Atmosphere of Earth International Space Station orbits in this layer, between . The mesosphere is the third highest layer of Earth's atmosphere, occupying the region above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. It extends from the stratopause at an altitude of about to the mesopause at above sea level. Temperatures drop with increasing altitude to the mesopause that marks the top of this middle layer of the atmosphere. It is the coldest place on Earth and has an average temperature around . Just below the mesopause, the air is so cold that even the very scarce water vapor at this altitude can be
Planetary boundary layer Planetary boundary layer In meteorology the planetary boundary layer (PBL), also known as the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) or "peplosphere", is the lowest part of the atmosphere and its behavior is directly influenced by its contact with a planetary surface . On Earth it usually responds to changes in surface radiative forcing in an hour or less. In this layer physical quantities such as flow velocity, temperature, moisture, etc., display rapid fluctuations (turbulence) and vertical mixing is strong. Above the PBL is the "free atmosphere" where the wind is approximately geostrophic (parallel to the isobars) , while within the PBL