Q. Consider the following statements:
1.Stratosphere is a dry layer of the atmosphere where clouds and rain don’t form.
2.Water vapor in the atmosphere helps in building the ozone layer.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
Explanation –
Statement 1 is correct. The stratosphere is a dry layer of the atmosphere with very low water vapor content. Because of this dryness, clouds and rain are generally absent in the stratosphere. The stratosphere is characterized by its stable temperature layers and lack of vertical mixing, which further prevents cloud formation.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Water vapor in the atmosphere does not help in building the ozone layer. Instead, the ozone layer is formed through the photolysis of molecular oxygen (O2) by ultraviolet (UV) light, which produces ozone (O3). Instead, water vapor in the stratosphere can contribute to ozone depletion through the formation of hydroxyl radicals (OH) that participate in catalytic cycles destroying ozone.
Source: The Hindu
