The stratosphere extends from approximately 12 km to 50 km altitude and is characterized by a temperature inversion where temperature increases with altitude. This warming occurs because the ozone layer, concentrated in the stratosphere, absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun and converts it to heat. The temperature inversion creates very stable atmospheric conditions with minimal vertical mixing, making it ideal for aircraft flight paths. Commercial jets typically cruise at the tropopause (boundary between troposphere and stratosphere) or in the lower stratosphere to take advantage of these stable conditions and avoid turbulent weather below.

Each atmospheric layer has a characteristic temperature trend with altitude. The troposphere cools with altitude as you move away from the warm Earth's surface. The stratosphere warms with altitude due to ozone absorption of UV radiation. The mesosphere cools with altitude and is the coldest atmospheric region. The thermosphere warms with altitude due to absorption of high-energy solar radiation. Among the given options, only the mesosphere correctly shows decreasing temperature with increasing altitude, making it the layer that becomes progressively colder at higher elevations within that layer.

The stratosphere is the atmospheric layer that contains the ozone layer, which is primarily concentrated between 15-30 km altitude. Ozone molecules (O₃) in this layer absorb ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, converting the UV energy into heat and creating a temperature inversion where temperature increases with altitude. This warming with altitude is the opposite of the temperature trend in the troposphere below, where temperature decreases with altitude. The temperature inversion in the stratosphere creates stable atmospheric conditions that limit vertical mixing and help protect life on Earth by absorbing harmful UV radiation.

The stratosphere is characterized by temperature increasing with altitude due to ozone absorption of UV radiation, and it lies directly above the troposphere. The stratosphere extends from approximately 10-50 km altitude and is positioned between the troposphere below and the mesosphere above. Unlike the troposphere, the stratosphere is not the primary location for weather formation (that occurs in the troposphere), it does not have uniformly decreasing temperatures (temperatures increase with altitude), and it is not the coldest layer (the mesosphere holds that distinction). The stratosphere's relative stability and dry conditions contrast with the dynamic weather systems of the troposphere below.

The mesosphere is located directly above the stratosphere, extending from approximately 50 km to 85 km altitude. In the mesosphere, temperature decreases with increasing altitude, making it the coldest region of Earth's atmosphere with temperatures dropping to as low as -90°C at the mesopause (top of the mesosphere). Unlike the stratosphere below it, the mesosphere lacks significant concentrations of ozone to absorb UV radiation and provide heating. The decreasing temperature with altitude in the mesosphere is due to the decreasing atmospheric density and limited solar heating at these elevations.

The thermosphere is the uppermost of the four main atmospheric layers, extending from about 85 km altitude upward to several hundred kilometers. Unlike the stratosphere, which warms due to ozone absorption of UV radiation, the thermosphere's temperature increase is caused by absorption of high-energy solar radiation (X-rays and extreme ultraviolet) by the very sparse gas molecules present at these altitudes. Despite extremely high kinetic temperatures (up to 2000°C), the air density is so low that an object would not feel hot. The thermosphere contains the ionosphere and is where auroras occur.

Earth's atmosphere is divided into four main layers from bottom to top: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. Layer 1 (weather and cooling with altitude) describes the troposphere. Layer 2 (ozone and warming with altitude) describes the stratosphere where ozone absorbs UV radiation. Layer 3 (cooling with altitude) describes the mesosphere, which lies above the stratosphere and experiences temperature decrease due to lack of ozone and decreasing atmospheric density. Layer 4 (warming with altitude) describes the thermosphere where high-energy solar radiation heats the sparse gas molecules.

An atmospheric sounding showing temperature decrease near the surface followed by temperature increase in the next layer describes the transition from troposphere to stratosphere. The troposphere, the lowest layer, is characterized by decreasing temperature with altitude due to heating from Earth's surface below. The stratosphere, located directly above the troposphere, shows increasing temperature with altitude due to ozone absorption of ultraviolet radiation. This temperature profile change from decreasing to increasing marks the boundary between these two layers, known as the tropopause.

The correct ordering of atmospheric layers from lowest to highest altitude is Troposphere → Stratosphere → Mesosphere → Thermosphere. The troposphere extends from Earth's surface to about 10-15 km, containing most weather and showing temperature decrease with altitude. The stratosphere (10-50 km) contains the ozone layer and shows temperature increase with altitude. The mesosphere (50-85 km) shows temperature decrease with altitude and contains the coldest atmospheric temperatures. The thermosphere (85+ km) shows temperature increase with altitude due to high-energy solar radiation absorption.

The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere, located above the troposphere from about 10-15 km to 50 km altitude. The key characteristic described is the temperature inversion - temperature increases with altitude in this layer, opposite to the troposphere below. This warming occurs because the stratosphere contains the ozone layer, which absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The absorption of UV energy by ozone molecules causes heating, creating the temperature increase with altitude. Weather balloons ascending through the atmosphere would detect this temperature reversal at the tropopause (boundary between troposphere and stratosphere). The mesosphere and thermosphere are higher layers, while the troposphere is below and has decreasing temperature with altitude.