Layers of atmosphere
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There are 5 different layers of the atmosphere, but usually only the first 4 of them are mentioned. Note that the higher you go up in the atmosphere, the thinner the Oxygen and air is.
1st layer - Troposphere: This layer has the densest air because of all the pressure of the other layers pressing on top of it. Humans live here and we call that pressure gravity. We also experience weather here.
2nd layer - Stratosphere: Commercial planes and weather balloons fly here. This is where the ozone layer is, which protects us from UV rays from the sun.
3rd layer - Mesosphere: This is the coldest layer out of them all! It protects us from meteors. Because of the layer being so cold and meteors being so hot from moving so fast, the temperatures react with each other and it destroys the meteor. If pieces of the meteor lands on Earth, it's then called a meteorite.
4th layer - Thermosphere: If not counting the 5th layer, then this would be the outermost layer. It has the highest temperature but also has the thinnest air so you can't really feel the high temperatures. This is the layer where Aurora's happen. Aurora's come to life when the rays from the sun are directed to the poles because of our magnetic field. The lights created by this process are best seen in winter time.
5th layer - Exosphere: This is borderline space, which is why it isn't mentioned or talked about much. This is where satellites shot into space stay.
1st layer - Troposphere: This layer has the densest air because of all the pressure of the other layers pressing on top of it. Humans live here and we call that pressure gravity. We also experience weather here.
2nd layer - Stratosphere: Commercial planes and weather balloons fly here. This is where the ozone layer is, which protects us from UV rays from the sun.
3rd layer - Mesosphere: This is the coldest layer out of them all! It protects us from meteors. Because of the layer being so cold and meteors being so hot from moving so fast, the temperatures react with each other and it destroys the meteor. If pieces of the meteor lands on Earth, it's then called a meteorite.
4th layer - Thermosphere: If not counting the 5th layer, then this would be the outermost layer. It has the highest temperature but also has the thinnest air so you can't really feel the high temperatures. This is the layer where Aurora's happen. Aurora's come to life when the rays from the sun are directed to the poles because of our magnetic field. The lights created by this process are best seen in winter time.
5th layer - Exosphere: This is borderline space, which is why it isn't mentioned or talked about much. This is where satellites shot into space stay.
Weather and climate
With Weather comes Fronts and Air Masses.
Have you ever watched the News and heard the Weatherman mention 'Fronts'? Well, Front's are transition zones between two air masses. There are 5 fronts. Cold Front: When cold takes over warm, causes cold dry air with heavy precipitation. Warm Front: When warm takes over cold, causes warm humid air with a light drizzle. Stationary Front: As the name says, it is stationary, which means no moving. It is related to flooding. Occluded Front: This is a weak storm system because the cold overtakes the warm, and we all know that storms brew because of warm (humid) weather. Dry Line: This is a line that separates warm and dry air masses. |
What are the differences between Weather and Climate? Well, Weather is something that is a daily occurence no matter what location. And it can change fairly quickly. Example: Clouds and rain. Climate is like weather, except it's in a specific place and doesn't change. Example: Tropical Rainforest (hot and humid).
Speaking of Humidity, Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. It's the thing that makes your skin sticky on a hot day after a storm. Previously I had mentioned Air Masses. Well, Air Masses are basically bodies of air that moves over the land. There are Low Pressure and High Pressure air masses. Low Pressure systems are bad (Sometimes) because it goes up and in. This makes air rise, which can lead to clouds forming, and to finally, rain or precipitation. High Pressure systems are good (But should not happen all the time) because the air goes down and out which gives us light winds, sunny skies, and keeps hurricanes away. It should not happen all the time because if we didn't have bad weather then we wouldn't have the water cycle. |