upper atmosphere

American  

noun

Meteorology.

1. the portion of the atmosphere above the troposphere.

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upper atmosphere British  

noun

1. meteorol that part of the atmosphere above the troposphere

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upper atmosphere Scientific  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of upper atmosphere

First recorded in 1890–95

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

upper atmosphere

These naturally occurring particles have been striking Earth's upper atmosphere and other astronomical objects at immense energies without producing dangerous effects.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

After more than a century of powered flight, Mr. Kirsch writes, we “have not yet securely attached the upper atmosphere to the realm of human experience.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Farther above, at altitudes of several hundred kilometers, traces of Earth's upper atmosphere can still exert enough drag to slow satellites.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

Ballistic missiles travel into the upper atmosphere or space before plunging back down toward a target, but not all are capable of maneuvering.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Capuano believed these winds were caused by the movement of the spheres being transmitted to the upper atmosphere.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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