Video: A One-Minute Journey through Our Atmosphere

The Earth’s atmosphere has five layers, the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere, the thermosphere, and the exosphere. Each plays an important role in life here on Earth.

What is an atmosphere?

The atmosphere refers to the layer of gases that surrounds the Earth. The atmosphere provides vital protection, regulates temperature, and supports weather and climate systems.

The Five Layers of the Atmosphere, from bottom to top

• The troposphere is the atmospheric layer closest to the surface, where virtually all weather occurs. Temperature generally decreases with height in the troposphere.
• The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere. It shelters us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation, thanks to ozone. Because of heat released by ozone creation due to the sun’s UV rays, temperatures increase with height in this layer.
• The mesosphere is the third atmospheric layer. It’s also the coldest. The thermal characteristics of the mesosphere, where temperatures increase as altitude decreases, help disintegrate meteoroids.
• The thermosphere is a bustling superhighway for human-made satellites. The thermosphere is also where the auroras occur, more commonly known as the Northern and Southern Lights.
• Perched atop Earth’s atmospheric layers, the exosphere is where air gradually gives way to the void of space. Here, the boundary between the atmosphere and outer space becomes indistinct. At the exosphere’s outer limit, gases bleed slowly into interplanetary space.