THE STRUCTURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE

The atmosphere is a mechanical mixture of gases also known as air covering a height of about
100km from the earth’s surface. The atmosphere consists of 4 layers namely: troposphere,
stratosphere, mesosphere and finally thermosphere. These layers are demarcated according to
changes in temperatures with altitude. Changes in temperature therefore mean that the
atmosphere can be conveniently divided into 4 distinctive layers. This distinction is based on
vertical distribution of temperatures moving upwards from the earth’s surface.

Troposphere:
This is the first layer of the atmosphere from the earth’s surface in which living organisms can be
found. It is the lowest and thinnest of all layers. It is the most important layer for the earth
because 80 % of the atmospheric gasses are concentrated here. The height of the atmosphere
varies from the equator to the poles. At the equator, this layer is estimated to be 16km from the
earth’s surface, while at the poles it is relatively shorter and estimated at 8km. The major feature
of this layer is that temperature decreases with increase in altitude. Temperatures decrease by
6.50C for every 1000m ascent in altitude.

Temperatures decrease because the earth’s surface is warmed by in coming solar radiation from
the sun and in turn the earth’s surface heats the air next to it by conduction, convection and
radiation. The atmosphere therefore heats from below. Nearly 75% of all the air and water vapor
in the atmosphere is found here. Also this layer is unstable and contains most of the
atmosphere’s water vapour, clouds, dust and pollen. There is also a lot of air movement in all
directions in the layer to form clouds. It is the layer that our weather is made. Also air and gases
grow thin as one goes away from the surface due to gravitational pull. The upper boundary of the
troposphere is known as tropopause. In this boundary temperatures remain constant despite the
increase in altitude.

Stratosphere:
This is the second layer. It extends from the top of the troposphere (at the tropopause). This layer
is bigger than the troposphere and it is the layer that accommodates ozone layer and ozone gas.
There is a higher concentration of ozone in this layer than elsewhere. This layer consists of high
speed winds which may reach 860km/hr and these winds are known as jet streams. This is found
in the upper boundary of the layer
In this layer temperatures increase with increase in altitude hence low pressure. The increase in
temperature with increase in altitude is due to: ozone which is available reacts with UV rays
from the sun and meteorites which usually burn out as they enter the earth’s gravitational field.
This reaction leads to disintegration of the ozone into O 2 and O monotomic, a reaction that
produces heat.O3 + U.V ↔O2 + O. Heat.

That is why this zone sometimes is referred to as ozonosphere because of containing large
amounts of ozone.

Also the layer is close to the source of short wave radiations.

NB. The increase in temperatures with elevation in this layer enables the stratosphere to act as
effective lead for convective activities within this layer. Otherwise, without this layer, water
vapor would be everywhere in the atmosphere hence possibly no weather. This layer ranges
between 18 – 50km and temperature increases from – 60 to -15 0C. The isotherm separating this
layer is called stratopause.

Mesosphere:
This is the third layer and the largest of all extending from about 50km to about 90 km above the
earth’s surface. In this layer temperatures decrease with increase in altitude. It experiences cool
atmospheric temperatures which may go up to -900C. It is the first layer with realistic air density
of about 1/1000 – 1/1000000 Mbs (milibars) of pressure. Temperatures fall rapidly because of a
number of factors namely: lack of water vapour, lack of clouds and dust particles, lack of ozone
etc to absorb the incoming radiation. It also has the strongest winds (nearly 3000km/hr). This
layers shares the same characteristics with the first layer because temperatures fall with increase
in altitude. Here the air density is low just like the pressure. The upper boundary is known as the
mesopause.

Thermosphere:
This is the fourth layer and it extends from the Meso -pause at 85/90 km to 100km above the
earth’s surface. This layer experiences increase in temperatures as altitude increases.
Temperatures in this layer increases rapidly from -900C with height reaching 1200 – 15000C and
beyond. It is the hottest layer of the atmosphere and this is due to an increasing proportion of
atomic oxygen and hydrogen. Atomic oxygen like ozone absorbs incoming insolation from the
sun hence high temperatures as the density of the atmosphere in this layer is very low.
Thermosphere is therefore sometimes referred to as heat sphere. This is the first layer that reacts
with electromagnetic radiation directly from the sun. Here solar radiation bombards air
molecules as it emerges from the sun in the outer space (vaccum) making them attain high
temperatures in the process of ionization to produce heat. As such this part of radiation does not
find its way to the earth’s surface or around the atmospheric surface. Also, the layer being part of
the heterosphere, it does not have constant chemical composition with increasing altitude so heat
remains around.

Thermosphere terminates at another layer known as exosphere which is sometimes regarded as

outersphere or outer space. The upper part of the thermosphere is called thermo pause, however
its boundary is not well defined. In this layer, air density and pressure are very low.