Which layer is the closest to Earth’s surface?

Which layer is the closest to Earth’s surface?

• A. Stratosphere
• B. Troposphere
• C. Mesosphere
• D. Exosphere

Answer: (B)

Atmospheric layers are stacked from the surface upward, and the one right at the surface is where daily weather and life are experienced. That layer is the troposphere. It extends from the ground up to roughly 8–15 kilometers (about 5–9 miles), though the exact height varies by location. Weather—clouds, rain, storms—happens here, and the air we breathe is mostly in this layer. Temperature generally gets cooler as you go higher in this layer, which helps explain why higher altitudes feel chillier even on sunny days. Above the troposphere lie the stratosphere, then the mesosphere, and finally the exosphere.

Atmospheric layers are stacked from the surface upward, and the one right at the surface is where daily weather and life are experienced. That layer is the troposphere. It extends from the ground up to roughly 8–15 kilometers (about 5–9 miles), though the exact height varies by location. Weather—clouds, rain, storms—happens here, and the air we breathe is mostly in this layer. Temperature generally gets cooler as you go higher in this layer, which helps explain why higher altitudes feel chillier even on sunny days. Above the troposphere lie the stratosphere, then the mesosphere, and finally the exosphere.