| Mesosphere | The structure of the Earth's atmosphere: Mesosphere |
Mesosphere The temperature decreases once more as we go through the mesosphere, which is the layer between 50 and 80 km. The temperatures in this layer reach 190-180 K (-83 to -93 0C)at an altitude of 80 km. In this region, concentrations of ozone and water vapor are negligible. Hence the temperature is lower than that of the troposphere or stratosphere. With increasing distance from Earth's surface the chemical composition of air becomes strongly dependent on altitude and the atmosphere becomes enriched with lighter gases. At very high altitudes, the gases begin to form into layers according to molecular mass (weight), because the force of gravity is greater on the heavier molecules. It is in this layer that foreign bodies (such as meteors and spacecraft) entering the atmosphere start to warm up.
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