Consider the following layers of the atmosphere: 1. Troposphere 2. Stratosphere 3. Mesosphere 4. Thermosphere Which one among the following is the correct sequence of the layers with increasing altitude from the Earth’s surface?

The Earth's atmosphere is systematically divided into layers based on temperature and altitude. Starting from the ground level, the lowest layer is the troposphere, which extends up to approximately 12 km and contains nearly all weather phenomena [2]. Above the tropopause lies the stratosphere, extending to about 50 km, which is notable for containing the ozone layer that absorbs ultraviolet radiation [3]. The third layer is the mesosphere, reaching up to 80 km, where temperatures decrease with altitude [1]. Beyond the mesopause is the thermosphere, which extends from 80 km to about 700 km and includes the ionosphere [1]. Therefore, the correct sequence from the Earth's surface upward is Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Thermosphere, corresponding to the sequence 1-2-3-4.

Sources

1. [2] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 1: BASIC CONCEPTS OF ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY > Structure of the Atmosphere > p. 7
2. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Composition and Structure of Atmosphere > STRUCTURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE > p. 65
3. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 20: Earths Atmosphere > Stratosphere (12 to 50 km) > p. 275