stratosphere

Meanings

Plural: stratospheres

Noun

• the atmospheric layer between the troposphere and the mesosphere
• Collectively, those layers of the Earth’s crust which primarily comprise stratified deposits.
• The region of the uppermost atmosphere where temperature increases along with the altitude due to the absorption of solar ultraviolet radiation by ozone. The stratosphere extends from the tropopause (10–15 kilometers) to approximately 50 kilometers, where it is succeeded by the mesosphere.