ERTH 20 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Exosphere, Tropopause, Thermosphere
13 Oct 2020
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Document Summary
It was generally assumed that temperature decreased with increasing altitude throughout the whole atmosphere, but now we know that such is not the case. The vertical pattern of temperature is complex, consisting of a series of layers in which temperature alternately decreases and increases. Special names for the top of the first three layers: Sphere: is used when talking about an entire layer and pause: upper portion of a layer or boundary between two layers. Lowest layer of the atmosphere and one in contact with earth"s surface. Derived from the greek word tropos meaning (turn) and imply an overturning of the air in this zone as a result of mixing and turbulence. Depth varies in both time and place. Deepest over tropical regions and shallowest over the poles; deeper in summer than in winter, and varies with passage of warm and cold air masses. Came from the latin word stratum (a cover), implying a layer or stratified condition.
