Atmospheric Layers
| Layer | Altitude | Major Characteristics | Importance |
| Exosphere | 300 km to several thousand km | Light gases escape into space here. Magnetosphere is in this layer. | Satellites travel here. |
| Thermosphere | 90 km to 300 km | Temperature increases rapidly with height. Air not very dense. Ionmosphere is located here. | Radio waves travel here. Particles formed by solar radiation are trapped here. |
| Mesosphere | 50 km to 90 km | Temperatures decrease with height. Part of ionosphere is located here. | Meteors burn up in this layer. Radio waves travel here. |
| Stratosphere | 20 km to 50 km | Contains ozone layer. Gases formed by volcanic eruptions stay here for many years. | Onone protects the earth from UV rays. Jet planes travel here. |
| Troposphere | 0 km to 20 km | Contains more than half of air. Weather occurs here. Temperature decreases with height. | All life lives in this. Weather occurs here. |
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