Stratosphere

[6] In 1902, Léon 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 11–14 km (6.8-8.7 mi), which is the base of the lower stratosphere.

Ozone in turn is photolysed much more rapidly than molecular oxygen as it has a stronger absorption that occurs at longer wavelengths, where the solar emission is more intense.

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.

Finally, chlorofluorocarbon molecules are photolysed in the stratosphere releasing chlorine atoms that react with ozone giving ClO and O2.

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.

[10] Commercial airliners typically cruise at altitudes of 9–12 km (30,000–39,000 ft) which is in the lower reaches of the stratosphere in temperate latitudes.

Because the temperature in the tropopause and lower stratosphere is largely constant with increasing altitude, very little convection and its resultant turbulence occurs there.

[13] Eustace also broke the world records for vertical speed skydiving, reached with a peak velocity of 1,321 km/h (822 mph) and total freefall distance of 123,414 ft (37,617 m) – lasting four minutes and 27 seconds.

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.

The QBO induces a secondary circulation that is important for the global stratospheric transport of tracers, such as ozone[15] or water vapor.

Another large-scale feature that significantly influences stratospheric circulation is the breaking planetary waves[16] resulting in intense quasi-horizontal mixing in the midlatitudes.

[20] 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.

On November 29, 1973, a Rüppell's vulture (Gyps rueppelli) was ingested into a jet engine 11,278 m (37,000 ft) above the Ivory Coast.

Afterglow of the troposphere (orange), the stratosphere (blue) and the mesosphere (dark) at which atmospheric entry begins, leaving contrails , such as in this case of a spacecraft reentry.
This image shows the temperature trend in the lower stratosphere as measured by a series of satellite-based instruments between January 1979 and December 2005. The lower stratosphere is centered around 18 kilometers above Earth's surface. The stratosphere image is dominated by blues and greens, which indicates a cooling over time. [ 1 ]
Diagram showing the five primary layers of the Earth's atmosphere: exosphere , thermosphere , mesosphere , stratosphere, and troposphere . The layers are not to scale.
The ozone layer in the stratosphere blocks harmful UV radiation from reaching the surface of the Earth. A gamma ray burst would deplete the ozone layer, allowing UV radiation through.
A generic Boeing 737-800 cruising at 32,000 feet. Below it is a pack of clouds. Above it is a vivid, ambient blue sky.
Aircraft typically cruise at the stratosphere to avoid turbulence rampant in the troposphere . The blue beam in this image is the ozone layer , beaming further to the mesosphere . The ozone heats the stratosphere, making conditions stable. The stratosphere is also the altitude limit of jets and weather balloons , as air is roughly a thousand times thinner there than at the troposphere. [ 11 ]
Lightning extending above the troposphere into the stratosphere as blue jet and reaching into the mesosphere as red sprite