upper atmosphere
noun Meteorology.
the portion of the atmosphere above the troposphere.
Compare
upper air.
Origin of upper atmosphere
First recorded in 1890–95
Words nearby upper atmosphere
upper,
upper air,
upper airway,
upper arlington,
upper arm,
upper atmosphere,
upper austria,
upper bound,
upper canada,
upper canadian,
upper carboniferous
British Dictionary definitions for upper atmosphere
upper atmosphere
noun
meteorol
that part of the atmosphere above the troposphere
Scientific definitions for upper atmosphere
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.