We live in one layer, called the troposphere, where the clouds and most of the water vapor reside. [6], The mechanism describing the formation of the ozone layer was described by British mathematician Sydney Chapman in 1930. Its magnetic field goes up to 60,000 km into space. 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. Troposphere is the thinnest and closest layer to the earths surface. 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. What Causes Air Pollution? Starting at ground level, it extends upward to about 10 km (6.2 miles or about 33,000 feet) above sea level. Mercury's magnetic field is different at its poles. Stratosphere is the second layer. The stratosphere also traps certain gasses known as CFC's, which are chemicals derived from aerosol. The coldest temperatures in Earths atmosphere, about -90 C (-130 F), are found near the top of this layer. 16. Ozone layer (highest concentration of ozone in the atmosphere) The ozone layer is a thin layer of the stratosphere made of a gas called ozone. "Strat" means layer. The temperatures at the different atmospheric layers differ depending on solar radiation, humidity, and altitude. You might have seen planes leaving white condensation trails. Its depth also varies from 5.5 to 20 miles depending on latitude as well. It is the reason why the sky appears blue. One of the most surprising things about the stratosphere is not its characteristics but about what you find in this layer. 4. That's almost as wide as Earth itself. The stratosphere is the second layer of the Earth's atmosphere, and lies approximately 10km to 50km above the Earth's surface. The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere, which is composed of a total of five layers. As the altitude increases, the atmosphere diminishes which is the reason why the air pressure in the exosphere is shallow. It borders the troposphere below through a thin transitional space called the tropopause. 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. Current map of global winds and temperatures at the 10 hPa level. Just above that is the stratosphere, the area of the atmosphere where passenger airplanes and weather balloons fly. A Division ofAutumn Skies Online (Pty) Ltd Disclaimer Also, magnetic and south poles reverse at uneven intervals of hundreds of thousands of years. Ozone layer lies about 19-32 km over the earths surface. Almost all weather is in this region. 34. The troposphere is the lowest layer of our atmosphere. 2011 UCAR with portions adapted from Windows to the Universe ( 2009 NESTA). Be grateful! When the ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation, it actually causes another phenomenon that is used to identify different layers in the atmosphere. [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 . The stratosphere also has an increasing temperature with increasing altitude, which is different than what happens in the troposphere. 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]. It borders the mesosphere above through a thin transitional space called the stratopause. 18. Within no time, the vapor from the exhaust freezes and turns visible. [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. The stratosphere is a layer of Earths atmosphere. This breaking is caused due to a highly non-linear interaction between the vertically propagating planetary waves and the isolated high potential vorticity region known as the polar vortex. A good percentage of the earths population breathes contaminated air, primarily sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide emitted by industrial factories. Thislayerseparates the rest of the atmosphere from outer space. The Stratosphere also has three thrill rides at the top. It sets it apart from the other atmospheric layers by temperature rising instead of dropping as altitude increases, a process called temperature inversion. Because of this temperature stratification, there is little convection and mixing in the stratosphere, so the layers of air there are quite stable. Since blue light has short wavelengths, it gets reflected more compared to other colors. Most meteors burn up in the mesosphere. Though the atmosphere may appear uniform to the naked eye, it is actually similar to a layer cake. The troposphere, the lowest layer, is right below the stratosphere. Earth's atmosphere has a series of layers, each with its own specific traits. The ozone layer is very important, as it protects life on Earth from the majority of the UV rays emitted from the sun. Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive gas whose molecules are comprised of three oxygen atoms. It is located just above the troposphere, which is the first layer of the atmosphere closest to the ground. The atmosphere comprises five layers: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. Although it is situated above the upper reaches of conventional aircraft, scientists are still able to study it through the use of weather balloons, high-altitude aircraft, and also weather (sounding) rockets. Create an account to start this course today. Its upper edge has maximum ozone concentration, referred to as the ozone belt. [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. The stratosphere is where youll find the very important ozone 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 is called the stratopause, above which the temperature decreases with height. Moreover, meteorites falling over the earth burn in this layer. Its concentration in the atmosphere naturally fluctuates depending on seasons and latitudes, but it was . 17. While the stratosphere is dry, additional water vapor is produced in situ by the photochemical oxidation of methane (CH4). She currently works as a physicist assistant at a cancer treatment center. The atmosphere is about 500 km thick, with a mix of more than ten different gases. 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. It is possible to send research balloons into the stratosphere. Other gases that make up the remaining 0.1 percent include trace amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour, and neon. Mercury has an atmosphere that changes with its distance to the Sun. Unlike the troposphere, the stratosphere actually gets warmer the higher you go! It contains most of our Earth's water vapour, and is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. 9. The thinning is most pronounced in the polar regions, especially over Antarctica. 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. The air has a very low density that you get into the interplanetary space without a manifest limit. This results in an increase in temperature from about -76 degrees Fahrenheit to around 5 degrees Fahrenheit. This layer of Earth's atmosphere is about 319 miles (513 kilometers) thick. 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. Unlike the troposphere, it contains little water vapor so there are no clouds in this layer of the atmosphere. If you are interested in the complete structure and make-up of the atmosphere,this articlecovers all five atmospheric layers and their relation to each other in more detail. The stratosphere is one of five layers of the earth's atmosphere. The rapid photolysis and reformation of ozone heat the stratosphere, resulting in a temperature inversion. While common in the troposphere, very little convection takes place in the stratosphere. The stratosphere is a layer of Earth's atmosphere. A.A. Scaife, J.R. Knight, G.K. Vallis, C.K. ], While looking up at the sky on a cloud-free day, one will see what looks like a continuous piece of[], The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere, It extends from a height of approximately 10 km. They result from ionized particles from the sun striking the upper atmosphere above the poles. The layer made of layers Above the troposphere and below the mesosphere, we have the stratosphere. This vertical stratification, with warmer layers above and cooler layers below, makes the stratosphere dynamically stable: there is no regular convection and associated turbulence in this part of the atmosphere. She earned her bachelor's in Physics and Astronomy from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Moreover, it regulates the temperature extremes that are likely to occur between day and night. Also known as Nacreous Clouds, these unique clouds develop near the poles at an altitude of 15 - 25 kilometers (9 - 15 miles) during the winter months. Rainbow Facts: What Is A Rainbow And How Does It Occur? This is how certain gases become trapped in the stratosphere, like CFC's and ozone. Composed of mostly nitrogen and oxygen, the stratosphere also contains the ozone layer. Above the troposphere and below the mesosphere, we have the stratosphere. [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 stratosphere is located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. Variations in the amount of energy coming from the Sun exert a powerful influence on both the height of the top of this layer and the temperature within it. This creates a smoother ride for passengers, as there are few clouds or weather in the stratosphere. The image above illustrates the layers of Earth's atmosphere and their approximate distances from the Earth's surface. These elements react with toxic gases, salt, smoke, and volcanic ash. They are a combination of supercooled water and nitric acid that develop at very low temperatures. However, as you enter the stratosphere, the ozone gas absorbs the ultraviolet light entering the atmosphere from the sun. Due to the lack of vertical convection in the stratosphere, materials that get into the stratosphere can stay there for long times. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is produced by biological activity at the surface and is oxidised to NO in the stratosphere; the so-called NOx radical cycles also deplete stratospheric ozone. As a result, the air in the stratosphere is about 1000 times thinner in the stratosphere than at sea level in the troposphere. It is the only atmospheric layer where temperature inversion occurs and the region where the ozone layer is situated. As the ozone layer absorbs UV radiation, it causes the temperature in this layer to increase. . Along with the neutral upper atmosphere, the ionosphere forms the boundary between Earth's lower atmosphere where we live and breathe and the vacuum of space. Many satellites actually orbit Earth within the thermosphere! The stratosphere extends from from 4 -12 miles (6-20 km) above the Earth's surface to around 31 miles (50 km). Discover fun facts about the stratosphere and stratosphere characteristics. 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 ozone layer is too large a topic for this article, but you can read more about it in the following post.). 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. Its about 6,200 miles (10,000 kilometers) thick. [22][23], In 1902, Lon Teisserenc de Bort from France and Richard Assmann from Germany, in separate but coordinated publications and following years of observations, published the discovery of an isothermal layer at around 1114km, which is the base of the lower stratosphere. It not only examines what the stratosphere is but also looks at the characteristics or facts that define it. Acidic rains destroy plants and animals, and if it reaches rivers and lakes, it destroys all the aquatic life. In the stratosphere - 'strato' means layer and sphere is the shape of the earth. Sunlight is reflected in every direction by the gases present in the atmosphere. The coldest temperatures in Earth's atmosphere, about -90 C (-130 F), are found near the top of this layer. 25. Air pressure drops, and temperatures get colder, as you climb higher in the troposphere. As a result, air circulation is not as prevalent in this layer of the atmosphere, making it difficult for some gasses to escape. 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.