Meteorology is the science that studies the phenomena that occur in the Earth's atmosphere. To understand these phenomena it is necessary to establish a distinction between the different parts of the atmosphere. In this way, depending on the temperature and its variations, the terrestrial atmosphere is divided into four differentiated layers: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere. If we start from the surface of the Earth, the troposphere is the first layer and reaches a height of about 20 kilometers depending on the location where we are (in this layer the temperatures decrease with respect to the height as we move away from the heat source, the Earth's surface).
In the stratosphere there is a gradual decrease in temperature due to the absorption of ultraviolet rays. The mesosphere is located above the stratosphere and in this layer the temperature drops drastically because there is no interaction between nitrogen and oxygen and the radiation that comes from the Sun. In the thermosphere there is interaction between some molecules of nitrogen and oxygen with solar radiation.
Mesosphere
In this layer temperatures of -80 degrees Celsius are reached approximately and it reaches up to about 80 kilometers in height. The low density of the air in the mesosphere determines the formation of turbulence. Thus, in this region the spacecraft returning to Earth begin to notice the winds. In it it is possible to observe the shooting stars, which are the meteroids that have disintegrated in the thermosphere.
It must be taken into account that the gradual decrease in temperature in the different layers of the atmosphere is due to the lower presence of air as the height increases. In the case of the mesosphere, air is so scarce that it only represents 0.1% of the total mass of the atmosphere.
In the mesosphere there are a large number of ionized atoms, that is, atoms that have an electrical charge and therefore atoms that are not neutral. Ions allow us to send long-wave radio signals beyond the horizon.
Intense winds are produced in the mesosphere in an east-west direction and at the same time it is the region where atmospheric tides, gravity waves and planetary waves are formed.
Finally, we must remember that the term mesosphere comes from the Greek (mesos means middle and sphere comes from sphaira, which means ball or sphere). Therefore, this layer is in the middle, between the stratosphere and the thermosphere.
Photos: iStock - 101cats / frentusha
