The vertical distribution of the atmosphere traditionally has been divided up into a series of concentric layers primarily based on the thermal structure of the atmosphere. The bottom layer of the atmosphere is called the troposphere, and it is within this layer that we find most of the atmospheric water vapor as well as most clouds and weather phenomena. It is primarily composed of nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%), with only small concentrations of other trace gases. Nearly all atmospheric water vapor or moisture is found in the troposphere. The upper boundary of this layer is called the tropopause and represents the upper limit of large-scale turbulence and mixing in the atmosphere. The height of the tropopause varies with time of year and latitude, ranging from an average height of 5–6 km over the polar regions to 15–16 km over the equator, and tending to be higher in summer than in winter.
The Earth’s surface is the primary absorber of incoming solar radiation therefore the warmest...
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Atmospheric Nomenclature
Inversion
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Dewey, K. (2005). Troposphere. In: Oliver, J.E. (eds) Encyclopedia of World Climatology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht . https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3266-8_214
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