Earth:Stratopause

From HandWiki
Short description: Upper boundary of the stratosphere

The stratopause (formerly mesopeak) is the level of the atmosphere which is the boundary between two layers: the stratosphere and the mesosphere. In the stratosphere, the temperature increases with altitude, and the stratopause is the region where a maximum in the temperature occurs. This atmospheric feature is not exclusive to Earth, but also occurs on any other planet or moon with an atmosphere.[1] According to James Kasting, planets whose atmospheres do not absorb shortwave sunlight, such as Venus and Mars, do not have a Stratosphere and thus have no Stratopause.[2]

On Earth, the stratopause is 47–51 km (29–32 mi) above sea level. The atmospheric pressure is around ​11000 of the pressure at sea level. The temperature in the stratopause is −2.5 °C (27.5 °F).[3]

See also

References

  1. "What is the Stratopause" (in en-US). Actforlibraries.org. http://www.actforlibraries.org/what-is-the-stratopause/. 
  2. Catling, David C.; Kasting, James F. (2017). Atmospheric Evolution on Inhabited and Lifeless Worlds. 
  3. "stratopause | meteorology" (in en). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/stratopause. 

External links