This is an image of Earth's tropospheric clouds.
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Image from: NOAA, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/satellite.html

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What is a Stratosphere?

Return to Uranus' Atmosphere

Uranus' Stratosphere

The stratosphere of Uranus is a region of warming as determined by infrared measurements of methane (CH4) in the region. Like the troposphere, the stratosphere is warmed by the sun, warmed by Uranus' interior, and is cooled due to re-radiation to space by the gases of the atmosphere. For a picture showing how the temperature changes in this region, click here.


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Traveling Nitrogen Classroom Activity Kit

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Uranus' Stratospheric Temperature Profile

This diagram shows the temperature profile of Uranus' stratosphere. The temperature becomes warmer with height until the stratopause, or "top" of the stratosphere is reached. As shown in the figure, the...more

Uranus' Atmospheric Hazes

Besides methane, Uranus' atmosphere contains more sophisticated atmospheric molecules such as ethane gas, acetylene, and diacetylene. All these molecules form layers of haze at different altitudes high...more

An Overview of Uranus' Atmospheric Structure

As on Earth, the atmosphere of Uranus consists of a troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. The troposphere is the region where the visible clouds are to be found. The stratosphere, as...more

Uranus' Mesosphere

The mesosphere of Uranus is a region of balance between warming and cooling. That essentially means that nothing happens there. Except for diffusion, the atmosphere is still. Upper reaches of the atmosphere,...more

Altitude Variations of the Belts & Zones

On Uranus, as on Jupiter, the winds in the belts and zones blow first in one direction, then in the opposite direction. Wind blows east in a belt, and west in a zone. The clouds rise up in a belt, and...more

Why Uranus looks like a "bullseye"

The striped cloud bands on Uranus, like Jupiter, are divided into belts and zones. On Uranus the belts and zones are hard to distinquish. The left picture shows the north pole of Uranus. In this picture...more

Uranus Clouds, Overview

The clouds of Uranus, composed of methane crystals, are found very low in the troposphere, and are difficult to distinquish below the smog haz es of the planet's atmosphere. False color is used, in the...more

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