Return to Meteorology Index PageThe Stratosphere
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The Stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere. The Stratosphere ranges from 12 km to 48 km. The Stratosphere contain the same gas mixture as the Troposphere but the pressure is greatly decrease. Living organism cannot breathe in the Stratosphere because of the lower pressure and oxygen assist would be required. The Stratosphere contains to layers within it. These layers are the Jet Stream and the Ozone Layer.
The Jet Stream is a wind belt which blows at 300 mph! The Jet Stream is not stable in that it changes location day by day. The Jet Stream is a major influence on weather patterns in the lower Troposphere.
The Ozone layer is probably one of the most important in the atmosphere. The Ozone Layer protects all life on Earth from harmful UV Rays from the Sun. Ozone absorbs the energy from UV Rays and the tri-oxygen molecule is broken down into oxygen and mono-oxygen. Ozone Layer needs to be protected because without it all life on the land could not exist.