Troposphere
What weather happens in the troposphere?
Rain, snow, lightning, hurricanes, and tornadoes
What dangerous radiation does the stratosphere block?
Utraviolet (UV) rays from the sun
Can you breathe the air in the mesosphere?
No, there is way too little oxygen for a human to breathe.
Why is it called the thermosphere?
Thermo" means heat, and this layer gets incredibly hot from solar rays.
What does the prefix "exo" mean?
It means "outside" or "exit," because it is the exit door of our atmosphere.
What happens to the temperature when you climb a high mountain in the troposphere?
It gets much colder and windier the higher you go.
What kind of clouds form in the stratosphere
Almost none, because the air is too dry, but rare, colorful "nacreous" clouds can sometimes form there.
What does the prefix "meso" mean?
It means "middle," because this layer sits right in the middle of the atmosphere.
What happens to the thermosphere when a solar flare hits Earth?
The layer absorbs the energy, heats up, and puffs up like a balloon.
Is the air in the exosphere thick or thin?
It is extremely thin, with molecules miles and miles apart from each other.
What traps the heat from the sun in the troposphere?
Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor.
What is the ozone layer made of?
It is made of a special type of oxygen gas that has three atoms instead of two.
Why is the mesosphere so cold?
It sits too high to get heat from the ground and does not have ozone to catch the sun's heat.
What natural light show happens in the thermosphere?
The Auroras (Northern and Southern Lights).
What do satellites in the exosphere do for people on Earth?
They bounce TV signals, track the weather, and help people make phone calls.
What gives the troposphere its name?
The Greek word "tropos," which means mixing, because the air down here constantly churns and mixes.
What would happen to your skin if the stratosphere didn't have ozone?
You would get a severe sunburn very quickly whenever you went outside.
What celestial object burns up in the mesosphere?
Meteors, which look like shooting stars from the ground.
What spacecraft orbits inside the thermosphere?
The International Space Station (ISS).
What sits right outside the exosphere?
The empty vacuum of outer space.
What heavy wind currents blow at the top of the troposphere?
Jet streams, which airplanes use to fly faster.
What color is the sky if you look out the window of a high-flying plane in the stratosphere?
it looks like a very dark, deep navy blue because the air is getting thin.
What leaves behind the ice dust that makes clouds in the mesosphere?
Space dust left over from burning meteors.
What brings the energy that heats up the thermosphere?
Strong X-rays and radiation coming directly from the sun.
What object orbits in the exosphere to send GPS to your phone?
Navigation satellites.