What are the names for the various levels of the atmosphere and of what significance are they?
A. The atmosphere is divided up into layers with names which describe the dynamic or thermal structure of that particular layer. The two layers which are of most interest to us are the troposphere and the stratosphere. >>Troposphere: (overturning or changing sphere) – The lowest layer of the atmosphere. Positive lapse of temperature (temperature overall decrease with height). It is the most important for operational meteorology, as this layer contains almost all the water vapour, and by far the greatest part of the mass of the atmosphere. Because of its mean thermal structure, it is the region of greatest vertical motion (up and down) in the atmosphere, even without the help of vigorous thunderstorm complexes, which in themselves may occupy the entire depth of the troposphere. At some level, there is usually an abrupt change in the lapse rate from positive (decrease with height), to isothermal (no change), or a slight rise. This level is the tropopause. Typical heights of the tropopaus
