Layers of the Atmosphere:
Part I: Scale Model
Setting up the Layers:
1) Holding your paper portrait style, write the title “Scale Model of the Atmosphere” at the top of your paper.
2) 4 cm (40 mm) from the bottom of the paper draw a horizontal line across your paper. Label below the line
“Earth’s Surface”.
3) Using the scale of 1 mm equals 1 km draw a line across your paper 16 mm above the Earth’s surface.
4) Label this layer the “Troposphere”.
5) Using the same scale draw a line 48 mm above the Earth’s surface. Label this layer the “Stratosphere”.
6) Draw a line 80 mm above the Earth’s surface. Label this layer “Mesosphere”.
7) Label the remaining part of the paper the “Thermosphere”. Include on the label that it “continues far above the
top of the paper”.
Procedures:
Earth Surface:
A. Color the Earth green or brown to represent land.
B. Draw some houses, trees, or other objects you find on the Earth’s surface.
Troposphere: The 1st layer of the atmosphere, the troposphere, extends 16 km (10 miles) above Earth.
A. Within the troposphere label the scale you are using, “Scale: 1 mm = 1 km”.
B. Draw clouds in this layer to indicate this is where weather occurs.
C. The temperature drops as you move up in the troposphere so label the layer “ warm to cold”.
D. At the top of the troposphere are very strong winds moving eastward called the jet stream. This is also the location where
passenger planes fly. Draw an airplane and an arrow moving from left to right to symbolize the location and direction of
the jet stream.
Stratosphere: The 2nd atmospheric layer is called the stratosphere. It extends 48 km (30 miles) above the Earth.
A. The ozone layer is in the stratosphere. Ozone is made of three oxygen atoms and absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation.
To demonstrate this draw molecules of ozone (O3) with lightning bolts going towards the ozone.
B. Temperature increases in the stratosphere because ultraviolet radiation is absorbed, so label the layer “cold to warm”.
Mesosphere: The 3rd layer of the atmosphere is called the mesosphere. It extends 80 km (50 miles) above the Earth.
A. This is the coldest layer with temperatures as low as -85°C (-120°F). Draw a thermometer and snow flakes in this
layer to symbolize the cold temps.
B. Once in this layer you are now above 99.9% of the molecules that make up the atmosphere. The air is extremely thin
so label this layer as “less than 0.1% of air molecules”.
C. Many meteoroids burn up in the mesosphere because they’re starting to collide with air molecules at extremely high
speeds, so draw and label a meteor.
Thermosphere: The fourth layer of the atmosphere is the thermosphere. It extends to outer space, thousands of
kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
A. The thermosphere is extremely hot because of radiation that is absorbed so draw flames to symbolize the hot temperature.
B. Satellites orbit the Earth in this layer because there are so few air molecules. Draw and label a satellite at the top of your
paper.
