Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. 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. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer, which shields the Earth from harmful radiation emitted from the Sun. 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. The water ice appears younger than we would expect. [11] This optimizes fuel efficiency, mostly due to the low temperatures encountered near the tropopause and low air density, reducing parasitic drag on the airframe. Strat means layer. It starts to glow, and the rocks begin to fly off. The lower portion of the stratosphere is nearly isothermal (a layer of constant temperature), whereas temperatures in its upper levels increase with altitude. The more humid the atmosphere is, the thicker the contrails will be. Thats the opposite of how the layers work in the troposphere, where we live. As previously mentioned, the stratosphere is one of the five layers that make up the Earth's atmosphere. It extends from about 50 to 85 km (31 to 53 miles) above our planet. 15. The stratosphere is a layer of Earth's atmosphere. This layer holds 19 percent of the atmosphere's gases but very little water vapor. The word 'stratosphere' is derived from the word 'strato' meaning layer, and 'sphere' which is earth's shape. It contains the ozone layer and is between the troposphere, the first layer of the atmosphere, and the mesosphere, the third layer of the atmosphere. Earth's atmosphere has a series of layers, each with its own specific traits. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. On November 29, 1973, a Rppell's vulture (Gyps rueppelli) was ingested into a jet engine 11,278m (37,000ft) above the Ivory Coast. He discovered this atmospheric layer by sending a weather balloon up and noticing that the temperature changes differently than it does in the troposphere. It borders the mesosphere above through a thin transitional space called the stratopause. These elements react with toxic gases, salt, smoke, and volcanic ash. The waves and tides influence the flows of air in the stratosphere and can also cause regional heating of this layer of the atmosphere. The atmosphere surrounds our planet like the peel of an orange. 2 It extends from a height of approximately 65 km (40 miles) to 85 km (53 miles) above the Earth's surface. Temperature decreases with height throughout the mesosphere. Create an account to start this course today. [4] Temperatures range from an average of 51C (60F; 220K) near the tropopause to an average of 15C (5.0F; 260K) near the mesosphere. The coldest temperatures are found in the mesopause. The stratosphere is situated just above the troposphere, with a thin layer of air called the tropopause separating the two layers. 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. 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. Sydney Chapman gave a correct description of the source of stratospheric ozone and its ability to generate heat within the stratosphere;[citation needed] he also wrote that ozone may be destroyed by reacting with atomic oxygen, making two molecules of molecular oxygen. 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. It is easy & understandable to view our atmosphere as a continuous layer of air. Ozone in turn is photolysed much more rapidly than molecular oxygen as it has a stronger absorption that occurs at longer wavelengths, where the solar emission is more intense. The atmospheric gases must retain the heat in the sun rays and reflect them to the earth to keep it warm. Layers of the atmosphere: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere. 20. Almost all weather is in this region. Brewer-Dobson Circulation occurs in the stratosphere. The stratosphere (/strtsfr, -to-/) is the second layer of the atmosphere of the Earth, located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. The first is due to the reaction of hydroxyl radicals (OH) with ozone. Life as we know it wouldnt be possible without this layer of protection. The stratosphere also has an increasing temperature with increasing altitude, which is different than what happens in the troposphere. There is very little water vapor in this layer of the atmosphere, so clouds are a rare occurrence. The stratosphere is actually crucial to allowing us to live on earth, because within the stratosphere you will find the ozone layer. It is the highest layer. The stratosphere extends from the tropopause at about 10 to 17 km (about 6 to 11 miles) altitude to its upper boundary (the stratopause) at . 3. Solar ultraviolet radiation (sunlight) separates an oxygen molecule into two different oxygen atoms in the first step. [2][3] The stratosphere is an atmospheric layer composed of stratified temperature layers, with the warm layers of air high in the sky and the cool layers of air in the low sky, close to the planetary surface of the Earth. This is how certain gases become trapped in the stratosphere, like CFC's and ozone. The layer made of layers. [7] Molecular oxygen absorbs high energy sunlight in the UV-C region, at wavelengths shorter than about 240nm. The stratosphere is one of five layers of the earth's atmosphere. Finally, chlorofluorocarbon molecules are photolysed in the stratosphere releasing chlorine atoms that react with ozone giving ClO and O2. 28. This layer is 22 miles (35 kilometers) thick. We now know that there are additional ozone loss mechanisms and that these mechanisms are catalytic meaning that a small amount of the catalyst can destroy a great number of ozone molecules. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere. Above the troposphere and below the mesosphere, we have the stratosphere. Due to the high speed of the meteor, it generates a lot of heat resulting from high friction between the particles and the meteor. The stratosphere is a layer of Earth's atmosphere. That means that to get to outer space, you have to be really far from Earth. There are some species of birds capable of flying in the stratosphere. It also allows the airplane to stay above the turbulent weather of the troposphere. As you rise through the troposphere, the temperature decreases to around -60 degrees Fahrenheit. The stratosphere protects Earth life from extremely harmful UV rays from the sun. It is the only atmospheric layer where temperature inversion takes place. However, as you enter the stratosphere, the ozone gas absorbs the ultraviolet light entering the atmosphere from the sun. Stated another way, it allows the airliner to fly faster while maintaining lift equal to the weight of the plane. Stratosphere is the second layer. In this article, we are going to learn about the atmosphere. 32. Earths atmosphere is similar to a jacket for our planet. The air in the stratosphere is extremely thin, which makes it impossible to breathe at this level. The stratosphere is home to the ozone layer, which is a thin layer of concentrated ozone which plays an essential role in protecting the Earth from dangerous solar radiation. The stratospheric air is extremely thin and dry since the vast majority of atmospheric gases (and weather activity) are limited to the troposphere. Air is roughly a thousand times thinner at the top of the stratosphere than it is at sea level. 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. Planes that are low on fuel also fly at this altitude because they can cover more distance than in the troposphere while using less fuel and encountering less turbulence. (The lack of weather activity in the stratosphere also allows aircraft to avoid adverse weather conditions by flying in the lower stratosphere above the weather.). Gases and dust from volcanic eruptions often meet the same fate, remaining trapped in the stratosphere for months or even longer. The stratosphere is the second layer of the Earth's atmosphere, laying just above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. 23. You might have seen planes leaving white condensation trails. Although on average the stratosphere begins at about 7 miles up from the earth's surface, it can range from 5 miles at the earth's poles, to 6-8 miles at moderate latitudes, to 11 miles at the equator. The stratosphere is one of five layers of the earth's atmosphere. Ozone, an unusual type of oxygen molecule that is relatively abundant in the stratosphere, heats this layer as it absorbs energy from incoming ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. OH is formed by the reaction of electrically excited oxygen atoms produced by ozone photolysis, with water vapor. The latter value is about halfway to the Moon! Though the atmosphere may appear uniform to the naked eye, it is actually similar to a layer cake. It is like a giant magnet and retains high-energy particles, thereby protecting the earth. This is just an estimate, however, as the lower and upper boundaries actually vary with the latitude of the earth. Air density in this layer gradually decreases as you go higher. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Troposphere - The lowest level of our atmosphere is called the Troposphere. The ionosphere stretches roughly 50 to 400 miles above Earth's surface, right at the edge of space. Be grateful! This layer of our atmosphere has its own set of layers. The ozone layer helps protect us from ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun. . 33. These distances vary slightly due to elevation changes on the Earth. This ozone layer is important for man's survival, and for the survival of life on earth, as it absorbs the UV radiation from the sun that would otherwise be deadly. In the stratosphere - 'strato' means layer and sphere is the shape of the earth. - This is the second layer of the atmosphere from the surface of the earth, and lies between the troposphere and the mesosphere. stratosphere The atmospheric layer above the troposphere, which extends on average from about 10 to 50 km above the Earth's surface. For years, CFCs - a chemical used in aerosols - were transported the stratosphere via convection and became trapped there. The stratosphere is abundant in ozone, a type of oxygen molecule that absorbs the sun's ultraviolet radiation and uses it to heat this layer in the atmosphere. 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. Earth's atmosphere has a series of layers, each with its own specific traits. The burning of fossil fuels discharges carbon dioxide, while agricultural developments deposit a lot of methane and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. Meteorological phenomena are limited to the troposphere since they result from the earths rotation and suns radiation on the atmosphere. The stratosphere is composed primarily of nitrogen and oxygen. Ionization takes place in the ionosphere caused by the suns radiation. It extends upward to a height of about 85 km (53 miles) above our planet. It has a very important job: to protect us from harmful energy from the Sun, called radiation. The air in the mesosphere is far too thin to breathe (the air pressure at the bottom of the layer is well below 1% of the pressure at sea level and continues dropping as you go higher). All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. The stratosphere ends where it transitions to the mesosphere, around 50 kilometers above the earth. Commercial jet aircraft fly in the lower stratosphere to avoid the turbulence which is common in the troposphere below. This layer of Earth's atmosphere is about 319 miles (513 kilometers) thick. #1. It sets it apart from the other atmospheric layers by temperature rising instead of dropping as altitude increases, a process called temperature inversion. All Rights Reserved. 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. In this region, the temperature increases with height. The exosphere gradually fades away into the realm of interplanetary space. The other four layers include the troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. 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. 3 It borders the stratosphere below through a thin transitional space called the stratopause. Its about 6,200 miles (10,000 kilometers) thick. 4 22. The atmosphere comprises five layers: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. Since blue light has short wavelengths, it gets reflected more compared to other colors. 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 is the second layer of the atmosphere as you go upward. Ozone molecules in this layer absorb high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun, converting the UV energy into heat. In the lower atmosphere (the troposphere) near the Earth's surface, ozone is created by chemical reactions between air pollutants . Thats the opposite of how the layers work in the troposphere, where we live. Luckily the situation has improved since the ban of chlorofluorocarbon. Atmosphere Atmosphere and Its Layers Just above that is the stratosphere, the area of the atmosphere where passenger airplanes and weather balloons fly. The atmospheric balance is jeopardized by human activities that cause global warming, greenhouse effect, ozone belt destruction, air contamination, and acid rains. [5] Stratospheric temperatures also vary within the stratosphere as the seasons change, reaching particularly low temperatures in the polar night (winter). 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]. That's much thicker than the inner layers of the atmosphere, but not nearly as thick as the exosphere. Ice clouds form in this layer which is visible when lighted from beneath during sunset. Temperatures rise as one moves upward through the stratosphere. Earth's atmosphere is a jacket of gases that surrounds our planet. 6. The oxygen atom product combines with atmospheric molecular oxygen to reform O3, releasing heat. The troposphere, the lowest layer, is right below the stratosphere. The top of the stratosphere occurs at an altitude of 50 km (31 miles). The Earth's atmosphere is made up of roughly 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, and 0.1% other gases. It is possible to send research balloons into the stratosphere. 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. It is the only atmospheric layer where temperature inversion occurs and the region where the ozone layer is situated. [20], Some bird species have been reported to fly at the upper levels of the troposphere. The importance of the stratosphere is highlighted by the presence of the ozone layer, without which no life on Earth will be possible. In fact, the ozone layer absorbs most of the UV radiation the sun sends to us. The exosphere is really, really big. All rights reserved. Ionosphere plays a vital role in radio signals broadcast on the earths surface. The troposphere is where we breath in and is also referred to as the lower atmosphere. It is the only layer of the atmosphere where temperature inversion occurs. Learn about the stratosphere, including the stratosphere's definition and importance. Starting at ground level, it extends upward to about 10 km (6.2 miles or about 33,000 feet) above sea level. 26. Due to the characteristics of the stratosphere, it is a very important part of Earth's atmosphere. Clouds form due to convection, which is uncommon in the stratosphere. The next layer up is called the stratosphere. As you go up, it becomes colder. (The fuel consumption depends on the drag, which is related to the lift by the lift-to-drag ratio.) This is the opposite of what happens in the troposphere, the layer of the atmosphere closest to Earth. Earth is a great planet to live on because it has a wonderful atmosphere around it. This includes the troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere, and stratosphere. Ozone (O3) photolysis produces O and O2. 34. The stratosphere contains approximately 19% of the earth's total atmospheric gases. Fun Stratosphere Facts for Kids. The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere, which is composed of a total of five layers. Due to this effect, temperatures in the stratosphere actually increase from about negative {eq}60 {/eq} F up to about negative {eq}5 {/eq} F with altitude. Layers of the atmosphere: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere . No tracking or performance measurement cookies were served with this page. Moreover, the distance between the molecules increases as you move up the different layers. This increase of temperature with altitude is characteristic of the stratosphere; its resistance to vertical mixing means that it is stratified. It comprises the magnetosphere and ionosphere. Autumn Skies Online Pty Ltd is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies., The Earth's atmosphere consists of five layers.