Layer 2: Stratosphere
The second layer of the atmosphere is called the stratosphere. This layer is between approximately 10 km and 50 km above the surface.
Compared to the troposphere, the stratosphere has very little water vapor. This layer contains most (19.9% of the remaining 20%) of the remaining of the mass of the atmosphere. This picture was taken from a weather balloon at about 30km above the Earth’s surface.
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.
In contrast to the troposphere, the temperature in the stratosphere rises with elevation because. radiation from the sun—or heat energy—is absorbed by ozone molecules in this layer. Because the air is so thin at that altitude, it requires very little heat to raise the temperature compared to what occurs near the ground.