Final answer:
The boundaries of the Earth's atmosphere layers are defined by changes in temperature and composition, with features like weather occurring in the troposphere and ozone protection in the stratosphere. The mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere have distinct characteristics such as meteor disintegration, auroras, satellites, and the transition to space.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Earth's Atmospheric Layers
The boundaries of Earth's atmospheric layers are defined by changes in temperature and composition. The troposphere is the closest layer to Earth's surface and extends up to about 6 miles or 10 kilometers (km) in altitude, where most weather occurs, including the formation of water-based clouds.
The stratosphere lies above the troposphere, extending from 6 miles (10 km) to about 31 miles (50 km), where the ozone layer absorbs harmful ultraviolet B rays.
The mesosphere starts just above the stratosphere and extends to 85 kilometers (53 miles) high, where meteors burn up upon entering Earth's atmosphere. The thermosphere is above the mesosphere and extends to 600 kilometers (372 miles) high, housing auroras and satellites. The ionosphere overlaps the mesosphere and thermosphere, and is vital for radio communication due to its ionized particles.
The highest layer, the exosphere, extends from the top of the thermosphere up to 10,000 km (6,200 mi) and is considered the edge of Earth's atmosphere. Each layer's most important characteristic includes weather and human activity in the troposphere, ozone protection in the stratosphere, meteor disintegration in the mesosphere, space phenomena in the thermosphere, radio communications in the ionosphere, and the transition to space in the exosphere.