Earth is a great planet to live on because it has a wonderful atmosphere around it. . Almost all weather is in this region. The atmosphere is one of four spheres of the earth, which include the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the biosphere, and the lithosphere. Acidic rains destroy plants and animals, and if it reaches rivers and lakes, it destroys all the aquatic life. Convection is when gasses cool down as they rise, allowing them to condense onto air particles and form clouds. Unlike the stratosphere, temperatures once again grow colder as you rise up through the mesosphere. The waves and tides influence the flows of air in the stratosphere and can also cause regional heating of this layer of the atmosphere. 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. Facts About The Mesosphere What It Is And Its Defining Characteristics, The 5 Layers Of The Atmosphere Their Composition, Characteristics, And Importance Explained, Fallstreak Holes: What They Are And How They Form, Bubble Clouds: Defining Mammatus Clouds And How They Form, Noctilucent Clouds: Defining Night Shining Clouds And How They Form. For years, CFCs - a chemical used in aerosols - were transported the stratosphere via convection and became trapped there. The mesosphere is a layer of Earth's atmosphere. As a result, it tends to trap any and all gases that enter this region of the atmosphere. It keeps us warm, gives us oxygen to breathe, and it is where our weather happens. 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. Ozone layer facts and information - Environment Planting trees is one of the efforts that people have done to try to minimize damage and to help rebuild the damaged ozone layer. The stratosphere was discovered in 1900 by French meteorologist Lon Teisserenc de Bort. If you do your calculations, each water vapor particle spends approximately nine days in the atmosphere. They are far much apart from that they can move thousands of kilometers without colliding. 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. Above the stratosphere lies the mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. Stratospheric circulation is a predominantly wave-driven circulation in that the tropical upwelling is induced by the wave force by the westward propagating Rossby waves, in a phenomenon called Rossby-wave pumping. One wild characteristic of the stratosphere is a phenomenon that occurs, which is known as blue jets. It is the second layer of the atmosphere as you go upward. Theexosphereis really, really big. The stratosphere is one of five layers of the atmosphere. ], 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. The stratosphere is a very interesting layer in Earth's atmosphere, as there are many fun stratosphere facts outside of its primary characteristics that make it unique. Stated another way, it allows the airliner to fly faster while maintaining lift equal to the weight of the plane. It is in the thermosphere that the space shuttle flew. Gases and dust from volcanic eruptions often meet the same fate, remaining trapped in the stratosphere for months or even longer. "Strat" means layer. Rocket launches inject exhaust gases into the stratosphere, producing uncertain consequences. Earth's atmosphere is composed of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and one percent other gases. They shoot upwards through the stratosphere in a blue column to altitudes as high as 50km! On top of that, air samples from this altitude have shown that certain types of bacteria and microbes are present in the stratosphere, making it the closest to space and furthest from the Earth's surface that humans have found life naturally living. Due to the characteristics of the stratosphere, it is a very important part of Earth's atmosphere. . The stratosphere is one of five layers of the earth's atmosphere. Atmosphere | NASA Climate Kids Above the stratosphere is the mesosphere. Temperature decreases with height throughout the mesosphere. In this article, we are going to learn about the atmosphere. The word 'stratosphere' is derived from the word 'strato' meaning layer, and 'sphere' which is earth's shape. The ozone layer, which absorbs and scatters the . 11. The atmospheric gases must retain the heat in the sun rays and reflect them to the earth to keep it warm. The layer of very rare air above the mesosphere is called the thermosphere. Skin cancer frequency is increasing due to the thinning of the ozone layer. This layer holds 19 percent of the atmosphere's gases but very little water vapor. They are much similar to warm breath during cold weather. 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. Moving upward from ground level, these layers are called the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. Temperatures in the upper thermosphere can range from about 500 C (932 F) to 2,000 C (3,632 F) or higher. They are a combination of supercooled water and nitric acid that develop at very low temperatures. There is no clear-cut upper boundary where the exosphere finally fades away into space. The lack of particles in the air causes less friction to hold an aircraft back, which requires less power to travel faster and further. The site owner may have set restrictions that prevent you from accessing the site. 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. The stratosphere (/strtsfr, -to-/) is the second layer of the atmosphere of the Earth, located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. A two-step reactive mechanism produces ozone in the stratosphere naturally. Sunlight is reflected in every direction by the gases present in the atmosphere. Nasa Ozone Watch: Ozone facts 26. 50 Interesting Facts About The Atmosphere - Page 2 of 3 - The Fact File The coldest temperatures in Earths atmosphere, about -90 C (-130 F), are found near the top of this layer. Layers of the atmosphere: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere. 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. Also, magnetic and south poles reverse at uneven intervals of hundreds of thousands of years. Ionization takes place in the ionosphere caused by the suns radiation. Ozone protects life on Earth from the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Clouds form due to convection, which is uncommon in the stratosphere. Blue jets are an extremely rare form of lightning or electrical discharge from clouds in the troposphere. What are the characteristics of the five layers of the atmosphere? Atmosphere Atmosphere and Its Layers 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. Dr. Rachel Tustin has a PhD in Education focusing on Educational Technology, a Masters in English, and a BS in Marine Science. [7] Molecular oxygen absorbs high energy sunlight in the UV-C region, at wavelengths shorter than about 240nm. Above the troposphere and below the mesosphere, we have the stratosphere. This part of the atmosphere is the most dense. These distances vary slightly due to elevation changes on the Earth. The ozone layer is situated within this layer. 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). As you go up, it becomes colder. 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. Airplanes fly in the stratosphere to avoid turbulence. 10 Things to Know About the Ionosphere - NASA Solar System Exploration The atmosphere is a layer of gases retained by gravity on the earth. It has a very important job: to protect us from harmful energy from the Sun, called radiation. Stratosphere Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster It lies above the troposphere, the layer closest to Earth, and below the mesosphere. Stratosphere - Wikipedia [20], Some bird species have been reported to fly at the upper levels of the troposphere. There are little to no clouds in the stratosphere from the lack of convection. Its upper edge has maximum ozone concentration, referred to as the ozone belt. 14. As the altitude increases, the atmosphere diminishes which is the reason why the air pressure in the exosphere is shallow. The stratosphere also has an increasing temperature with increasing altitude, which is different than what happens in the troposphere. Thats the opposite of how the layers work in the troposphere, where we live. [4] The temperature inversion is in contrast to the troposphere, near the Earth's surface, where temperature decreases with altitude. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. . Polar Stratospheric Clouds develop in this layer near the poles at an altitude of 15 - 25 kilometers. The stratosphere is where youll find the very important ozone layer. Endeavoring to achieve professional growth through ongoing development of skills and using new and accepted methods of . Earths atmosphere has six different layers. Earth's Atmospheric Layers | NASA 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. 21. [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. It extends from about 50 to 85 km (31 to 53 miles) above our planet. All air entering the stratosphere must pass through the tropopause, the temperature minimum that divides the troposphere and stratosphere. The stratosphere is one of five layers of the earth's atmosphere. 2011 UCAR with portions adapted from Windows to the Universe ( 2009 NESTA). Fun Stratosphere Facts for Kids. The rapid photolysis and reformation of ozone heat the stratosphere, resulting in a temperature inversion. 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 - This is the second layer of the atmosphere from the surface of the earth, and lies between the troposphere and the mesosphere. Starting at ground level, it extends upward to about 10 km (6.2 miles or about 33,000 feet) above sea level. Within the stratosphere temperatures increase with altitude (see temperature inversion); the top of the stratosphere has a temperature of about 270 K (3C or 26.6F).[8]. Strat means layer. Without the stratosphere, life on Earth would be much different, if not non-existent. It is called stratosphere because it is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. It helps in propagation of the radio waves used in telecommunication. 16. Within no time, the vapor from the exhaust freezes and turns visible. 33. The atmosphere has nearly 37.5 million billion gallons of water at any given time. Ozone molecules in this layer absorb high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun, converting the UV energy into heat. These free-moving elements continuously escape into space due to ballistic trajectories. Because of this, jet aircraft and weather balloons reach their maximum operational altitudes within the stratosphere. The stratosphere the atmosphere's second layer, and is located right above the troposphere and right below the mesosphere. The jet stream flows near the border between the troposphere and the stratosphere. "Strat" means layer. 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. 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. Meteors burn up in the coldest layer, the mesosphere. It surrounds our planet, keeps us warm, gives us oxygen to breathe, and it is where our weather happens. Layers of Earth's Atmosphere | Center for Science Education 7. 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.
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