About

The Earth's atmosphere is not a uniform mix of gases but a stratified system of layers defined by thermal characteristics. Understanding these layers is critical for aerospace engineering, meteorology, and radio communications. Pressure decreases exponentially with altitude, but temperature fluctuates wildly - dropping in the troposphere, rising in the stratosphere due to ozone absorption, dropping again in the mesosphere, and skyrocketing in the thermosphere.

This tool maps specific altitudes to their corresponding layer and estimates environmental conditions using the International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) model. It visualizes the transition from the breathable surface to the vacuum of space.

Formulas

Pressure P at altitude h is approximated by the barometric formula:

P = P₀ ⋅ exp−g ⋅ M ⋅ hR ⋅ T

Where M is molar mass of Earth's air (0.02896 kg/mol) and R is the gas constant.

Reference Data

Layer	Altitude Range (km)	Temp Trend	Key Phenomena
Troposphere	0 - 12	Decreases	Weather, Commercial Jets, Clouds
Stratosphere	12 - 50	Increases	Ozone Layer, Weather Balloons, U2 Spy Planes
Mesosphere	50 - 85	Decreases	Meteors burn up, Noctilucent clouds
Thermosphere	85 - 600	Increases	Aurora Borealis, ISS, Low Earth Orbit Satellites
Exosphere	600 - 10,000	Constant	Hydrogen/Helium escape, Geostationary Satellites

Frequently Asked Questions

The Kármán line at 100 km (62 miles) is the internationally recognized boundary of space, located in the lower Thermosphere.

The absorption of ultraviolet (UV) radiation by the Ozone Layer generates heat, causing the temperature inversion characteristic of this layer.

Commercial jets cruise in the upper Troposphere or lower Stratosphere (30,000-40,000 ft) to avoid weather turbulence and reduce drag.

At the Stratopause (50km), atmospheric pressure is approximately 1/1000th of sea level pressure. Humans cannot survive without pressurized suits.