View synonyms for

upper atmosphere

noun

Meteorology.

the portion of the atmosphere above the troposphere.

upper atmosphere

noun

meteorol that part of the atmosphere above the troposphere

upper atmosphere

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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Word History and Origins

Origin of upper atmosphere¹

First recorded in 1890–95

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

On Thursday, the department announced that it will likely suspend the launch of weather balloons at several locations across the country, decreasing the amount of forecasting data captured by the balloons through sensors in the upper atmosphere.

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His aeronautics company may not have been the first to sail beyond the planet’s upper atmosphere; Sir Richard Branson beat him in that .01% space race.

From

It will measure magnetic fields induced by the presence of the electrical current in the upper atmosphere in different locations, especially during space weather events.

From

A 2022 study by Professor Eloise Marais from University College London found that rocket soot in the upper atmosphere has a warming effect which is 500 times greater than when released by planes closer to Earth.

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But in the thin upper atmosphere, carbon dioxide can’t hang onto its extra heat.

From

upper arm Upper Austria

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