Definition of ionosphere - What it is, Meaning and Concept

The notion of ionosphere is used in the field of meteorology to refer to the atmospheric layer that is located on the 80km of altitude .The term can also be mentioned as ionosphere , with an emphasis on the E.

It should be remembered that the Earth's atmosphere It is formed by the gases that surround our planet.According to the height, it is possible to recognize different strata.

The main characteristic of the ionosphere is that, due to the solar radiation , it registers a marked ionization .This means that in it the molecules become ions : atoms that acquire electric charge from gaining or losing electrons.

Due to ionization, the ionosphere affects the diffusion of radioelectric waves.When a wave is emitted towards the atmosphere and reaches the ionosphere, a part of the energy is absorbed by the air that is ionized, while the remaining energy is refracted back to the earth's surface.

Although the accuracies vary according to specialists, it is generally considered that the layer starts between 80 and 90 km of altitude and extends up to, at least, the 400 km .Its upper sector can be confused with the start of the magnetosphere (or magnetosphere ), where the magnetism of the Earth exerts a decisive influence on ionized particles.

It is important to mention that, in some sources, the idea of ​​ionosphere appears as a synonym for thermosphere .In other documents, the ionosphere and magnetosphere are included as divisions of the thermosphere., after the ionosphere or thermosphere appears the exosphere , the last layer of the atmosphere and the boundary between the Earth and outer space.