ATMOSPHERE

What is the area known as the top of the troposphere and the bottom of the stratosphere?

Tropopause

What prevents further convection of air and confines most weather phenomena within the troposphere?

Temperature inversion beyond the tropopause

What is the second layer of the Earth's atmosphere that starts at the tropopause?

Stratosphere

How high above sea level does the stratosphere extend?

50 km

What term is derived from the Greek word 'strata,' meaning arrangement in horizontal layers?

Stratosphere

What significant layer is found in the stratosphere at around 30 km height?

Ozone layer

What unit is used to measure the thickness of the ozone layer?

Dobson Units (DU)

Where is the ozone layer thinnest?

Near the equator (-260 DU)

What happens to high energy UV radiation in the stratosphere?

It is absorbed by the ozone layer and heats up the stratosphere.

What marks the transition between the stratosphere and the mesosphere?

Stratopause

What is the name of the middle layer of the Earth's atmosphere?

Mesosphere

At what altitude does the mesosphere start and extend to?

Starts at 50 km and extends to about 85 km

What phenomenon occurs in the mesosphere that protects the Earth from craters?

Meteors burn up in this layer

What is the coldest part of the Earth's atmosphere?

Mesosphere

What is the fourth and widest layer of the Earth's atmosphere known as?

Thermosphere

What temperature range can the thermosphere reach, depending on solar activity?

500°C to 2000°C or higher