troposphere

Everyday

The troposphere is the lowest layer of the Earth's atmosphere, from the ground up to about 10 to 15 km, where we live and where nearly all weather happens. tree →

In the lessons

In science and geography lessons, the layers of the atmosphere are troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. In the troposphere air gets colder as you go higher; clouds, rain and wind form there. Planes fly near its top. Phrases: in the troposphere, the top of the troposphere.

Examples

• We live in the troposphere. tree →
• Almost all clouds and weather form in the troposphere. tree →
• The air gets colder the higher you go in the troposphere. tree →
• Above the troposphere is the stratosphere. tree →
• Big jets fly near the top of the troposphere. tree →
• The troposphere holds most of the air in the atmosphere. tree →
• If the troposphere is 12 km thick, a plane at 10 km is 2 km from its top. tree →

Note

Used with «the»; uncountable. «Tropo-» comes from Greek for «turning», because air mixes there. Do not confuse with «tropics» (hot regions near the equator). In the troposphere temperature falls about 6–7 °C for every kilometre up.