MESOSPHERE

region of the upper atmosphere between about 50 and 80 km (30 and 50 miles) above the surface of the Earth. The base of the mesosphere is defined as the temperature maximum existing at the top of the stratosphere, with the boundary between the two regions usually called the stratopause but occasionally the mesopeak. The mesosphere extends upward to the next temperature minimum, which defines the base of the thermosphere; the boundary between the two regions is called the mesopause. The amount of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide in the mesosphere is essentially the same as that in the levels of the Earth's atmosphere immediately above the Earth's surface. The principal differences are that there is apparently very little water vapour in the mesosphere, and the mesosphere contains higher percentages of ozone than the lower levels.