Stratosphere facts for kids
The stratosphere is an important layer of Earth's atmosphere. Think of it as a big blanket of air surrounding our planet. It sits above the troposphere, which is the layer closest to us where all weather happens.
The stratosphere starts about 8 kilometers (5 miles) above the North and South Poles. Near the equator, it begins a bit higher, around 18 kilometers (11 miles) up. This layer stretches all the way to about 50 kilometers (31 miles) above Earth's surface.
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What Makes the Stratosphere Special?
One cool thing about the stratosphere is how its temperature changes. As you go higher up in this layer, the air actually gets warmer! This is different from the troposphere, where it gets colder as you go higher.
This warming happens because of something super important called the ozone layer. The ozone layer is like Earth's natural sunscreen. It's found within the stratosphere.
The Ozone Layer: Earth's Sunscreen
The ozone layer is made of a special type of oxygen molecule called ozone. This layer does an amazing job of absorbing harmful UV radiation from the sunlight. UV radiation can be dangerous for living things.
When the ozone layer absorbs this UV radiation, it turns that energy into heat. This is why the temperature goes up as you climb higher in the stratosphere. This warming effect also makes the stratosphere very stable, meaning there isn't much stormy weather there.
How High Is the Stratosphere?
To give you an idea of its size, the stratosphere is quite thin compared to the whole Earth. From the ground up to the top of the stratosphere (50 km) is less than 1% of Earth's total radius. Even though it's thin, it plays a huge role in protecting life on Earth!
Images for kids
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This image shows how the temperature in the lower stratosphere changed between 1979 and 2005. The blue and green colors mean it got cooler over time.
See also
In Spanish: Estratosfera para niños
