The stratosphere is a layer of Earth's atmosphere. This material is based upon work supported by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a major facility sponsored by the National Science Foundation and managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Last edited on 18 February 2023, at 00:23, "Atmospheric Temperature Trends, 19792005", "NWS JetStream - Layers of the Atmosphere", "The Stratosphere - overview | UCAR Center for Science Education", "Parachutist's Record Fall: Over 25 Miles in 15 Minutes (Published 2014)", "Google's Alan Eustace beats Baumgartner's skydiving record", Quasi-biennial oscillation in ozone in a coupled chemistry-climate model, Breaking planetary waves in the stratosphere, Stratospheric Harbingers of Anomalous Weather Regimes, A stratospheric influence on the winter NAO and North Atlantic surface climate, "How Sudden Stratospheric Warming Affects the Whole Atmosphere", "Collision between a Vulture and an Aircraft at an Altitude of 37,000 Feet". That trend of rising temperatures with altitude means that air in the stratosphere lacks the turbulence and updrafts of the troposphere beneath. The air density is also very low, making it less turbulent to travel through. They are much similar to warm breath during cold weather. 4 The stratosphere (/strtsfr, -to-/) is the second layer of the atmosphere of the Earth, located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. The stratosphere starts just above the troposphere and extends to 50 kilometers (31 miles) high. The height of the bottom of the stratosphere varies with latitude and with the seasons. Ozone layer | Description, Importance, & Facts | Britannica In fact, the ozone layer absorbs most of the UV radiation the sun sends to us. But there are no mountains high enough to reach the stratosphere, so you dont have to worry about that. The stratosphere contains approximately 19% of the earth's total atmospheric gases. Moreover, the distance between the molecules increases as you move up the different layers. The troposphere is the lowest layer of our atmosphere. If you were to climb a mountain in the stratosphere you would have to take off your warm clothes as you got closer to the top rather than putting them on like we usually do. It extends above the tropopause to an altitude of 50 km above the earth. An increase of altitude in the troposphere makes temperatures decrease, which is why it is much colder on the top of a mountain than on sea level. Commercial airliners typically cruise at altitudes of 912km (30,00039,000ft) which is in the lower reaches of the stratosphere in temperate latitudes. Its magnetic field goes up to 60,000 km into space. Overall, the attenuation of solar UV at wavelengths that damage DNA by the ozone layer allows life to exist on the surface of the planet outside of the ocean. Life as we know it wouldnt be possible without this layer of protection. #1. stratosphere The atmospheric layer above the troposphere, which extends on average from about 10 to 50 km above the Earth's surface. - There are no clouds in the layer, and though . The air in the stratosphere is extremely thin, which makes it impossible to breathe at this level. While the stratosphere is dry, additional water vapor is produced in situ by the photochemical oxidation of methane (CH4). Middle School Earth Science: Tutoring Solution, Earth's Spheres & Structure: Tutoring Solution, Earth's Internal Layers: Crust, Mantle & Core, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Stratosphere Facts: Fun Facts About the Stratosphere, How The Earth is Shaped: Earthquakes, Faults & Tsunamis, What is Earth? It not only examines what the stratosphere is but also looks at the characteristics or facts that define it. UCAR/Randy Russell Paul J. Crutzen, Mario J. Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 for their work describing the formation and decomposition of stratospheric ozone.[9]. This is just an estimate, however, as the lower and upper boundaries actually vary with the latitude of the earth. This is due to gravity, but mostly due to the temperature inversion in the tropopause that prevents gases from entering the layer. These troposphere facts are going to make you see the air around you in a very different light and help you learn more about how we live and breathe. Ice clouds form in this layer which is visible when lighted from beneath during sunset. I feel like its a lifeline. High-energy X-rays and UV radiation from the Sun are absorbed in the thermosphere, raising its temperature to hundreds or at times thousands of degrees. The timescale of this rapid mixing is much smaller than the much slower timescales of upwelling in the tropics and downwelling in the extratropics. 2. The lower portion of the stratosphere is nearly isothermal (a layer of constant temperature), whereas temperatures in its upper levels increase with altitude. This diagram shows some of the features of the stratosphere. It is the highest layer. 29. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'ownyourweather_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_3',116,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-ownyourweather_com-large-billboard-2-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'ownyourweather_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_4',116,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-ownyourweather_com-large-billboard-2-0_1');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'ownyourweather_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_5',116,'0','2'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-ownyourweather_com-large-billboard-2-0_2');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'ownyourweather_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_6',116,'0','3'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-ownyourweather_com-large-billboard-2-0_3'); .large-billboard-2-multi-116{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:3px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:3px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;min-width:300px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}Recent Posts, Copyright 2023 by Own Your Weather. It is located just above the troposphere, which is the first layer of the atmosphere closest to the ground. But its not the same everywhere. Stratosphere - Wikipedia 32. But there are no mountains high enough to reach the stratosphere, so you dont have to worry about that. The stratospheric air is extremely thin and dry since the vast majority of atmospheric gases (and weather activity) are limited to the troposphere. The atmosphere consists of five distinct layers, with the stratosphere being the second, situated just above the troposphere. Planes and jets will sometimes choose to fly in the stratosphere, where there are no clouds or weather that can affect the ride. Ozone (O3) photolysis produces O and O2. It means temperatures rise as altitude increases in this region, unlike the other four layers, which are characterized by a drop in temperature as altitude increases. The stratosphere is where youll find the very important ozone layer. Approximately 90 percent of the atmosphere's ozone occurs in the stratosphere, the region extending from 10-18 km (6-11 miles) to approximately 50 km (about 30 miles) above Earth's surface. It contains most of our Earth's water vapour, and is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. Create an account to start this course today. Ozone layer lies about 19-32 km over the earths surface. The stratosphere is one of five layers of the earth's atmosphere. There are some species of birds capable of flying in the stratosphere. Requested URL: byjus.com/chemistry/stratosphere/, User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 15_5 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/15.5 Mobile/15E148 Safari/604.1. This is due to the temperature changes within the stratosphere. Since almost almost weather activity is limited to the troposphere and almost no water vapor is present in the stratosphere, Polar Stratospheric Clouds is the only visual meteorological phenomenon that can be observed in the stratosphere. It has different layers with different qualities. Atmosphere | NASA Climate Kids The stratosphere is a layer of extremely stratified air that rises 40 kilometres above the tropopause and comprises about 20% of the atmosphere's mass. If you do your calculations, each water vapor particle spends approximately nine days in the atmosphere. Layers of the Atmosphere | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Air pollution causes the demolition of the ozone belt, and without it, the earth would be exposed to the deadly ultraviolet rays in the sun. As the altitude increases, the atmosphere diminishes which is the reason why the air pressure in the exosphere is shallow. For this reason, humans would not be able to survive at this altitude without being inside of a plane, rocket, or some type of enclosed environment where air density can be regulated. The ozone layer helps protect us from ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun. Damage to the ozone layer of the stratosphere occurs naturally when volcanic gases and dust reach the stratosphere, but people have been contributing to this as well with the use of aerosol's containing CFCs. 28. That's much thicker than the inner layers of the atmosphere, but not nearly as thick as the exosphere. The stratosphere can be as deep 20 miles or as shallow as 5.5 miles. There are no storms or turbulence here to mix up the air, so cold, heavy air is at the bottom and warm, light air is at the top. The air in the stratosphere is about 1000 thinner than the air at sea level in the troposphere. 40 Unbelievable But True Troposphere Facts | Kidadl Stratosphere Facts, Characteristics & Composition | What is the As mentioned in the introduction, certain birds such as cranes, swans, and vultures can fly at this altitude. Facts About the Atmosphere - Overview, Benefits and Its Layers Ozone depletion is a major environmental problem because it increases the amount of ultraviolet (UV . The next higher layer above the stratosphere is the mesosphere. The infamous ozone layer is found within the stratosphere. The atmosphere surrounds our planet like the peel of an orange. Due to the lack of vertical convection in the stratosphere, materials that get into the stratosphere can stay there for long times. Ozone, which is actually a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms linked together by covalent bonds, absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation that enters the Earth's atmosphere as part of sunlight. At an altitude of 100 km above sea level, a border represents the separation between the atmosphere and outer space. It is seen in high latitude areas as shimmering curtains of lights that are visible at night. However, the distance of 100 kms from the earths surface is what is considered generally as an imaginary boundary. What's in the Atmosphere? The biosphere extends from the deepest root systems of trees, to the dark environments of ocean trenches, to lush rain forests, high mountaintops, and transition zones like this one, where ocean and terrestrial ecosystems meet.