Consider the following atmospheric layers and their thermal characteristics: 1. Troposphere: Temperature decreases with increasing altitude due to the lapse rate. 2. Stratosphere: Temperature increases with altitude due to the absorption of ultraviolet radiation by ozone. 3. Mesosphere: Temperature increases with altitude due to direct solar heating of atmospheric gases. Which of the statements given above are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Statement 1 is correct because the troposphere experiences a temperature drop with height due to heating from the Earth's surface. Statement 2 is correct because the stratosphere features an upward temperature rise driven by exothermic ozone-oxygen photochemical reactions that absorb ultraviolet rays. Statement 3 is incorrect because the mesosphere actually experiences a sharp decrease in temperature with altitude, reaching the coldest temperatures in the atmosphere at the mesopause. The thermosphere is the layer where temperature increases with altitude due to absorption of hard X-rays and UV radiation.