atmosphere.

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!..."

1 Kings 8:27 (NKJV)

The English word atmosphere comes from the Greek word atmos, meaning, “vapor,” and sphaira, meaning, “ball” or, “globe.”

Our atmosphere is comprised of four main layers. The first layer, the layer of the atmosphere in which we will spend most of our lives is known as the troposphere, which extends upwards about 7 miles (11 Kilometers) from the surface of the earth, though these distances often vary by a few miles. The average temperature of the earth is 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius,) but for every mile you go up in elevation, the temperature drops around 17 F per mile (9.4 C/km). So, once you reach the uppermost part of the troposphere, the temperature is somewhere about – 61 F (-52 C). Most all weather takes place in the troposphere, and cycles of wind also circulate throughout the troposphere, keeping systems of air and weather properly balanced in different areas of the world (Vogt.)

The next layer, the stratosphere, goes to around 30 miles (48 Kilometers) above the surface of the earth. The main role of the stratosphere is to filter out harmful ultraviolet rays that radiate from the sun. Because the stratosphere contains the gas known as ozone, it is able to protect us from what would otherwise be very harmful concentrations of sunlight. Because the stratosphere absorbs so much sunlight, the average temperature is slightly warmer. Starting at about -62 F (-52 C) its lower part, it increases to as much as 27 F (33 C) (Vogt.)

Above the stratosphere lies the mesosphere, which extends somewhere around 50 miles (80 kilometers) above the surface of the earth. Like the stratosphere, the mesosphere also absorbs a significant amount of energy from the sunlight, however at its upper reaches, its average temperature is a bit lower, around -130 F (-90 C) (Vogt.)

The outermost layer of our atmosphere is the thermosphere, which stretches to around 370 miles (595 kilometers) from the surface of the earth, and it is most certainly the warmest layer, with temperatures that often climb to more than 3,100 F (1,700 C). Because there are so few molecules in this layer, the molecules that do exist are quickly affected by the sun’s energy that is entering our atmosphere (Vogt.)

Looking at the layers of the atmosphere, it seems as though the layers were designed to act as a sort of filter from the harsh circumstances that attempt to (and sometimes do) enter our planet. Without the layers and molecules and currents running around in the skies above, we would have no chance of withstanding the unforgiving elements that are trying to enter in. Because we would certainly be done for without protection, it seems evident that in creating the atmosphere, and the layers therein, God was implementing a sort of safeguard, to save us, along with all the rest of creation, from harmful radiation, AKA certain destruction.

Source:
(Vogt, Gregory. The atmosphere: Planetary Heat Engine. 22-25. Twenty-First Century Books. 2007.)