The thermosphere is the fourth layer of the Earth's atmosphere. It is found
above the mesosphere. The air is really thin that high up. The
temperature changes with the solar
activity. If the sun is active, temperatures in the thermosphere can
get up to 1,500°C or higher!
The Earth's thermosphere also includes the region called the ionosphere.
The thermosphere is the fourth layer of the Earth's atmosphere and is located
above the mesosphere. The air is really thin in the thermosphere. A
small change in energy can cause a large change in temperature. That's
why the temperature is very sensitive to solar activity. When the sun is
active, the thermosphere can heat up to 1,500°C or higher!
The Earth's thermosphere also includes the region of the atmosphere called the ionosphere. The ionosphere is a region of the atmosphere that is filled with charged particles. The high temperatures
in the thermosphere can cause molecules to ionize. This is why an
ionosphere and thermosphere can overlap.
The Earth's thermosphere is the layer of the atmosphere which is first
exposed to the Sun's radiation and so is first heated by the Sun. The air
is so thin that a small increase in energy can cause a large increase in
temperature.
The temperature in the thermosphere is very dependent on solar activity.
When the Sun is active,
temperatures can reach up to 1,500°C or higher!
Because of the thin air in the thermosphere, scientists can't measure the
temperature directly. They measure the density of the air by how much
drag it puts on satellites and then use the density to find the
temperature.
The thermosphere also includes the region of the Earth's atmosphere called the ionosphere. The ionosphere is the region of the atmosphere that is filled with charged particles. Elevated temperatures can sometimes cause a molecule to become ionized, therefore,
the ionosphere and thermosphere can overlap.
Last modified June 26, 2002 by the Windows Team
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