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The mesosphere is the third highest layer of Earth's atmosphere, occupying the region above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. It extends from the stratopause at an altitude of about 50 km (31 mi; 160,000 ft) to the mesopause at 80–85 km (50–53 mi; 260,000–280,000 ft) above sea level.
The ionosphere (/ aɪ ˈ ɒ n ə ˌ s f ɪər /) [1] [2] is the ionized part of the upper atmosphere of Earth, from about 48 km (30 mi) to 965 km (600 mi) above sea level, [3] a region that includes the thermosphere and parts of the mesosphere and exosphere. The ionosphere is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an important role in atmospheric ...
The exosphere, which on Earth lies between the altitudes of about 700 kilometres (435 mi) and 10,000 kilometres (6,200 mi) The ionosphere, an ionized portion of the upper atmosphere which includes the upper mesosphere, thermosphere, and lower exosphere and on Earth lies between the altitudes of 48 and 965 kilometres (30 and 600 mi)
Planetary aeronomy studies the regions of the atmospheres of other planets [5] that correspond to the Earth's mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere, and ionosphere. [6] In some cases, a planet's entire atmosphere may consist only of what on Earth constitutes the upper atmosphere, or only a portion of it.
In the mesosphere, temperature decreases as altitude increases. This characteristic is used to define limits: it begins at the top of the stratosphere (sometimes called the stratopause), and ends at the mesopause, which is the coldest part of Earth's atmosphere, with temperatures below −143
A contraction of the thermosphere has been observed as a possible result in part due to increased carbon dioxide concentrations, the strongest cooling and contraction occurring in that layer during solar minimum. The most recent contraction in 2008–2009 was the largest such since at least 1967. [14] [15] [16]
The mesosphere ranges from 50 km to 85 km and is the layer wherein most meteors are incinerated before reaching the surface. The thermosphere extends from an altitude of 85 km to the base of the exosphere at 690 km and contains the ionosphere , where solar radiation ionizes the atmosphere.
Mesosphere – The layer of the atmosphere directly above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere; Stratopause – The upper boundary of the stratosphere; Stratosphere – The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere Ozone layer – The region of Earth's stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun's UV radiation