A closer look
The air you breathe is basically stuck inside an invisible atmospheric washing machine. The planetary boundary layer is the lowest part of the troposphere where the sheer friction of wind dragging across trees, buildings, and mountains creates violent mechanical turbulence. During the day, the sun heats the ground, adding chaotic thermal updrafts into the mix. This boiling layer caps atmospheric energy until it finally ruptures, instantly forcing massive amounts of heat upward to birth apocalyptic thunderstorms and tornadoes.
