The thermosphere It is the fourth of the 5 layers into which the Earth's atmosphere is divided, so named due to its high temperature. In fact, in the thermosphere the temperature reaches extreme values reaching up to 2,482 ° C.
It is located between the mesosphere and the exosphere, between 80 and 700 km in altitude, covering around 620 km. Although it has a composition of gases similar to the lower atmosphere, the gases present are in very low concentration.
In addition, these gases are not mixed but form layers according to their molecular mass, with the lighter oxygen above and nitrogen below. Due to this low density of gases, the molecules are so far apart that they cannot transmit heat or sound..
The main characteristic of the thermosphere is its condition as a solar energy receiver, because it captures most of the high-energy radiation from the Sun. Among these, extreme X-rays and ultraviolet rays, it functions as a filter, preventing this radiation from excessively heating the planet.
Additionally, electrical phenomena originate the auroras or bands of colorful lights at the north pole (aurora borealis) and at the south pole (aurora australis). Given its general characteristics, especially its stability, the international space station and most of the satellites are located in the thermosphere..
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The thermosphere is the fourth layer identified in the Earth's atmosphere from the planet's surface. It is located approximately between 80 and 700 km in altitude, having the mesosphere below it and the exosphere above it..
It covers between 513 and 620 km in height and the limit between the mesosphere and the thermosphere is called a mesopause, and the limit between the thermosphere and the exosphere is called a thermopause..
Like the lower atmosphere, the thermosphere is composed of a series of gases, predominantly nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). In addition to argon (0.9%) and traces of many other gases.
However, the concentration of these gases in the thermosphere is much lower than in the troposphere or layer near the ground. In fact, the mass of molecules in the thermosphere is only 0.002% of the total mass of atmospheric gases..
Therefore, the density of particles of nitrogen, oxygen or any other element in the thermosphere is very low (there is a lot of space between one molecule and another). On the other hand, these gases are distributed according to their molecular mass, unlike the lower layers of the atmosphere where they are mixed..
So in the thermosphere oxygen, helium and hydrogen are higher because they are lighter. While the heaviest ones such as nitrogen are located towards the lower zone of the thermosphere.
In addition, the thermosphere presents between 80 and 100 km a sodium layer of about 10 km thick that is shared with the upper part of the mesosphere..
Due to its exposure to direct solar radiation, the temperature in the thermosphere increases with altitude. Thus, temperatures of up to 4,500 degrees Fahrenheit (about 2,482 ° C) are reached..
Hence its name, formed by the prefix thermos = heat, but due to the low density of matter present in the thermosphere, heat cannot diffuse. This is because heat is an energy that is transmitted by the contact of one molecule with another and as they are in low density, their transmission is difficult..
In fact, in the thermosphere the density of gases is so low that meteorites pass through this layer without burning despite its high temperature. Meteorites burn as they penetrate the mesosphere where there is greater air density and friction..
In the atmosphere sound is transmitted in its lower layers, but not in the thermosphere, again due to the low density of matter. This occurs because sound is transmitted when air molecules vibrate and collide with each other..
As the molecules are widely separated in the thermosphere, they do not collide when vibrating and the sound cannot move.
It is a very active layer that overlaps the mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere, the extent of which varies depending on solar energy. The ionosphere is formed when the gases of the three layers mentioned are ionized or charged with energy, due to the effect of solar radiation.
Because of this, the ionosphere is sometimes more or less extensive, but for the most part it extends across the thermosphere..
The thermosphere is the layer of the atmosphere in which the magnetosphere and ionosphere interact, charging molecules electrically. This occurs by photoionization or photodissociation of oxygen and nitrogen molecules, forming ions.
Ions are atoms with an electrical charge, either positive or negative, and they assign special properties to the thermosphere. On the other hand, the thermosphere condenses a large part of the solar energy that reaches the planet.
Despite the low density of gases in this layer, they capture a large part of the energy received from the Sun. For this reason, high temperatures originate in the thermosphere, which reduces the heating of the Earth's surface, in addition to capturing X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation.
The presence of an electrically charged layer (ionosphere), allows radio waves (short wave) to refract, that is, to bounce off the thermosphere. Because of this, radio waves can travel anywhere on the planet.
The thermosphere is where the space station and many low-orbiting satellites are located, due to the relative stability of this layer. Here, among other things, there is no friction due to the low density of the air and radio waves reach this atmospheric layer.
Astronomers need to have reference points to correct their telescopic observations due to the distortion that the atmosphere causes in the light. For this, when there are very bright stars they use them as a reference, but these types of stars are not very abundant..
Therefore, they create them artificially by sending a laser beam that when colliding with the sodium layer in the thermosphere produces a flash (guide star).
Auroras are light effects that occur in the upper atmosphere, both in the thermosphere and in the exosphere. These light shows are seen in the polar regions, being the northern lights if they happen in the north pole and the southern aurora in the south..
These light effects are produced by solar storms of the type called coronal mass ejection. In these events, the Sun expels electrified radiation and gases into space that interact with the Earth's magnetic field..
The magnetosphere is formed by the collision between the Earth's magnetic field that goes from pole to pole, and the solar wind, protecting the Earth from solar radiation and particles. However, part of the electrified energy and gases can penetrate the earth's atmosphere through the poles..
The magnetosphere extends into the thermosphere and the exosphere, in such a way that it interacts with the ionosphere.
The small electrified solar particles reach the thermosphere along the magnetic lines, colliding with the oxygen and nitrogen atoms. In fact, it is what forms the ionosphere, which is an energy-charged layer that produces ions (electrically charged particles).
This interaction causes light discharges, whose colors depend on the interacting element and are observed as undulating bands of light in space..
If the shock is between oxygen and electrically charged particles, the flashes are red and green. Whereas if these particles collide with nitrogen atoms, then the color of the flashes will be violet and blue..
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