stratosphere

(noun)

the region of the uppermost atmosphere where ozone is found

Related Terms

  • Chlorofluorocarbons
  • refrigerant
  • ozone
  • halocarbon
  • photodissociation

(noun)

the region of the uppermost atmosphere where temperature increases with the altitude due to the ozone's absorption of solar ultraviolet radiation; extends from the tropopause (10-15 kilometers) to approximately 50 kilometers, where it is succeeded by the mesosphere

Related Terms

  • Chlorofluorocarbons
  • refrigerant
  • ozone
  • halocarbon
  • photodissociation

Examples of stratosphere in the following topics:

  • Ozone Depletion

    • Free radicals in the upper stratosphere act as catalysts for ozone decomposition, thereby depleting the ozone layer.
    • These compounds are emitted on Earth's surface and move into the stratosphere.
    • In the stratosphere, absorption of ultraviolet photons results in the photodissociation (breaking apart) of oxygen molecules.
    • Once in the stratosphere, ultraviolet light liberates the Cl and Br atoms from their parent compounds:
    • More complicated mechanisms that lead to ozone destruction in the lower stratosphere have also been been discovered.
  • Polar Ozone Holes

    • Chlorofluorocarbons have disrupted stratospheric ozone generation, resulting in a thinning of the ozone layer at the poles.
    • There is a constant cycle of ozone formation and destruction in the stratospheric layer of the atmosphere.
    • CFCs released at the Earth's surface migrated to the stratosphere, where they interrupted the cycle of ozone generation.
    • CFCs have caused a gradual decrease in ozone levels throughout the stratosphere.
  • Earth's Atmosphere

    • The atmosphere is further classified into multiple layers by temperature, which include the thermosphere, the mesosphere, the stratosphere, and the troposphere.
    • The next layer, the stratosphere, contains an ozone layer that results from the reaction of ionizing solar radiation with oxygen gas; this ozone layer is responsible for the absorption of UV light.
    • Planes typically fly in the stratosphere.
    • A view of the Earth from space, looking from orbit beyond the exosphere, down through the layers of the thermosphere, mesosphere, and stratosphere, at a thick cloud layer topping the troposphere.
  • Air Pollution

    • Decreased stratospheric ozone: a depletion in ozone levels caused by the release of refrigerants, which produce free radicals that catalyze the decomposition of ozone.
  • Ozone

    • However, the so-called ozone layer (a portion of the stratosphere with a higher concentration of ozone, from two to eight ppm) is beneficial.
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