Which atmospheric layer lies between the Stratosphere and the Thermosphere?

Which atmospheric layer lies between the Stratosphere and the Thermosphere?

• A. Ionosphere
• B. Troposphere
• C. Mesosphere
• D. Exosphere

Answer: (C)

Think about the vertical structure of the atmosphere as distinct layers stacked from the ground upward, each with its own average behavior. The layer that sits between the Stratosphere and the Thermosphere is the Mesosphere. It lies just above the Stratosphere (separated by the stratopause) and just below the Thermosphere (separated by the mesopause). The Mesosphere is notable as the region where many meteors burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, and its temperature generally decreases with height, unlike the Stratosphere where temperature rises with altitude and the Thermosphere where temperatures rise again due to solar radiation absorption. The other options don’t fit this position: the Ionosphere is a charged region that spans parts of the upper atmosphere rather than a defined layer between Stratosphere and Thermosphere; the Exosphere is above the Thermosphere and marks the outer edge of the atmosphere; the Troposphere is the lowest layer, beneath the Stratosphere, where weather occurs.

Think about the vertical structure of the atmosphere as distinct layers stacked from the ground upward, each with its own average behavior. The layer that sits between the Stratosphere and the Thermosphere is the Mesosphere. It lies just above the Stratosphere (separated by the stratopause) and just below the Thermosphere (separated by the mesopause). The Mesosphere is notable as the region where many meteors burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, and its temperature generally decreases with height, unlike the Stratosphere where temperature rises with altitude and the Thermosphere where temperatures rise again due to solar radiation absorption. The other options don’t fit this position: the Ionosphere is a charged region that spans parts of the upper atmosphere rather than a defined layer between Stratosphere and Thermosphere; the Exosphere is above the Thermosphere and marks the outer edge of the atmosphere; the Troposphere is the lowest layer, beneath the Stratosphere, where weather occurs.