troposphere

noun tro·po·sphere \ ˈtrō-pə-ˌsfir , ˈträ- \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of troposphere

: the lowest densest part of the earth's atmosphere in which most weather changes occur and temperature generally decreases rapidly with altitude and which extends from the earth's surface to the bottom of the stratosphere at about 7 miles (11 kilometers) high

—

tropospheric

play \ˌtrō-pə-ˈsfir-ik, ˌträ-, -ˈsfer-\ adjective

See troposphere defined for kids

Recent Examples of troposphere from the Web

Take a one-meter-by-one-meter square air column, from the ground to the top of the troposphere, and condense all the water vapor.

— jeff halverson, Washington Post, "The second 1,000-year rainstorm in two years engulfed Ellicott City. Here’s how it happened.," 28 May 2018
At 29,029 feet, its jagged ridgeline tears at the troposphere, where climbers must endure subzero temperatures, jet stream winds that roar at the speed of category five hurricanes, and air that contains just a third of the oxygen at sea level.

— Time, "The Ethics of Climbing Everest: Double Amputee Xia Boyu’s Feat Fuels Debates About Who Belongs on the Roof of the World," 3 Apr. 2018
Smoke from raging fires could reach the troposphere and, over weeks, forms a blanket that blocks sunlight and drops the temperature.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Hollywood Has No Idea How Nukes Work," 2 Apr. 2018
Several proposals call for injecting microscopic particles, called aerosols, into the stratosphere, the quiet region of the atmosphere above the troposphere about 18 kilometers up from the equator.

— paul voosen, Science | AAAS, "A dusting of salt could cool the planet," 21 Mar. 2018
Bigger events, like this one, translate downward to the troposphere, where weather happens.

— matt rogers, Washington Post, "It may not be over: Wimpy Washington winter will try for March Hail Mary," 14 Feb. 2018
One key appears to be the difference between surface air temperatures and air temperatures much higher up at the top of the troposphere at altitudes where thunderclouds smooth out into anvils.

— eric limer, Popular Mechanics, "How Many Hurricanes Can There Be at Once?," 11 Sep. 2017
Still, at 90,000 feet such a glider could provide data about heat, mass and chemical exchange between the troposphere and the stratosphere, leading to more accurate climate models for the future.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Glider Sets New Height Record for Engineless Flight," 5 Sep. 2017
Computer models estimated total precipitable water, which integrates the total mass of water vapor from the top of the troposphere to the surface, at about 2.5 inches — an extraordinary level for the area around Harrisburg.

— matthew cappucci, Washington Post, "Harrisburg, Pa., had an epic deluge Sunday: Over four inches of rain fell in a single hour," 24 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'troposphere.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.