What is Ionosphere?
[[File:1 atmosphere layers.png|thumb|upright=2|Relationship of the atmosphere and ionosphere]] The '''ionosphere''' ({{IPAc-en|aɪ|ˈ|ɒ|n|ə|ˌ|s|f|ɪər}}){{refn|{{cite encyclopedia |last=Jones |first=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Jones (phonetician) |title=ionosphere |encyclopedia=English Pronouncing Dictionary |editor1=Peter Roach |editor2=James Hartmann |editor3=Jane Setter |location=[[Cambridge]] |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |orig-year=1917 |year=2003 |isbn=978-3-12-539683-8}}}}{{refn|{{cite Merriam-Webster|ionosphere}}}} is the [[ionization|ionized]] part of the upper [[atmosphere of Earth]]. Closest to the surface of Earth, the ionosphere is about {{cvt|48|km|mi}} away. It goes on up to {{cvt|965|km|mi}} [[height above sea level|above sea level]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Zell|first=Holly |title=Earth's Atmospheric Layers |url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/science/atmosphere-layers2.html |publisher=NASA |date=2 March 2015 |access-date=2020-10-23}}</ref> ==The outer limits of the ionosphere== [[Image:Plasma fountain.gif|thumb|200px|right|The ''[[plasma]] fountain'' (or ''[[polar wind]]'') in the Earth's [[atmosphere]]. The drawing shows bright yellow (next to the green colored area). That orange area is supposed to show ions (that come from [[gas]] in the atmosphere) that are escaping from the atmosphere (into space). The escape of those [[oxygen]] ions and [[hydrogen ion]]s and [[helium]] ions, are part of the ''plasma fountain'' [[effect]]. The atmosphere (including the ionosphere) near the North pole and South pole, goes higher above the surface of Earth, than in other places. The drawing shows the area near the North pole, and the ''plasma fountain''. The drawing does not show the area near the South pole (and gas escaping from the atmosphere there).<!--showing ions which flow into space from regions near the Earth's poles. The faint yellow area shown above the north pole is supposed to show gas lost from Earth into space; the green area is the [[aurora borealis]]—or plasma energy pourin