ionosphere
/ˌaɪˈɑnɔsfˌiɹ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.47 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The part of the Earth's atmosphere beginning at an altitude of about 50 kilometers (31 miles) and extending outward 500 kilometers (310 miles) or more.
noun
The similar region of the atmosphere of another planet.
Example Sentences
- "Dave frowned as he tried to answer. "Well, I suppose the atmosphere is oxygen and nitrogen, mostly; then there's the ionosphere and the ozone layer. As I remember, the color of the sky is due to the scattering of light—light rays being diffracted in the air.""
- "Solar storms drive currents of millions of amps through the electrically conductive upper layer of our atmosphere (known as the ionosphere). These currents, which can fluctuate rapidly, drive powerful magnetic disturbances at the Earth's surface that in turn induce electrical currents in the planet's crust."
Etymology
From iono- + -sphere.