what are the layers of the atmosphere?

Answer 1

* troposphere: From the Greek word "tropos" meaning to turn or mix. The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere starting at the surface going up to between 7 km (4.4 mi) at the poles and 17 km (10.6 mi) at the equator with some variation due to weather factors. The troposphere has a great deal of vertical mixing due to solar heating at the surface. This heating warms air masses, which then rise to release latent heat as sensible heat that further uplifts the air mass. This process continues until all water vapor is removed. In the troposphere, on average, temperature decreases with height due to expansive cooling.
* stratosphere: from that 7–17 km range to about 50 km, temperature increasing with height.
* mesosphere: from about 50 km to the range of 80 km to 85 km, temperature decreasing with height.
* thermosphere: from 80–85 km to 640+ km, temperature increasing with height.
* exosphere: from 500-1000 km up to 10,000 km, free-moving particles that may migrate into and out of the magnetosphere or the solar wind.

Answer 2

The atmosphere is divided into five layers. It is thickest near the surface and thins out with height until it eventually merges with space.

1) The troposphere is the first layer above the surface and contains half of the Earth's atmosphere. Weather occurs in this layer.
2) Many jet aircrafts fly in the stratosphere because it is very stable. Also, the ozone layer absorbs harmful rays from the Sun.
3) Meteors or rock fragments burn up in the mesosphere.
4) The thermosphere is a layer with auroras. It is also where the space shuttle orbits.
5) The atmosphere merges into space in the extremely thin exosphere. This is the upper limit of our atmosphere.

Answer 3

I'm not sure about the order: Lithosphere, Troposphere, Biosphere, atmosphere, and I think there's one more.

Answer 4

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/cgi-bin/tour_def/earth/Atmosphere/layers.html

Answer 5

http://www.epa.gov/apti/course422/images/fig-1.gif