Layers of the Atmosphere
Name____________________________ Period: _____
Part 1 - Create a model of the atmosphere
SCALE: 1mm = 1km
Materials: meter stick, 1 m of adding machine tape, colored pencils
1. Draw the surface of the Earth about 5 mm up from the bottom (this surface line will be where you
make all of your measurements from now on). Draw Mount Everest on the surface. It rises up 9
km from the surface of the Earth.
2. Scale out the layers of the atmosphere. Every layer is measured from the surface of the Earth.
Draw in and label the layers.
● Troposphere – Surface to 12 km
● Stratosphere – 12 km to 50 km
● Mesosphere – 50 km to 85 km
● Thermosphere – 85 km to 600 km
● Exosphere – 600 km to 10,000 km (*Your model only goes to about 1000 km so it will only
show a portion of the exosphere.)
4. Locate and label the following:
● Boundaries (separate different layers): tropopause, stratopause, mesopause
● Zones: ozone layer (20-30 km)
5. Draw in the following items in the proper locations:
● Clouds
● Auroras
● Meteors
● Airplanes
● Satellites
6. Create a mnemonic device to remember the layers of the atmosphere! Write it in the space below
and on the back of your model.
Part 2 - Graphing properties of the atmosphere
● On the graph below, graph the altitude and temperature of the different parts of the atmosphere
● Label the layers of the atmosphere (troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere)
and the separating boundaries (tropopause, stratopause, and mesopause) between each layer.