Evaluate these statements regarding atmospheric layers:

General Awareness ·Previously asked in SSC CGL 2025

View the full solved paper: SSC CGL 2025 Tier I - 13 Sep 2025, Shift 1 (13 Sep 2025, Shift 1)

Question

Evaluate these statements regarding atmospheric layers:

1. Most weather phenomena occur in the stratosphere.

2. The ozone layer is primarily found in the troposphere.

Which of the above is/are correct ?

  1. A. Statement 1 only
  2. B. Statement 2 only
  3. C. Both 1 and 2
  4. D. Neither 1 nor 2 (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — Neither 1 nor 2

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Neither 1 nor 2.

Key Points

  • Statement 1 is incorrect. Almost all weather phenomena — clouds, rainfall, storms and turbulence — occur in the troposphere, the lowest layer, not the stratosphere. The troposphere holds most of the atmosphere's mass and nearly all its water vapour.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect. The ozone layer lies within the stratosphere, roughly 15-35 km up, not in the troposphere.
  • The two statements have essentially swapped the layers, so neither holds.

Additional Information

  • The layers in order from the surface: Troposphere (0-12 km, temperature falls with height), Stratosphere (12-50 km, temperature rises because ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation), Mesosphere (50-80 km, the coldest layer, where meteors burn up), Thermosphere (with the ionosphere, which reflects radio waves) and Exosphere.
  • The boundaries are named tropopause, stratopause and mesopause.
  • Aircraft cruise in the lower stratosphere precisely because it is stable and free of weather.
  • Stratospheric ozone absorbs harmful UV-B; ozone at ground level is instead a pollutant, which is why "good up high, bad nearby" is the usual summary.

प्रश्न (हिन्दी में)

वायुमंडलीय परतों के संबंध में इन कथनों का मूल्यांकन कीजिए:

1. अधिकांश मौसमी घटनाएँ समताप मंडल में होती हैं।

2. ओजोन परत मुख्यतः क्षोभमंडल में पाई जाती है।

उपर्युक्त में से कौन सा सही है/हैं?

  1. A. केवल कथन 1
  2. B. केवल कथन 2
  3. C. 1 और 2 दोनों
  4. D. न तो 1 और न ही 2

Topics covered: Geography Atmosphere