Earth Systems and Atmosphere

Layer 2: Stratosphere

The second layer of the atmosphere is called the stratosphere. This layer is located approximately 10 km and 50 km above the ground.

This picture was taken from a weather balloon at about 30km above the Earth’s surface. Compared to the troposphere, the stratosphere has very little water vapor. The air is thin at this altitude.	An important aspect of the stratosphere is that there is a key layer of high concentrations of ozone, a molecule consisting of 3 oxygen atoms. The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light can damage life on our planet. The ozone layer in the startosphere absorbs 97-99% of the sun's UV light.