1. Where’s the air?
Investigation 2 Part 2

2. The atmosphere
The atmosphere is a layer of air that surrounds the Earth.
Remember that air is a combination of gases.
The atmosphere lies between the Earth’s surface and the vastness of space.

3. Different atmosphere layers
The atmosphere is made up of different layers based on the properties of the atmosphere at different elevations:
Troposphere: the lowest layer of the atmosphere. Most of Earth’s air is found here, and Earth’s weather happens in the troposphere.
Stratosphere: the layer above the troposphere. The ozone layer is found in this layer.

4. Different atmosphere layers, cont.
Mesosphere: located above the stratosphere. This is the layer in which meteors burn up to create shooting stars.
Thermosphere: Scientists do not know much about the thermosphere, other than there isn’t much air in the thermosphere.
Exosphere: The layer that is farthest away from Earth’s surface. It is relatively thick, but contains very little air. It is the transition layer between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space.