Final answer:
The atmosphere consists of layers including the mesosphere, thermosphere, and ionosphere, each with specific characteristics like meteor burning, high temperatures, and ionization crucial for radio communication, respectively. The exosphere is the outermost layer of the atmosphere.
Step-by-step explanation:
Layers of the Earth's Atmosphere
The Earth's atmosphere consists of distinct layers, each with its unique characteristics and boundaries defined by changes in temperature and composition. The mesosphere is the layer that lies above the stratosphere and extends up to 85 kilometers (53 miles) high, where meteors often burn up. Above the mesosphere is the thermosphere, which starts around 85 kilometers above the Earth and extends to approximately 600 kilometers (372 miles) high. This layer is known for phenomena such as auroras and the presence of satellites.
The temperature in the thermosphere can get very high, although it would not feel hot to a human due to the thin air. The ionosphere is a significant region overlapping the mesosphere and thermosphere, extending from about 48 kilometers (30 miles) above the surface to the edge of space at roughly 965 kilometers (600 miles). Characterized by its abundance of electrons and ionized atoms and molecules, it is a critical region for radio communications due to its ability to reflect radio waves back to Earth. Finally, the exosphere is considered the outermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere, beginning at the top of the thermosphere and stretching up to 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles).
The most important characteristic of the thermosphere is the high temperatures resulting from solar radiation absorption, while the ionosphere's most critical feature is its ionization influenced by solar activity, enabling radio communications. In contrast, the mesosphere is noted for the burning of meteors, and the exosphere for being the limit of the Earth's atmosphere where air molecules can escape into space.