Question

The air above earth’s surface is at different temperatures. What is responsible for this difference in temperature?

Answer 1

The Troposphere is warmed by the heat given off by Earth
The Stratosphere gets warmer the higher you go because ozone is trapped and absorbs UV light from the sun
The Mesosphere gets warmer the lower you are because there is little ozone to warm the air
The Thermosphere, again, gets warmer the higher you go because the molecules of oxygen absorb light from the sun, since there is a very small amount of air in the thermosphere a little bit of absorption from the sun can go a long way

Answer 2

The Mesosphere, like the troposphere layer, has a decrease in temperature with altitude because of the decreases in the density of the air molecules. Thermosphere: As the altitude increases, the air temperature increases.