Mesosphere features: meteors burn up here; coldest layer; 50-80 km. Which statement describes it?

Mesosphere features: meteors burn up here; coldest layer; 50-80 km. Which statement describes it?

• A. Contains the ozone layer; temperature increases with altitude
• B. Meteors burn up here; coldest layer; 50-80 km
• C. Where weather occurs and is the warmest layer
• D. The outermost layer of the atmosphere

Answer: (B)

This is about identifying features of the mesosphere. The mesosphere sits roughly 50 to 80 kilometers above the surface. Meteors burn up in this layer because the air is thin enough to cause friction as they enter Earth’s atmosphere, producing bright streaks we see as shooting stars. It’s also the coldest part of the atmosphere, with temperatures dropping as you go higher within this layer to around -90°C to -100°C. The ozone layer is in the stratosphere, not here, and weather occurs in the troposphere, which is the warmest layer. The outermost layer is the exosphere. So describing meteors burning up here, being the coldest layer, and spanning about 50–80 kilometers best identifies the mesosphere.

This is about identifying features of the mesosphere. The mesosphere sits roughly 50 to 80 kilometers above the surface. Meteors burn up in this layer because the air is thin enough to cause friction as they enter Earth’s atmosphere, producing bright streaks we see as shooting stars. It’s also the coldest part of the atmosphere, with temperatures dropping as you go higher within this layer to around -90°C to -100°C. The ozone layer is in the stratosphere, not here, and weather occurs in the troposphere, which is the warmest layer. The outermost layer is the exosphere. So describing meteors burning up here, being the coldest layer, and spanning about 50–80 kilometers best identifies the mesosphere.