upper atmosphere

noun

Meteorology.

1. the portion of the atmosphere above the troposphere.

upper atmosphere

noun

1. meteorol that part of the atmosphere above the troposphere

upper atmosphere

1. The part of the atmosphere above the troposphere. The upper atmosphere includes the mesosphere, the ionosphere, the thermosphere, and the exosphere. Temperatures in the upper atmosphere decrease with increasing altitude except in the thermosphere, where temperatures increase significantly with altitude, because the few molecules present receive intense solar radiation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of upper atmosphere¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

An idea once dismissed as science fiction -- cooling Earth by scattering sunlight-reflecting particles into the upper atmosphere -- is now being taken seriously by researchers.

Read more on Science Daily

"The process is akin to atmospheric burn-up when a satellite re-enters the Earth's upper atmosphere, but has extended over a period of a billion years," he said.

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The jet stream - a fast moving ribbon of air in the upper atmosphere - is going to be moving to the south of the UK this week and strengthening in speed.

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Scientists put that down to jet streams - narrow, fast-flowing currents of air in the upper atmosphere that travel from west to east around the globe.

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But as climate change shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that air travel could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are expected to increase the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.

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