{"id":120974,"date":"2026-09-01T15:23:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T09:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=120974"},"modified":"2026-09-01T15:23:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T09:53:00","slug":"layers-of-atmosphere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/layers-of-atmosphere\/","title":{"rendered":"Layers of Atmosphere, Five Layers, Features & Importance"},"content":{"rendered":"

The <\/span>Earth\u2019s atmosphere<\/b> is the blanket of gases surrounding our planet. It is held around the Earth by gravity and plays an important role in supporting life, regulating temperature, producing weather and protecting living organisms from harmful solar radiation. Based mainly on <\/span>changes in temperature with altitude<\/b>, the atmosphere is divided into <\/span>five main layers: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere and Exosphere<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Layers of Atmosphere<\/b><\/h2>\n

The five layers of atmosphere differ in terms of <\/span>altitude, temperature, composition and functions<\/b>. The temperature does not change in the same way in all layers. It decreases in the troposphere, increases in the stratosphere, decreases again in the mesosphere and increases sharply in the thermosphere.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Layers of Atmosphere<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

Layer<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Approximate Altitude<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Temperature Trend<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Major Features<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Troposphere<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Surface to 8\u201318 km<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Decreases with altitude<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Weather, clouds and life<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Stratosphere<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

About 12\u201350 km<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Increases with altitude<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Ozone layer<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Mesosphere<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

About 50\u201385 km<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Decreases with altitude<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Meteors burn up<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Thermosphere<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

About 85\u2013600+ km<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Increases with altitude<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Auroras and ionisation<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Exosphere<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

About 600\u201310,000 km<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Very high but difficult to define<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Outermost layer, transition to space<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

1. Troposphere<\/b><\/h2>\n

The <\/span>troposphere<\/b><\/a> is the <\/span>lowest layer of the atmosphere<\/b> and is closest to the Earth\u2019s surface. Its thickness varies with latitude and season. It extends roughly up to <\/span>8 km near the poles and 18 km near the equator<\/b>, with an average height of about 12 km.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key Features of Troposphere<\/b><\/h3>\n