The troposphere begins at the surface of the Earth and can go up to five or nine miles. This area of the atmosphere has the highest density and a lot of weather. As you go higher in the troposphere, it gets colder; the temperature can be an average of 62°F but can go down to -60°F near the tropopause. The gas content of the troposphere is 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon, and a number of other gases.
The stratosphere is above the troposphere, and the ozone layer is between them. The stratosphere extends to 31 miles high, and because of the ozone, the temperature can increase from -60°F to 5°F. Near the top of the stratosphere, the air density is almost zero, and the gas content is mostly ozone molecules, which can absorb UV rays, and every molecule is made of three oxygen atoms.
The altitude range of the mesosphere is 31 to 53 miles. The temperature is very cold and can be as low as -130°F. The air density is also very low because 99.9% of the atmosphere’s mass is below the mesosphere, so nothing can push down on it. The mesosphere is 75 percent nitrogen, 23 percent oxygen, 1 percent argon, and other gases like carbon dioxide and neon.
The thermosphere is 372 miles high; here, you can see the aurora and satellites. The thermosphere can be between 932° F and 3632° F because of the UV radiation or even hotter if the sun is very active. The thermosphere has a lower density than the mesosphere because the further you are from the surface, the lower the density of the atmosphere. Its gas content is UV rays, atomic oxygen, atomic nitrogen, and helium.
The exosphere begins at 311 to 621 miles and ends at 6200 miles from the surface. The temperature can go up to 2,700° F, and the air density is very low because the mass of the exosphere is only 0.002% of the entire mass of the atmosphere. The gas content is hydrogen, helium, and some molecules of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.