In the lower atmosphere (the troposphere) near the Earth's surface, ozone is created by chemical reactions between air pollutants . So, what does the stratosphere do? From space, the earth is seen as a blue halo. stratosphere, layer of Earth's atmosphere lying between the troposphere and the mesosphere. Atmosphere facts: ninety-nine percent of the gases that compose the atmosphere are located below a height of 32 km (20 miles). They are found at altitudes of 15 to 25 km (9.3 to 15.5 miles) and form only when temperatures at those heights dip below -78 C. They appear to help cause the formation of the infamous holes in the ozone layer by "encouraging" certain chemical reactions that destroy ozone. The next higher layer above the stratosphere is the mesosphere. The ozone layer is a layer of gas within the stratosphere that protects the Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet sun rays. Create your account. Thats the opposite of how the layers work in the troposphere, where we live. That means that to get to outer space, you have to be really far from Earth. This is exactly the opposite of the behavior in the troposphere in which we live, where temperatures drop with increasing altitude. I feel like its a lifeline. Temperature increases with height until the estimated top of the thermosphere at 500 km. The stratosphere is where youll find the very important ozone layer. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. 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. Stratosphere is the second layer. 7. It borders the troposphere below through a thin transitional space called the tropopause. (The ozone layer is too large a topic for this article, but you can read more about it in the following post.). Between the troposphere and stratosphere is the tropopause border that demarcates the beginning of the temperature inversion. It is seen in high latitude areas as shimmering curtains of lights that are visible at night. Fun Stratosphere Facts for Kids. This increase of temperature with altitude is characteristic of the stratosphere; its resistance to vertical mixing means that it is stratified. 32. Mercury has an atmosphere that changes with its distance to the Sun. It is the only atmospheric layer where temperature inversion takes place. The composition of the atmosphere of each celestial body is different. stratosphere: [noun] the part of the earth's atmosphere which extends from the top of the troposphere to about 30 miles (50 kilometers) above the surface and in which temperature increases gradually to about 32 F (0 C) and clouds rarely form. The HO2 radical produced by the reaction of OH with O3 is recycled to OH by reaction with oxygen atoms or ozone. Interestingly, the most significant portion of the atmosphere is located within twelve kilometers of the earths surface. The rapid photolysis and reformation of ozone heat the stratosphere, resulting in a temperature inversion. This UV radiation is important for the production of vitamin D in humans, but too much can destroy tissue. [4] The temperature inversion is in contrast to the troposphere, near the Earth's surface, where temperature decreases with altitude. As a result, air circulation is not as prevalent in this layer of the atmosphere, making it difficult for some gasses to escape. The increase of temperature with altitude is a result of the absorption of the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation by the ozone layer. Above the troposphere and below the mesosphere, we have the stratosphere. What Causes Air Pollution? Commercial airliners typically cruise at altitudes of 912km (30,00039,000ft) which is in the lower reaches of the stratosphere in temperate latitudes. 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 includes its location, what it is composed of, the temperature range, and its density. The layer of very rare air above the mesosphere is called the thermosphere. 29. Such is the case for ozone-destroying chemicals called CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). The particles in the exosphere do not behave like gases. 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. The atmosphere has nearly 37.5 million billion gallons of water at any given time. Unlike the stratosphere, temperatures once again grow colder as you rise up through the mesosphere. The burning of fossil fuels discharges carbon dioxide, while agricultural developments deposit a lot of methane and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. The stratosphere is situated just above the troposphere, with a thin layer of air called the tropopause separating the two layers. OH is formed by the reaction of electrically excited oxygen atoms produced by ozone photolysis, with water vapor. 4 A.A. Scaife, J.R. Knight, G.K. Vallis, C.K. 8. Earth's atmosphere has a series of layers, each with its own specific traits. Stated another way, it allows the airliner to fly faster while maintaining lift equal to the weight of the plane. The jet stream flows near the border between the troposphere and the stratosphere. It occurs naturally in small (trace) amounts in the upper atmosphere (the stratosphere). Large volcanic eruptions and major meteorite impacts can fling aerosol particles up into the stratosphere where they may linger for months or years, sometimes altering Earth's global climate. Louise Fisher has taught middle school students introductory physics topics for two years. This layer of our atmosphere has its own set of layers. . - Facts, Layers & Population, The Changing Earth: Volcanoes, Weathering & Deposition, The Four Spheres of Earth: Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere, and Atmosphere, Interactions of Earth's Spheres: Purpose and Examples, Ionosphere: Definition, Facts, Temperature & Layers, Understanding Plate Tectonics: Tutoring Solution, Understanding Earthquakes: Tutoring Solution, Understanding Volcanoes: Tutoring Solution, Rock Deformation & Mountain Building: Tutoring Solution, Shaping the Earth's Surface: Tutoring Solution, Energy in the Earth System: Tutoring Solution, Earth's Energy Resources: Tutoring Solution, Earth's Material Resources: Tutoring Solution, Earth Science Investigation & Experimentation: Tutoring Solution, Environmental Science 101: Environment and Humanity, UExcel Pathophysiology: Study Guide & Test Prep, Stratosphere Lesson for Kids: Definition & Facts, What is Alginic Acid? Ozone layer lies about 19-32 km over the earths surface. [6] Winds in the stratosphere can far exceed those in the troposphere, reaching near 60m/s (220km/h; 130mph) in the Southern polar vortex. The oxygen atom product combines with atmospheric molecular oxygen to reform O3, releasing heat. Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive gas whose molecules are comprised of three oxygen atoms. Earths atmosphere has six layers: the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere, the thermosphere, the ionosphere, and the exosphere. Finally, chlorofluorocarbon molecules are photolysed in the stratosphere releasing chlorine atoms that react with ozone giving ClO and O2. They are a combination of supercooled water and nitric acid that develop at very low temperatures. The stratosphere is located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. Temperature decreases with height throughout the mesosphere. The stratosphere is a layer of Earths atmosphere. Autumn Skies Online Pty Ltd is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Composition of the Earth's atmosphere. These gases are chemically inert, although some can react with various chemicals: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, methane, ammonia, ozone, and water vapor. Because of this, the top of the thermosphere can be found anywhere between 500 and 1,000 km (311 to 621 miles) above the ground. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratosphere&oldid=1140010063, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 00:23. Layers of the atmosphere: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere . Ozone protects life on Earth from the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. 12. We live in one layer, called the troposphere, where the clouds and most of the water vapor reside. She currently works as a physicist assistant at a cancer treatment center. Stratosphere - The Stratosphere makes up around 25% of the total of Earth's atmosphere, and is home to more than 90% of our Earth's O-Zone layer. Because the temperature in the tropopause and lower stratosphere is largely constant with increasing altitude, very little convection and its resultant turbulence occurs there. No tracking or performance measurement cookies were served with this page. The stratosphere is one of the 5 layers of the atmosphere, situated above the troposphere and below the mesosphere at an altitude of 10 km (6 miles), extending to 50 km (30 miles). However, temperature increases with altitude in the stratosphere, which is opposite from the troposphere. Ice clouds form in this layer which is visible when lighted from beneath during sunset. #1. . This is just an estimate, however, as the lower and upper boundaries actually vary with the latitude of the earth. The rides, which are called The Big Shot, Insanity and X-Scream, are equally terrifying and exciting. The atmosphere is dense near the surface of the Earth and protects life on the planet Earth. 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. 3. Like an onion, the Earth's atmosphere is composed of many layers. Just like the troposphere, its depth varies with latitude. It surrounds our planet, keeps us warm, gives us oxygen to breathe, and it is where our weather happens. In comparison, the warmest in the thermosphere. In fact it is not easy to distinguish between space and not space because of the fact that the Earths atmosphere doesnt simply vanish; rather, it gradually becomes thinner and thinner over about 600 miles. Convection is when gasses cool down as they rise, allowing them to condense onto air particles and form clouds. Cred: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio 3. It also consists of a layer known as the ozone layer, a blanket of ozone that absorbs harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. This is due to gravity, but mostly due to the temperature inversion in the tropopause that prevents gases from entering the layer. That's much thicker than the inner layers of the atmosphere, but not nearly as thick as the exosphere. The top of the stratosphere occurs at an altitude of 50 km (31 miles). The water ice appears younger than we would expect. The amount of water vapour in the stratosphere is very low, and because of this there are no clouds in the stratosphere. This was based on temperature profiles from mostly unmanned and a few manned instrumented balloons. They are much similar to warm breath during cold weather. The atmosphere is one of four spheres of the earth, which include the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the biosphere, and the lithosphere. The stratosphere is one of five layers of the earth's atmosphere. The chlorine atoms are recycled when ClO reacts with O in the upper stratosphere, or when ClO reacts with itself in the chemistry of the Antarctic ozone hole. The presence of moisture in the atmosphere is He concluded that there was another layer in the atmosphere above the troposphere, which he called the stratosphere. There are little to no clouds in the stratosphere from the lack of convection. This part of the atmosphere is the most dense. He discovered this atmospheric layer by sending a weather balloon up and noticing that the temperature changes differently than it does in the troposphere. 90% of the ozone layer is found in the stratosphere's upper crust. The stratosphere the atmosphere's second layer, and is located right above the troposphere and right below the mesosphere. The stratosphere is the second layer of the Earth's atmosphere, and lies approximately 10km to 50km above the Earth's surface. Be grateful! Acidic rains destroy plants and animals, and if it reaches rivers and lakes, it destroys all the aquatic life. The resultant breaking causes large-scale mixing of air and other trace gases throughout the midlatitude surf zone. It keeps us warm, gives us oxygen to breathe, and it is where our weather happens. 11. 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. The stratosphere is located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. 27. The lower boundary of the stratosphere is called the tropopause; the upper boundary is called the stratopause. The lower boundary of the stratosphere can be as high as 20 km (12 miles or 65,000 feet) near the equator and as low as 7 km (4 miles or 23,000 feet) at the poles in winter. The stratosphere also has an increasing temperature with increasing altitude, which is different than what happens in the troposphere. Moreover, meteorites falling over the earth burn in this layer. The definition of the stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere, extending from about 6 miles to 30 miles, or 10km to 50km, above the Earth's surface. What's in the Atmosphere? Strat means layer. This layer separates the rest of the atmosphere from outer space. The exosphere gradually fades away into the realm of interplanetary space. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. 31. Earths atmosphere has six different layers. On November 29, 1973, a Rppell's vulture (Gyps rueppelli) was ingested into a jet engine 11,278m (37,000ft) above the Ivory Coast. Many satellites actually orbit Earth within the thermosphere! However, it is made up out of five different layers: The troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. Earths atmosphere is similar to a jacket for our planet. There are forms of biological bacteria living in the stratosphere. The temperatures at the different atmospheric layers differ depending on solar radiation, humidity, and altitude. 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. The next layer up is called the stratosphere. Near the equator, the lower edge of the stratosphere is as high as 20km (66,000ft; 12mi), at midlatitudes around 10km (33,000ft; 6.2mi), and at the poles about 7km (23,000ft; 4.3mi). Due to the characteristics of the stratosphere, it is a very important part of Earth's atmosphere.
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