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The term "tropopause" is defined as…

  • A

    The layer above the troposphere showing an increasing temperature.

  • B

    The boundary area between the mesosphere and the stratosphere.

  • C

    The boundary area between the troposphere and the stratosphere.

  • D

    The height above which the temperature starts to decrease.

Refer to figure.
The tropopause marks the top of the troposphere and serves as the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere. According to the International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) by ICAO, the mean height of the tropopause is 11 km (36 000 ft)

At the tropopause, the temperature ceases to decrease with altitude, resulting in stable air conditions. Stable air resists further vertical movement, meaning that air cannot rise vertically through the tropopause to higher altitudes. Since rising air is necessary for cloud formation through cooling and condensation, the tropopause effectively acts as a barrier, confining most visible weather phenomena below it.

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