Average height of seawater observed for a given time (day, month, year); it is used as a reference point to define coastal features and measure land elevations.
The most dense layer, which produces most of the meteorological phenomena and where temperatures decrease with altitude.
stratosphere
Highly stable layer of air where temperatures increase with altitude due to the absorption of solar radiation by the ozone layer.
tropopause
The boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere; its altitude varies depending on the season, ground temperature, latitude and atmospheric pressure.
stratopause
Thin transition layer between the stratosphere and the mesosphere.
mesosphere
The atmosphere’s coldest layer, where temperatures decrease with altitude.
mesopause
Thin transition layer between the mesosphere and the thermosphere.
thermosphere
Layer that absorbs a large portion of solar radiation, leading to a steady increase in its temperature.
thermopause
Thin transition layer between the thermosphere and the exosphere.
exosphere
The outermost region of the atmosphere, where low-density gases disperse into space.
temperature scale
altitude scale
Hubble space telescope
Telescope placed in orbit above Earth’s atmosphere (600 km), making it possible to observe the universe as never before.
