The stratosphere is the second layer of Earth's atmosphere. It is above the troposphere. The mesosphere is above the stratosphere. The ozone layer is part of the stratosphere.
Click on image for full size
Original artwork by Windows to the Universe staff (Randy Russell).

The Stratosphere

The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere. The temperature in the stratosphere goes up the higher you go up.

Ozone causes the temperature to go up. It absorbs dangerous light from the Sun and converts it to heat.

The stratosphere is located above the troposphere.

Last modified March 30, 2009 by Randy Russell.

You might also be interested in:

Cool It! Game

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

Ozone in the Stratosphere

Most of the ozone that we know about is found in the the stratosphere, the second layer of the Earth's atmosphere. Ozone forms a kind of layer in the stratosphere. This layer shields us from the Sun's...more

NSF, NASA Successfully Flight-Test New Balloon Over Antarctica

Scientists have created a smaller version of a special balloon that will circulate in the atmosphere above Antarctica to collect scientific information. They tested the small balloon this December and...more

Scientists Discover Connections among the Solar Cycle, the Stratosphere and the Ocean

Scientists used information they got from over a 100 years of weather observations and from three powerful computer models to try and answer a very difficult question about the weather. They wanted to...more

Jupiter's Stratosphere

The stratosphere of Jupiter is a region of warming as determined by infrared measurements of methane (CH4) in the region. Like the troposphere, the stratosphere is warmed by the sun, warmed by Jupiter's...more

Jupiter's Stratospheric Temperature Profile

This diagram shows the temperature profile of Jupiter's stratosphere. The temperature becomes warmer with height until the stratopause, or "top" of the stratosphere is reached. As shown in the figure,...more

Uranus' Stratospheric Temperature Profile

This diagram shows the temperature profile of Uranus' stratosphere. The temperature becomes warmer with height until the stratopause, or "top" of the stratosphere is reached. As shown in the figure, the...more

Ozone in the Troposphere

Did you know that ozone is found in two different layers of the atmosphere? You may have heard of the ozone hole problem - that is where ozone is missing in the stratosphere (the 2nd layer of the Earth's...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA