THE 6 MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TROPOSPHERE - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The characteristics of the troposphere are related to the atmospheric phenomena that occur in it. The troposphere is the layer of the earth's atmosphere that is in contact with the earth.

It is approximately 17 kilometers thick in the equatorial zone, and at the poles it reaches 7 kilometers.

This thickness can vary in relation to the seasons of the year. In height, its limit is the stratosphere, the tropopause being the division between the two.

The characteristics of the troposphere make life possible, both terrestrial and aquatic. The vast majority of gases in the troposphere are made up of nitrogen and oxygen.

The main characteristics of the troposphere

Meteorological phenomena

In this layer of the atmosphere is where the meteorological phenomena, wind, rain and snow happen.

When the sun warms the ground, the hot air rises. The water evaporates and rises with the hot air until it reaches cooler heights.

Since cold air cannot absorb much water, it condenses into clouds. Upon reaching the tropopause (the temperature there is minus 50 ° C), the water and air stop rising. The consequence of these phenomena are rain, snow or hail.

Vertical, upward and downward currents

There are also vertical, upward and downward currents in this layer of the atmosphere.

They help to recycle the air, dispersing pollutants, airborne dust, or industrial agents.

All this accumulates in the first 500 meters of height, in what is called the dirty layer. It causes reddish coloration at dawn and dusk.

Higher oxygen concentration

Most of the oxygen and water vapor are concentrated in the troposphere. This makes the existence of the biosphere possible, where all living things can develop.

Thermostat

The tropospheric layer functions as a regulator of the earth's temperature. Without the troposphere, the thermal differences between day and night would make life impossible.

For living beings it is of vital importance.

Greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect also occurs here, due to the action of gases such as carbon dioxide and water vapor.

These absorb infrared radiation from the sun and 88% of that emitted by the earth. The sun's rays pass through the troposphere and are "trapped".

Thanks to this natural greenhouse effect, life can exist on earth, with temperatures that make it possible.

Commercial flights

This layer is where airplanes fly. They must pressurize their cabins due to the lack of oxygen and the cold at the height of the flight.

It is also for this reason that mountain climbers carry oxygen bottles and warm clothes.

The troposphere is the thinnest layer of all those that make up the Earth's atmosphere and also the most turbulent.

Astronomers find their observations made difficult by the troposphere. This is why space telescopes were launched.

References

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