What is the basic structure of Earth's atmosphere?
A) Smoothly decreasing temperature with increasing altitude
B) Four layers of alternating temperature profiles: temperature decreasing,then increasing,then decreasing,then increasing with altitude
C) Smoothly increasing temperature with increasing altitude
D) Two layers: temperature decreasing with increasing altitude in the lower layer,then increasing with increasing altitude in the upper layer

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Earth's atmosphere is structured into four primary layers, each characterized by a distinct temperature gradient. These layers are the troposphere (where temperature decreases with altitude), stratosphere (temperature increases with altitude due to ozone absorption of ultraviolet radiation), mesosphere (temperature decreases with altitude), and thermosphere (temperature increases with altitude due to absorption of high-energy solar radiation).

What Is the Basic Structure of Earth's Atmosphere