The Structure of the Atmosphere
The "Levels" of the Atmosphere
The atmosphere is divided into different layers related to its temperature profile:
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The Troposphere from 0 km (or mountain top) to 7 km (polar regions) and 17 km (tropics), confined by the tropopause
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The Stratosphere up to 50 km, confined by the stratopause
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The Mesosphere up to the mesopause (between 80 and 85 km)
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The Thermosphere up to over 500 km
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The Exosphere up to about 10 000 km
The troposphere is called lower atmosphere, stratosphere and mesosphere make up the middle atmosphere, thermosphere and exosphere are named upper atmosphere.
