What happens to temperature as altitude increases in the stratosphere?

What happens to temperature as altitude increases in the stratosphere?

• A. It decreases
• B. It remains constant
• C. It increases
• D. It fluctuates dramatically

Answer: (C)

As altitude increases in the stratosphere, the temperature actually increases, which is a unique characteristic of this layer of the atmosphere. In the troposphere, which is the layer below the stratosphere, temperature decreases with altitude because air is heated from the Earth's surface, which is warmer. However, in the stratosphere, the situation reverses because of the presence of the ozone layer. Ozone absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, leading to an increase in temperature as you ascend through the stratosphere. This warming effect is particularly pronounced in the upper stratosphere, where temperatures can reach as high as 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit) at the stratopause, which is the boundary between the stratosphere and the mesosphere. This temperature inversion, where temperatures rise with altitude, contributes to a more stable atmosphere in the stratosphere compared to the turbulent nature of the troposphere below.

As altitude increases in the stratosphere, the temperature actually increases, which is a unique characteristic of this layer of the atmosphere. In the troposphere, which is the layer below the stratosphere, temperature decreases with altitude because air is heated from the Earth's surface, which is warmer. However, in the stratosphere, the situation reverses because of the presence of the ozone layer.

Ozone absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, leading to an increase in temperature as you ascend through the stratosphere. This warming effect is particularly pronounced in the upper stratosphere, where temperatures can reach as high as 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit) at the stratopause, which is the boundary between the stratosphere and the mesosphere.

This temperature inversion, where temperatures rise with altitude, contributes to a more stable atmosphere in the stratosphere compared to the turbulent nature of the troposphere below.