Stratosphere
Shannon T.
The stratosphere is one layer of the atmosphere that is connected to the tropopause that extends to about 50 kilometers. The temperature in the lower region of the stratosphere is about -60°C. The air in the stratosphere is always windy. These winds are called jet streams. Jet streams can reach a speed of 320 kilometers per hour. Jet streams are created when warm air from areas around the equator meets cold air fro areas around the poles. The upper stratosphere contains a special form of oxygen called the Ozone Layer. The ozone is located between 16 kilometers and 60 kilometers from earth. The ozone layer is formed by air passing through the atmosphere. So after a lighting storm you can smell the ozone. The ozone layer protects us from ultra violet radiation. If we did not have the ozone layer not many plants or animals would survive. Humans would get cancer very easily and would always be in great danger of a sunburn.
