Discuss the vertical structure of the Earth s a... - SS2 Chemistry Environmental Chemistry: Atmosphere and Water Question

The Earth's atmosphere can be divided into distinct layers based on temperature changes with increasing altitude. These layers, from the surface upwards, are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.

The variations in temperature and composition are primarily influenced by the absorption of solar radiation and the interactions between different gases. The troposphere, closest to the Earth's surface, experiences a decrease in temperature with altitude due to the absorption of solar radiation by the Earth's surface. The stratosphere, on the other hand, exhibits an increase in temperature with altitude because of the presence of the ozone layer, which absorbs and filters out harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

The mesosphere experiences a drop in temperature again, whereas the thermosphere witnesses a significant increase in temperature because it absorbs extreme ultraviolet and X-ray radiation from the Sun. The exosphere is the outermost layer, where atoms and molecules can escape into space due to low density and high temperatures.