What are the layers of the atmosphere?

The atmosphere is a protective layer of gases which surrounds the Earth - it has main layers, each with their own individual characteristics. If the Earth was the size of an onion our atmosphere would be only as thick as the onion’s skin - it is made up of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% other gases. It allows life to exist on Earth by protecting us from the harmful bits of the Sun’s radiation.

Whilst also keeping the Earth warm, through a process known as the Greenhouse Effect. It also contains the air we breathe and is a major part of the water cycle. The atmosphere is split into 4 main layers based on temperature. The troposphere is the lowest; starting at the Earth’s surface and extending upward to on average 10km. We live in this part of the atmosphere and nearly all weather happens here.

Most clouds appear in the troposphere because 99% of the atmosphere’s water is found there. As you get higher in the troposphere, the temperature gets colder. Next comes the stratosphere – which extends from the top of the troposphere to about 50km. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer, which absorbs high energy UV light converting it into heat. In the stratosphere, temperatures actually get warmer the higher you go. Above the stratosphere is the mesosphere, which extends upwards to a height of around 85km.

Most meteors burn up in this layer. This is the coldest layer of the atmosphere and the air at this height is far too thin to breathe At its coldest this layer can go as low as -100° C. The highest part of what most consider to be the Earth’s atmosphere, is the thermosphere - which goes on to between 500km and 1000km. Temperatures can vary from between 500 and 2000°C or higher, although at this altitude the air is so thin that this is not the same as temperature as we experience at the surface.

The aurora, the Northern Lights and Southern Lights, occur in the thermosphere. The International Space Station also orbits in this layer

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[aviacomrade]

Imagine if the creators of the video didn’t know this music was from Stranger Things, they just took it from some guy in the middle of nowhere

[jakethedog]

Stranger Things music plays in the background

[abhiandsakhishow]

I written my notebook of Thermosphere lines thank you so much.

[MandinL]

This makes me want to go back and re watch stranger things lol

[isabelbishop]

32%of comments talking about the music in the background
32%omments talking about the actual video
20% of comments talking about the comments
4% of comments talking about school
3%saying thanks for the information
3% talking about the missing atmosphere
2% of comments listing all the presents of comments
1% of comments are totally of topic

[starizstar]

Met office I love these videos even though I'm still in school these are so fun to watch

[binqat]

You forget a layer its Exosphere But Good Video :)

[lethargic]

Some of you might be wondering why he didn’t include the Exosphere. It’s because the Exosphere is sometimes considered a part of the Thermosphere.

[markvernum]

Came here to learn about the atmosphere, stayed for the stranger things theme music.

[dyakoyee]

Thanks for making this vid I really needed this vid

[Tactical-ggtj]

My school showed me this, and I absolutely got so interested.

[silentgaming]

this is great video sir thanks for upload

[amruthaammu]

Video is much useful, but the background music is a spoof of stranger things 😂 man I've lost it 🤣

[VonJimuelIlao-nllg]

does the exosphere count as 1 of the main parts of the atmosphere? just asking

[princyrobin]

Ionosphere includes whole of thermosphere, some parts of mesophere and exosphere

[rixcano]

What keeps the oxygen(/air we breath) to stay on Earth and not get out from Earth to space?

[emmav]

Sounds like theme song from Stranger Things. Great video!

[HopeMaker-xfin]

what kind of material on earth can bare a temperature of 2000 c or above ?!

[meenusharma]

You haven't told about Exosphere the last layer

[mallikarjunhubli]

Exosphere is the last layer so dint needed to expalin but thank u for this video liked it greatly