Explanation

The stratosphere is the second layer of Earth's atmosphere as you go upwards, lying above the troposphere and below the mesosphere.

The layers of the Earth's atmosphere, in order from the surface, are:

1. Troposphere (up to about 12 km/7.5 miles)
2. Stratosphere (up to about 50 km/31 miles)
3. Mesosphere (up to about 85 km/53 miles)
4. Thermosphere (up to about 600 km/373 miles)