Table of Contents
What is thermosphere explain?
The thermosphere is a layer of Earth’s atmosphere. The thermosphere is directly above the mesosphere and below the exosphere. It extends from about 90 km (56 miles) to between 500 and 1,000 km (311 to 621 miles) above our planet. Solar activity strongly influences temperature in the thermosphere.
Why is the thermosphere important?
Thermosphere – Characteristics and Temperature. This thermosphere greatly helps in protecting the Earth and making complete exploration of the space and making space communication possible.
What are the characteristics of thermosphere?
The thermosphere is very high above the Earth and is distinguished by an increase in temperature with altitude. The density of the air is extremely low, but the activity of the molecules are very high due to the amount of energy they are receiving from the sun.
What makes the thermosphere the hottest layer of atmosphere?
Because there are relatively few molecules and atoms in the thermosphere, even absorbing small amounts of solar energy can significantly increase the air temperature, making the thermosphere the hottest layer in the atmosphere. Above 124 mi (200 km), the temperature becomes independent of altitude.
What does Earth’s thermosphere do?
The thermosphere absorbs a lot of the UV radiation and X-ray given off by the sun. When the sun is more active and the thermosphere heats up more, this layer of earth’s atmosphere increases in size. Much of the circulation in the thermosphere occurs because of the tides and waves in earth’s atmosphere.
What does the thermosphere do for US?
Thermosphere’s function. The thermosphere is very important for human life as it contributes enormously to protecting the earth, as well as enabling space exploration and modern forms of communication. It recycles water, absorbs the sun’s energy and creates a moderate temperature.
What does the name thermosphere mean?
The name thermosphere comes from the Greek word thermos, which means heat. This name was chosen because this layer of the atmosphere has very high temperatures, because it absorbs large amounts of solar radiation.
What causes the thermosphere to be so hot?
The sun strikes the thermosphere first causing air to be very hot. This is why the thermosphere can reach temperatures up to 2000°C or more. But it’s susceptible to high temperature and variability due to changes in solar ultraviolet radiation and geomagnetic activity.
How does the thermosphere protect the Earth?
The thermosphere greatly helps in protecting the earth and making space exploration and modern forms of communication possible. It also supports and protects life on the planet. It recycles water, absorbs the sun’s energy, and creates a moderate temperature.