosphere thus constitutes the larger part of the ionosphere.
Exosphere
Estimated Distance from the ground:
The exosphere begins at a distance of 311 to 621 miles from the earth's surface, and ends at approximately 6200 miles from the earth's surface.
Estimated Temperature:
Temperature of Exosphere: The temperature range of the exosphere can reach up to 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit (1,500 degrees Celsius) in the uppermost atmosphere as the thin air transmits little heat.
Events/Activities happening in that layer:
The exosphere is the uppermost region of Earth's atmosphere as it gradually fades into the vacuum of space. The air in the exosphere is extremely thin - in many ways it is almost the same as the airless void of outer space.