Ionosphere
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference
The ionosphere is one of the highest zones of a planet's atmosphere, so named because the gas molecules are ionized by solar radiation.
In 2367, Lieutenant Paul Hickman's type-7 shuttlecraft exploded in the lower ionosphere of Tarchannen III when he tried to land the shuttle on the planet surface. (TNG: "Identity Crisis")
The ionosphere of the Drayans' crysata moon contains high levels of electrodynamic turbulence, which caused a shuttlecraft from the USS Voyager to crash in 2372. (VOY: "Innocence")
In 2375, Captain Kathryn Janeway ordered Voyager into a high orbit above a class 6 gas giant to avoid ionospheric turbulence. (VOY: "Extreme Risk")
| Structure and layers of an atmosphere |
|---|
| Planetary: Troposphere • Stratosphere • Thermosphere • Exosphere Ozone layer • Ionosphere • Magnetosphere |
| Solar: Photosphere • Chromosphere • Corona |
