The Stratosphere

atmosphere · ozone · layers · protection

Second layer up. The stratosphere sits right above the troposphere (where weather happens) and below the mesosphere. It's like a sandwich of air layers stacked around our planet.

Ozone shields us. The stratosphere contains ozone, a special type of oxygen that absorbs the Sun's dangerous ultraviolet radiation. This protects all life on Earth from getting burned.

Gets hotter higher up. Unlike the air closer to Earth, the stratosphere gets warmer the higher you go. This happens because the ozone absorbs heat from the Sun's rays.

Sharp boundary below. There's a clear dividing line called the tropopause between the stratosphere and the troposphere below, kind of like drawing a line between two different neighborhoods.