In which atmospheric layer does temperature decrease with height, and where most meteors burn up upon entry?

In which atmospheric layer does temperature decrease with height, and where most meteors burn up upon entry?

• A. Stratosphere
• B. Mesosphere
• C. Ionosphere
• D. Exosphere

Answer: (B)

In the mesosphere, temperature falls as you go higher, so the air gets cooler with altitude in this layer. That cooling backdrop pairs with a region where fast meteoroids encounter enough air to create a lot of drag and heating. As a meteor plows through, the air in front of it compresses and heats up intensely, causing the meteoroid to glow and vaporize or burn up. This is why most meteors burn up in this part of the atmosphere—roughly around 50 to 85 kilometers above the surface. Other layers behave differently: the stratosphere actually warms with height due to ozone absorption, while the thermosphere and exosphere have very thin air and different heating dynamics, so they’re not the typical meteor-burn-up zone.

In the mesosphere, temperature falls as you go higher, so the air gets cooler with altitude in this layer. That cooling backdrop pairs with a region where fast meteoroids encounter enough air to create a lot of drag and heating. As a meteor plows through, the air in front of it compresses and heats up intensely, causing the meteoroid to glow and vaporize or burn up. This is why most meteors burn up in this part of the atmosphere—roughly around 50 to 85 kilometers above the surface. Other layers behave differently: the stratosphere actually warms with height due to ozone absorption, while the thermosphere and exosphere have very thin air and different heating dynamics, so they’re not the typical meteor-burn-up zone.