FIGURE 9.1 The layers of Earth’s atmosphere. The troposphere is the atmospheric layer closest to Earth. Because the density of air decreases with altitude, the troposphere’s temperature also decreases with altitude. Temperature increases with altitude in the stratosphere because the Sun’s UV-B and UV-C rays warm the upper part of this layer. Temperatures in the thermosphere can reach 1,750°C (3,182°F).
(After http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/9-12/features/912_liftoff_atm.html)