CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Solar ultraviolet radiation (sunlight) separates an oxygen molecule into two different oxygen atoms in the first step. Moreover, meteorites falling over the earth burn in this layer. Clouds rarely form in the stratosphere for this reason as well, as the air is very dry. [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. It extends from about 50 to 85 km (31 to 53 miles) above our planet. PSCs appear in the lower stratosphere near the poles in winter. Since the ozone layer absorbs UV rays from the sun, it heats up, which allows temperatures to increase as altitude increases. 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. Louise Fisher has taught middle school students introductory physics topics for two years. Stratosphere | atmospheric region | Britannica Dr. Rachel Tustin has a PhD in Education focusing on Educational Technology, a Masters in English, and a BS in Marine Science. 14. Stratosphere - Definition, Functions & Characteristics with Videos - BYJUS That means that to get to outer space, you have to be really far from Earth. Moving upward from ground level, these layers are called the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. Composed of mostly nitrogen and oxygen, the stratosphere also contains the ozone layer. 4. The ozone layer, which absorbs and scatters the . Thats the opposite of how the layers work in the troposphere, where we live. A single chlorine atom can destroy more than a hundred thousand ozone molecules. As you go up, it becomes colder. Air circulation within the stratosphere is dominated by the Brewer-Dobson Circulation, which is a single-celled air movement that stretches from the Poles to the Equator. The latter value is about halfway to the Moon! The ozone layer helps protect us from ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun. The infamous ozone layer is found within the stratosphere. The wind, which is the air current, is generated when the hot air rises and gets replaced by colder air. Mercury has water ice and organics. (The ozone layer is too large a topic for this article, but you can read more about it in the following post.). The Earth's atmosphere is a mixture of several gases. It is also roughly 35 kilometers (22 miles) thick. [4] The temperature inversion is in contrast to the troposphere, near the Earth's surface, where temperature decreases with altitude. Although some experts consider the thermosphere to be the uppermost layer of our atmosphere, others consider the exosphere to be the actual "final frontier" of Earth's gaseous envelope. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. The stratosphere extends from from 4 -12 miles (6-20 km) above the Earth's surface to around 31 miles (50 km). 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. 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. Just above that is the stratosphere, the area of the atmosphere where passenger airplanes and weather balloons fly. Discover fun facts about the stratosphere and stratosphere characteristics. Current map of global winds and temperatures at the 10 hPa level. Thislayerseparates the rest of the atmosphere from outer space. Facts About Stratosphere - GKToday However, as you enter the stratosphere, the ozone gas absorbs the ultraviolet light entering the atmosphere from the sun. She earned her bachelor's in Physics and Astronomy from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. As this article clearly illustrated, the stratosphere has a crucial role to play in maintaining the atmosphere and all life in it. The rapid photolysis and reformation of ozone heat the stratosphere, resulting in a temperature inversion. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. In the 1900s, Hungarian physicist Theodore von Krmn determined the boundary to be around 50 miles up, or roughly 80 kilometers above sea level. In fact, the ozone layer absorbs most of the UV radiation the sun sends to us. The Stratosphere also has three thrill rides at the top. It is located just above the troposphere, which is the first layer of the atmosphere closest to the ground. Mercury has an atmosphere that changes with its distance to the Sun. The atmospheric balance is jeopardized by human activities that cause global warming, greenhouse effect, ozone belt destruction, air contamination, and acid rains. Ozone layer | Description, Importance, & Facts | Britannica Because of this, few clouds are found in this layer and almost all clouds occur in the lower, more humid troposphere. The stratosphere is the second layer of the Earth's atmosphere, laying just above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. The stratosphere begins at around 10 kilometers above the surface of the earth. 25. It extends above the tropopause to an altitude of 50 km above the earth. Providing an environment conducive to good instruction and motivation in which there is an atmosphere of self-motivation and self-discipline in the areas of personal development, character, and academic integrity. The composition of the atmosphere of each celestial body is different. Why Is Carbon Important? This is how certain gases become trapped in the stratosphere, like CFC's and ozone. The rising air is literally freeze dried; the stratosphere is a very dry place. This layer of our atmosphere has its own set of layers. The ionosphere stretches roughly 50 to 400 miles above Earth's surface, right at the edge of space. The stratosphere is a layer of Earths atmosphere. Polar Stratospheric Clouds develop in this layer near the poles at an altitude of 15 - 25 kilometers. 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. It's about 6,200 miles (10,000 kilometers) thick. This layer of our atmosphere has its own set of layers. Rainbow Facts: What Is A Rainbow And How Does It Occur? Three Highest Thrill Rides in the World. At an altitude of 100 km above sea level, a border represents the separation between the atmosphere and outer space. Meteorological phenomena are limited to the troposphere since they result from the earths rotation and suns radiation on the atmosphere. Troposphere is the thinnest and closest layer to the earths surface. Unlike the stratosphere, temperatures once again grow colder as you rise up through the mesosphere. The temperatures in the ozone belt are higher than in the troposphere since the ozone absorbs the ultraviolet rays. 6. What's in the Atmosphere? | NASA Climate Kids If you do your calculations, each water vapor particle spends approximately nine days in the atmosphere. The troposphere is the lowest layer of our atmosphere. Convection is when gasses cool down as they rise, allowing them to condense onto air particles and form clouds. At the top of the stratosphere, the density of the air is close to zero. The air in the stratosphere is about 1000 thinner than the air at sea level in the troposphere. The shiny blue marble continues to fascinate us since the time we began walking across its surfaces. The stratosphere is where youll find the very important ozone layer. When the ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation, it actually causes another phenomenon that is used to identify different layers in the atmosphere. This is due to gravity, but mostly due to the temperature inversion in the tropopause that prevents gases from entering the layer. Stratosphere. It keeps us warm, gives us oxygen to breathe, and it is where our weather happens. It occurs naturally in small (trace) amounts in the upper atmosphere (the stratosphere). The lower boundary of the stratosphere is called the tropopause; the upper boundary is called the stratopause. What are the characteristics of the five layers of the atmosphere? 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 troposphere is where we breath in and is also referred to as the lower atmosphere. All air entering the stratosphere must pass through the tropopause, the temperature minimum that divides the troposphere and stratosphere. Because the temperature in the tropopause and lower stratosphere is largely constant with increasing altitude, very little convection and its resultant turbulence occurs there. The water exists in the form of vapor and invisible to plain eyes. The air has a very low density that you get into the interplanetary space without a manifest limit. The word 'stratosphere' is derived from the word 'strato' meaning layer, and 'sphere' which is earth's shape. Sunlight is reflected in every direction by the gases present in the atmosphere. The troposphere, the lowest layer, is right below the stratosphere. It borders the troposphere below through a thin transitional space called the tropopause. But there are no mountains high enough to reach the stratosphere, so you dont have to worry about that. 34. She currently works as a physicist assistant at a cancer treatment center. 29. That's almost as wide as Earth itself. 3 It borders the stratosphere below through a thin transitional space called the stratopause. Certain birds will even fly in the stratosphere, including swans, cranes, and vultures! Air density in this layer gradually decreases as you go higher. The height of the bottom of the stratosphere varies with latitude and with the seasons. Interestingly, the most significant portion of the atmosphere is located within twelve kilometers of the earths surface. . Hare, J.R. Knight. 22. Thermosphere | NASA Space Place - NASA Science for Kids As a result, air circulation is not as prevalent in this layer of the atmosphere, making it difficult for some gasses to escape. The stratosphere is a region of intense interactions among radiative, dynamical, and chemical processes, in which the horizontal mixing of gaseous components proceeds much more rapidly than does vertical mixing. This list does not contain all the data available about the stratosphere but highlights the key facts and characteristics of this layer. Life as we know it wouldnt be possible without this layer of protection. The ozone layer is a layer of gas within the stratosphere that protects the Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet sun rays. Despite Mercury's weak magnetic field, it behaves similarly to Earth's. 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. [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. Stated another way, it allows the airliner to fly faster while maintaining lift equal to the weight of the plane. 50 Interesting Facts About The Atmosphere - Page 2 of 3 - The Fact File 32. 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). They are a combination of supercooled water and nitric acid that develop at very low temperatures. This layer separates the rest of the atmosphere from outer space. 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. (The fuel consumption depends on the drag, which is related to the lift by the lift-to-drag ratio.) 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. She has taught in K-12 for more than 15 years, and higher education for ten years. The image above illustrates the layers of Earth's atmosphere and their approximate distances from the Earth's surface. The stratosphere is one of five layers of the atmosphere. It is the only layer of the atmosphere where temperature inversion occurs. The ozone layer helps protect us from ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun. Temperature decreases with height throughout the mesosphere. Air density is the lowest, and its temperature can increase up to 1500 degrees Celsius. The stratospheric air is extremely thin and dry since the vast majority of atmospheric gases (and weather activity) are limited to the troposphere. Commercial jet aircraft fly in the lower stratosphere to avoid the turbulence which is common in the troposphere below. (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.). 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. The stratosphere is a layer of Earth's atmosphere. Luckily the situation has improved since the ban of chlorofluorocarbon. There is no clear-cut upper boundary where the exosphere finally fades away into space. This diagram shows some of the features of the stratosphere. This layer holds 19 percent of the atmosphere's gases but very little water vapor. The aurora, the Northern Lights and Southern Lights, occur in the thermosphere. An interesting feature of stratospheric circulation is the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in the tropical latitudes, which is driven by gravity waves that are convectively generated in the troposphere. This includes the troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere, and stratosphere. What Causes Air Pollution? It is like a giant magnet and retains high-energy particles, thereby protecting the earth. [19] In 2001, dust was collected at a height of 41 kilometres in a high-altitude balloon experiment and was found to contain bacterial material when examined later in the laboratory. The stratosphere (/strtsfr, -to-/) is the second layer of the atmosphere of the Earth, located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. 8. The next higher layer above the stratosphere is the mesosphere. The stratosphere is very cold, ranging in temperatures from negative 68F to negative 5F. The exosphere gradually fades away into the realm of interplanetary space. Brewer-Dobson Circulation occurs in the stratosphere. 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. Autumn Skies Online Pty Ltd also participates in affiliate programs with Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and other sites. The timescale of this rapid mixing is much smaller than the much slower timescales of upwelling in the tropics and downwelling in the extratropics. It is the second layer of the atmosphere as you go upward. What are the characteristics of stratosphere? It is called stratosphere because it is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. Convection is the process whereby warm air rises and cooler air descends. We humans live in the troposphere, and nearly all weather occurs in this lowest layer. Facts About The Exosphere: The Outermost Layer Of The Atmosphere. 77 Exciting Facts about the Atmosphere - LovePsychologys That's the opposite of how the . Ozone molecules in this layer absorb high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun, converting the UV energy into heat. The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere, which is composed of a total of five layers. 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. This is the opposite of what happens in the troposphere, the layer of the atmosphere closest to Earth. Stratosphere | NASA Space Place - NASA Science for Kids As a result of the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Exosphere | NASA Space Place - NASA Science for Kids These elements react with toxic gases, salt, smoke, and volcanic ash. Scientists have been warning people for many years about the damage we are doing to the ozone layer. From space, the earth is seen as a blue halo. All rights reserved. Stratosphere is the second layer. Endeavoring to achieve professional growth through ongoing development of skills and using new and accepted methods of . It is the only atmospheric layer where temperature inversion occurs and the region where the ozone layer is situated. The stratosphere starts just above the troposphere and extends to 50 kilometers (31 miles) high. (Learn more about Nacreous or Polar Stratospheric Clouds in this article.). Above the troposphere and below the mesosphere, we have the stratosphere. Because of this temperature stratification, there is little convection and mixing in the stratosphere, so the layers of air there are quite stable. Acidic rains destroy plants and animals, and if it reaches rivers and lakes, it destroys all the aquatic life. It is the highest layer. It is the reason why the sky appears blue. The ozone layer is very important, as it protects life on Earth from the majority of the UV rays emitted from the sun.
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