which statement correctly describes the mesosphere
A-Meteors burn up in this layer to create shooting stars
B-The Northern Lights are visible in this layer
C-Atmospheric changes in this layer cause weather at earth surface
D-Commercial airplanes fly through this layer
A. Meteors burn up in this layer to create shooting stars.
A - Meteors burn up in this layer to create shooting stars is the statement that correctly describes the mesosphere.
The correct statement that describes the mesosphere is option A: "Meteors burn up in this layer to create shooting stars."
To arrive at this answer, you can use the process of elimination by considering each statement and evaluating their accuracy. Let's go through the statements one by one:
A - Meteors burn up in this layer to create shooting stars: This statement accurately describes the mesosphere. The mesosphere is the layer of Earth's atmosphere located above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. It ranges from about 31 to 50 miles (50-80 kilometers) in altitude. Meteors, also known as shooting stars, are tiny particles that enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up due to the heat generated by the friction with air molecules in the mesosphere. As a result, we can observe shooting stars in the night sky. Therefore, this statement is correct.
B - The Northern Lights are visible in this layer: This statement is incorrect. The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, occur in the thermosphere, not the mesosphere. The thermosphere is the layer located above the mesosphere.
C - Atmospheric changes in this layer cause weather at Earth's surface: This statement is incorrect. The mesosphere is too high in the atmosphere to have a direct impact on weather systems that occur closer to the Earth's surface. Weather is primarily influenced by processes occurring in the troposphere, which is the lowest layer of the atmosphere.
D - Commercial airplanes fly through this layer: This statement is incorrect. Commercial airplanes mostly fly in the troposphere, which is the layer closest to the Earth's surface. The mesosphere is located much higher and is not usually traversed by commercial aircraft.
In conclusion, option A (Meteors burn up in this layer to create shooting stars) is the correct statement that accurately describes the mesosphere.