Synonyms

upper atmosphere

American

noun

Meteorology.

the portion of the atmosphere above the troposphere.

upper atmosphere British

noun

meteorol that part of the atmosphere above the troposphere

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

upper atmosphere Scientific

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.

Etymology

Origin of upper atmosphere

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Swarm measurements form the foundation of global magnetic models used for navigation, tracking space weather hazards, and studying Earth's system from its deep interior to the upper atmosphere.

From Science Daily

They are coupled both to the Earth's surface and to the lower ionosphere, creating a vast electrostatic system that links the ground to the upper atmosphere.

From Science Daily

For the first time, astronomers have charted the vertical structure of Uranus's upper atmosphere, revealing how temperature and electrically charged particles change with altitude across the planet.

From Science Daily

The data also show that the planet's upper atmosphere has continued to cool over the past thirty years.

From Science Daily

The new measurements confirm that Uranus's upper atmosphere continues to cool, a pattern first identified in the early 1990s.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023