This part of the atmosphere is the most dense. In this region, the temperature increases with height. It extends from about 50 to 85 km (31 to 53 miles) above our planet. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Composed of mostly nitrogen and oxygen, the stratosphere also contains the ozone layer. 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. It surrounds the globe and protects it by absorbing the infrared rays from the sun. Heat is produced in the process of the formation of Ozone, and this heat is responsible for . Because of this, few clouds are found in this layer and almost all clouds occur in the lower, more humid troposphere. The stratosphere ends where it transitions to the mesosphere, around 50 kilometers above the earth. Polar Stratospheric Clouds develop in this layer near the poles at an altitude of 15 - 25 kilometers. Stratosphere | Encyclopedia.com On October 24, 2014, Alan Eustace became the record holder for reaching the altitude record for a manned balloon at 135,890ft (41,419m). PSCs are also called nacreous clouds. The exosphere is really, really big. 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. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Since the ozone layer absorbs UV rays from the sun, it heats up, which allows temperatures to increase as altitude increases. All rights reserved. The next higher layer above the stratosphere is the mesosphere. Blue jets are an extremely rare form of lightning or electrical discharge from clouds in the troposphere. We take a closer look at the stratosphere and its defining characteristics. Although humans would not be able to survive in the stratosphere due to thin air and frigid temperatures, there is life that can and does survive there. The stratosphere is a layer of Earth's atmosphere. 6. . She has taught in K-12 for more than 15 years, and higher education for ten years. The troposphere is the lowest layer of our atmosphere. Close to the tropopause, temperatures start at approximately -51 Celsius (-60 Fahrenheit) and continue to rise until reaching the stratopause, where temperatures reach -15 Celsius (5 Fahrenheit). Its magnetic field goes up to 60,000 km into space. Air density in this layer gradually decreases as you go higher. The troposphere, the lowest layer, is right below the stratosphere. They result from ionized particles from the sun striking the upper atmosphere above the poles. It is the second layer of the atmosphere as you go upward. Some researchers and even students have sent helium balloons with cameras to record the stratosphere. The timescale of this rapid mixing is much smaller than the much slower timescales of upwelling in the tropics and downwelling in the extratropics. Ozone is a blue pungent-smelling gas that helps to absorb the ultraviolet radiation in the sun rays. This is just an estimate, however, as the lower and upper boundaries actually vary with the latitude of the earth. The QBO induces a secondary circulation that is important for the global stratospheric transport of tracers, such as ozone[14] or water vapor. The stratosphere starts just above the troposphere and extends to 50 kilometers (31 miles) high. It comprises the magnetosphere and ionosphere. The stratosphere the atmosphere's second layer, and is located right above the troposphere and right below the mesosphere. They have been observed by airline pilots and the international space station. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stratosphere&oldid=1140010063, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 00:23. But its not the same everywhere. [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. This is the opposite of what happens in the troposphere, the layer of the atmosphere closest to Earth. It helps in propagation of the radio waves used in telecommunication. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer, which shields the Earth from harmful radiation emitted from the Sun. Instead, clouds condense in the troposphere. 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. [24], Seinfeld, J. H., and S. N.(2006), Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics: From Air Pollution to Climate Change 2nd ed, Wiley, New Jersey. Radicals produced from the homolytically split oxygen molecules combine with molecular oxygen to form ozone. All air entering the stratosphere must pass through the tropopause, the temperature minimum that divides the troposphere and stratosphere. The Earth's atmosphere is a mixture of several gases. While the troposphere is filled with a vast assortment of clouds thanks to a gas we know as water vapor, the stratosphere is a vast, clear blue sky. 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 surrounds our planet, keeps us warm, gives us oxygen to breathe, and it is where our weather happens. 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 occurs naturally in small (trace) amounts in the upper atmosphere (the stratosphere). What are 3 interesting facts about Mercury? Hare, J.R. Knight. There is no clear-cut upper boundary where the exosphere finally fades away into space. . The electrically charged atoms and molecules that are formed in this way are called ions, giving the ionosphere its name and endowing this region with some special properties. The stratosphere is composed primarily of nitrogen and oxygen. The greenhouse gases increase the effect making the earths surface to be warmer than usual. Commercial airliners fly in the lower stratosphere to avoid the weather, travel faster, and save fuel. [7] Molecular oxygen absorbs high energy sunlight in the UV-C region, at wavelengths shorter than about 240nm. These gases are found in layers (troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere) defined by unique features such as temperature and pressure. Interestingly, the most significant portion of the atmosphere is located within twelve kilometers of the earths surface. The holes in the ozone layer have been recorded above the Antarctica seasonally, as well as in other parts of the world. 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. Ionosphere plays a vital role in radio signals broadcast on the earths surface. Mercury has water ice and organics. Facts About Stratosphere - GKToday [18] When the vortex is strong, it keeps the cold, high-pressure air masses contained in the Arctic; when the vortex weakens, air masses move equatorward, and results in rapid changes of weather in the mid latitudes. 50 Interesting Facts About The Atmosphere - The Fact File This layer separates the rest of the atmosphere from outer space. Facts About Stratosphere Published: April 3, 2016 The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. 28. 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 resultant breaking causes large-scale mixing of air and other trace gases throughout the midlatitude surf zone. 12. 40 Unbelievable But True Troposphere Facts | Kidadl At Home Show All Free Coloring Pages Free Dot to Dot Printables Free Printable Stencils Funnies Trivia Birthdays Books Creative, Arts & Crafts The top of the stratosphere is called the stratopause, above which the temperature decreases with height. (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.). Acid rains form when nitrogen oxide or Sulphur dioxide combines with water vapor in the atmosphere. It extends upward to a height of about 85 km (53 miles) above our planet. The atmosphere is dense near the surface of the Earth and protects life on the planet Earth. The coldest temperatures in Earths atmosphere, about -90 C (-130 F), are found near the top of this layer. This allows the stratosphere to have an increasing temperature with altitude. Its depth also varies from 5.5 to 20 miles depending on latitude as well. 30. 5. [21] Bar-headed geese (Anser indicus) sometimes migrate over Mount Everest, whose summit is 8,848m (29,029ft). It borders the troposphere below through a thin transitional space called the tropopause. 3090 Center Green Drive, Boulder, CO 80301, Air pressure drops, and temperatures get colder, as you climb higher in the troposphere, ACOM | Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling, CISL | Computational & Information Systems, EdEC | Education, Engagement & Early-Career Development, Government Relations & External Engagement. Life as we know it wouldnt be possible without this layer of protection. However, the air in this layer is so thin that it would feel freezing cold to us! The stratosphere is where youll find the very important ozone layer. Earths atmosphere has six layers: the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere, the thermosphere, the ionosphere, and the exosphere. They shoot upwards through the stratosphere in a blue column to altitudes as high as 50km! Earth's atmosphere is a jacket of gases that surrounds our planet. Stratosphere | NASA Space Place - NASA Science for Kids 7. This layer of our atmosphere has its own set of layers. Geomagnetic solar storms caused by solar flares or solar winds can disrupt activities in the ionosphere, causing difficulty in transmitting radio signals and global positioning system signals. The atmosphere is one of four spheres of the earth, which include the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the biosphere, and the lithosphere. 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 HO2 radical produced by the reaction of OH with O3 is recycled to OH by reaction with oxygen atoms or ozone. It acts as a giant sponge and absorbs the vast majority of the sun's dangerous Ultraviolet Light. Though the atmosphere may appear uniform to the naked eye, it is actually similar to a layer cake. Above the stratosphere lies the mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. 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 the 1900s, Hungarian physicist Theodore von Krmn determined the boundary to be around 50 miles up, or roughly 80 kilometers above sea level. Acidic rains destroy plants and animals, and if it reaches rivers and lakes, it destroys all the aquatic life. It extends above the tropopause to an altitude of 50 km above the earth. The air has a very low density that you get into the interplanetary space without a manifest limit. Air is roughly a thousand times thinner at the top of the stratosphere than it is at sea level. In comparison, the warmest in the thermosphere. This layer holds 19 percent of the atmosphere's gases but very little water vapor. Cred: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio 3. 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). These gases are chemically inert, although some can react with various chemicals: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, methane, ammonia, ozone, and water vapor. The other four layers include the troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. He concluded that there was another layer in the atmosphere above the troposphere, which he called the stratosphere. The temperatures decrease by 6.5 degrees Celsius each kilometer, reaching -55 degrees Celsius at the top limit of the troposphere, commonly known as the tropopause. Create your account. It is seen in high latitude areas as shimmering curtains of lights that are visible at night. However, exceptionally energetic convection processes, such as volcanic eruption columns and overshooting tops in severe supercell thunderstorms, may carry convection into the stratosphere on a very local and temporary basis. We live in one layer, called the troposphere, where the clouds and most of the water vapor reside. Earths atmosphere is similar to a jacket for our planet. She earned her bachelor's in Physics and Astronomy from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. 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 wind, which is the air current, is generated when the hot air rises and gets replaced by colder air. In this article, we are going to learn about the atmosphere. 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. Stratosphere Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster The stratosphere the atmosphere's second layer, and is located right above the troposphere and right below the mesosphere. Facts About The Stratosphere: What It Is And Its Defining Characteristics It is like a giant magnet and retains high-energy particles, thereby protecting the earth. The stratosphere extends from from 4 -12 miles (6-20 km) above the Earth's surface to around 31 miles (50 km). Sunlight is reflected in every direction by the gases present in the atmosphere. But there are no mountains high enough to reach the stratosphere, so you dont have to worry about that. [6], The mechanism describing the formation of the ozone layer was described by British mathematician Sydney Chapman in 1930. N.Butchart, A.A. Scaife, J. Austin, S.H.E. However, temperature increases with altitude in the stratosphere, which is opposite from the troposphere. Ozone molecules in this layer absorb high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun, converting the UV energy into heat. Privacy Policy Of all the atmospheric layers, this is the most closest to the Earth. They are a combination of supercooled water and nitric acid that develop at very low temperatures. Troposphere. That trend of rising temperatures with altitude means that air in the stratosphere lacks the turbulence and updrafts of the troposphere beneath. Clouds form when water vapor condenses into a liquid, and with very little water, vapor condensation is virtually impossible. This is exactly the opposite of the behavior in the troposphere in which we live, where temperatures drop with increasing altitude. Each year, this large amount of water is recycled about 40 times. 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. Due to the characteristics of the stratosphere, it is a very important part of Earth's atmosphere. 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. Atmosphere facts: ninety-nine percent of the gases that compose the atmosphere are located below a height of 32 km (20 miles). Ozone protects life on Earth from the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In fact, the air in the exosphere is constantly - though very gradually - "leaking" out of Earth's atmosphere into outer space. - Structure, Solubility & Products, Arrow Pushing Mechanism in Organic Chemistry, Topicity in Stereochemistry: Relationships & Examples, Antarafacial & Suprafacial Relationships in Organic Chemistry, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. It is the second layer of the atmosphere as you go upward. It is the reason why the sky appears blue. Be grateful! Interesting Facts About Mercury. Earth's atmosphere has a series of layers, each with its own specific traits. The Stratosphere | Center for Science Education However, the distance of 100 kms from the earths surface is what is considered generally as an imaginary boundary. The atmosphere comprises five layers: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. You might have seen planes leaving white condensation trails. The stratosphere is the second layer in the Earth's atmosphere. Many satellites actually orbit Earth within the thermosphere! The waves and tides influence the flows of air in the stratosphere and can also cause regional heating of this layer of the atmosphere. Like the other atmospheric layers, it does not have a fixed height but starts at an altitude of approximately 10 km(6 miles), extending up to a height of roughly 50 km(30 miles). Moreover, it regulates the temperature extremes that are likely to occur between day and night. Within no time, the vapor from the exhaust freezes and turns visible. 25. A Division ofAutumn Skies Online (Pty) Ltd Disclaimer Strat means layer.
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