Without it, the earths surface would be so cold that living here would not be possible. The stratosphere protects Earth life from extremely harmful UV rays from the sun. 3090 Center Green Drive, Boulder, CO 80301, Virtual Ballooning to Explore the Atmosphere, ACOM | Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling, CISL | Computational & Information Systems, EdEC | Education, Engagement & Early-Career Development, Government Relations & External Engagement. Exosphere | NASA Space Place - NASA Science for Kids 8. Earth's atmosphere is a jacket of gases that surrounds our planet. Here are 50 Interesting facts about the atmosphere that you probably didnt know. Hare, J.R. Knight. Troposphere - The lowest level of our atmosphere is called the Troposphere. This layer of Earth's atmosphere is about 319 miles (513 kilometers) thick. The layer made of layers. This creates a smoother ride for passengers, as there are few clouds or weather in the stratosphere. Ozone layer lies about 19-32 km over the earths surface. (Learn more about Nacreous or Polar Stratospheric Clouds in this article.). Commercial jet aircraft fly in the lower stratosphere to avoid the turbulence which is common in the troposphere below. The stratosphere is one of five layers of the earth's atmosphere. The stratosphere ends where it transitions to the mesosphere, around 50 kilometers above the earth. PSCs appear in the lower stratosphere near the poles in winter. Solar ultraviolet radiation (sunlight) separates an oxygen molecule into two different oxygen atoms in the first step. 24. Mercury's magnetic field is different at its poles. This layer holds 19 percent of the atmosphere's gases but very little water vapor. 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. The stratosphere is composed primarily of nitrogen and oxygen. The stratosphere is one of five layers of the atmosphere. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. The atmosphere gradually changes as the climate and weather change. The atmosphere has nearly 37.5 million billion gallons of water at any given time. These free-moving elements continuously escape into space due to ballistic trajectories. The atmosphere consists of five distinct layers, with the stratosphere being the second, situated just above the troposphere. Create your account. . The troposphere starts at the Earth's surface and extends 8 to 14.5 kilometers high (5 to 9 miles). Exosphere widely contains particles of helium and hydrogen. 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. In comparison, the warmest in the thermosphere. The stratosphere begins at around 10 kilometers above the surface of the earth. While common in the troposphere, very little convection takes place in the stratosphere. In the 1900s, Hungarian physicist Theodore von Krmn determined the boundary to be around 50 miles up, or roughly 80 kilometers above sea level. Stratopause is the connection between the mesosphere 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. That trend of rising temperatures with altitude means that air in the stratosphere lacks the turbulence and updrafts of the troposphere beneath. Between the troposphere and stratosphere is the tropopause border that demarcates the beginning of the temperature inversion. The ozone layer helps protect us from ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun. 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. As previously mentioned, the stratosphere is one of the five layers that make up the Earth's atmosphere. The stratosphere was discovered in 1900 by French meteorologist Lon Teisserenc de Bort. 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. 2023 TheFactFile.Org. So, what does the stratosphere do? The atmosphere is a layer of gases retained by gravity on the earth. This article focus on the stratosphere, Earth's second layer. The stratospheric air is extremely thin and dry since the vast majority of atmospheric gases (and weather activity) are limited to the troposphere. 28. Earth's atmosphere is similar to a jacket for our planet. This site is owned and operated by Autumn Skies Online Pty Ltd, a limited liability company headquartered in Somerset West, South Africa. It has increased the number of respiratory conditions such as asthma. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. At the top of the stratosphere, the density of the air is close to zero. It sets it apart from the other atmospheric layers by temperature rising instead of dropping as altitude increases, a process called temperature inversion. Just above that is the stratosphere, the area of the atmosphere where passenger airplanes and weather balloons fly. If you do your calculations, each water vapor particle spends approximately nine days in the atmosphere. Rainbow Facts: What Is A Rainbow And How Does It Occur? This includes its location, what it is composed of, the temperature range, and its density. The troposphere is the lowest layer of our atmosphere. [24], Seinfeld, J. H., and S. N.(2006), Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics: From Air Pollution to Climate Change 2nd ed, Wiley, New Jersey. The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere. Luckily the situation has improved since the ban of chlorofluorocarbon. The atmosphere comprises five layers: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. Commercial airliners typically cruise at altitudes of 912km (30,00039,000ft) which is in the lower reaches of the stratosphere in temperate latitudes. As you might imagine, the "air" in the exosphere is very, very, very thin, making this layer even more space-like than the thermosphere. This was based on temperature profiles from mostly unmanned and a few manned instrumented balloons. This allows the stratosphere to have an increasing temperature with altitude. The ozone layer is very important, as it protects life on Earth from the majority of the UV rays emitted from the sun. Temperature increases with height until the estimated top of the thermosphere at 500 km. Temperature decreases with height throughout the mesosphere. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Facts About The Mesosphere - What It Is And Its Defining Characteristics The composition of the atmosphere of each celestial body is different. Interesting Facts About Mercury. 50 Interesting Facts About The Atmosphere - The Fact File The stratosphere has many defining features that make it a unique part of the atmosphere. Convection is when gasses cool down as they rise, allowing them to condense onto air particles and form clouds. The particles in the exosphere do not behave like gases. Aurora is also referred to as polar light. This border is known as the Karman line. Be grateful! It starts to glow, and the rocks begin to fly off. Other gases such as carbon dioxide, argon, helium, and neon occupy the remaining portion. They shoot upwards through the stratosphere in a blue column to altitudes as high as 50km! Stratosphere Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Most of the clouds form in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. However, temperature increases with altitude in the stratosphere, which is opposite from the troposphere. 10. The height of the bottom of the stratosphere varies with latitude and with the seasons. 21. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The stratosphere is a layer of Earths atmosphere. The mesosphere is directly above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. 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. Stratosphere. 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. This is the opposite of what happens in the troposphere, where an increasing altitude yields a decrease in temperature. Above the stratosphere is the mesosphere. This layer of our atmosphere has its own set of layers. Atmosphere | NASA Climate Kids The next higher layer above the stratosphere is the mesosphere. Above the stratosphere lies the mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. [6] Winds in the stratosphere can far exceed those in the troposphere, reaching near 60m/s (220km/h; 130mph) in the Southern polar vortex. It is the second layer of the atmosphere as you go upward. It borders the troposphere below through a thin transitional space called the tropopause. Thermosphere | NASA Space Place - NASA Science for Kids For this reason, humans would not be able to survive at this altitude without being inside of a plane, rocket, or some type of enclosed environment where air density can be regulated. Due to the characteristics of the stratosphere, it is a very important part of Earth's atmosphere. These troposphere facts are going to make you see the air around you in a very different light and help you learn more about how we live and breathe. Planting trees is one of the efforts that people have done to try to minimize damage and to help rebuild the damaged ozone layer. PSCs are also called nacreous clouds. During northern hemispheric winters, sudden stratospheric warmings, caused by the absorption of Rossby waves in the stratosphere, can be observed in approximately half of winters when easterly winds develop in the stratosphere. Stratosphere Facts, Characteristics & Composition | What is the There are some species of birds capable of flying in the stratosphere. 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. Earth's atmosphere has six layers: the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere, the thermosphere, the ionosphere, and the exosphere. 4. It is seen in high latitude areas as shimmering curtains of lights that are visible at night. They are far much apart from that they can move thousands of kilometers without colliding. When the ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation, it actually causes another phenomenon that is used to identify different layers in the atmosphere. Facts About the Atmosphere - Overview, Benefits and Its Layers It is located just above the troposphere, which is the first layer of the atmosphere closest to the ground. Ninety-nine percent of the gases that compose the atmosphere are located below a height of 32 km (20 miles). 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. Stratosphere | atmospheric region | Britannica The atmosphere comprises five layers: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. Moving upward from ground level, these layers are called the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. The thermosphere is home to the International Space Station as it orbits Earth. [7] Molecular oxygen absorbs high energy sunlight in the UV-C region, at wavelengths shorter than about 240nm. [12] Eustace also broke the world records for vertical speed skydiving, reached with a peak velocity of 1,321km/h (822mph) and total freefall distance of 123,414ft (37,617m) lasting four minutes and 27 seconds.[13]. Starting at ground level, it extends upward to about 10 km (6.2 miles or about 33,000 feet) above sea level. Nasa Ozone Watch: Ozone facts Above the troposphere and below the mesosphere, we have the stratosphere. Since the stratosphere has increasing temperature with elevation, convection is very rare. Troposphere. 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. For years, CFCs - a chemical used in aerosols - were transported the stratosphere via convection and became trapped there. As a result, it tends to trap any and all gases that enter this region of the atmosphere. Within no time, the vapor from the exhaust freezes and turns visible. Of all the atmospheric layers, this is the most closest to the Earth. 32. The stratosphere is located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. Air density is the lowest, and its temperature can increase up to 1500 degrees Celsius. 3. Different definitions place the top of the exosphere somewhere between 100,000 km (62,000 miles) and 190,000 km (120,000 miles) above the surface of Earth. 31. The other four layers include the troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. Because of this, few clouds are found in this layer and almost all clouds occur in the lower, more humid troposphere. The air has a very low density that you get into the interplanetary space without a manifest limit. 22. It is easy & understandable to view our atmosphere as a continuous layer of air. The atmosphere is about 500 km thick, with a mix of more than ten different gases. Three Highest Thrill Rides in the World. One of the most surprising things about the stratosphere is not its characteristics but about what you find in this layer. These distances vary slightly due to elevation changes on the Earth. Above the troposphere and below the mesosphere, we have the stratosphere. The ozone layer is situated within this layer. Little-Known Scientific Facts About the Stratosphere Ozone layer | Description, Importance, & Facts | Britannica A rare type of electrical discharge, somewhat akin to lightning, occurs in the stratosphere. 2. An increase of altitude in the troposphere makes temperatures decrease, which is why it is much colder on the top of a mountain than on sea level. 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. To learn more about each layer of the atmosphere, click the images below. As a result, air circulation is not as prevalent in this layer of the atmosphere, making it difficult for some gasses to escape.