Air temperature within the tropopause remains constant with increasing altitude. It resides between 10 and 50 km above the planet's surface. The air temperature in the stratosphere remains relatively constant up to an altitude of 25 km. Because the air temperature in the stratosphere increases with altitude, it does not cause convection and has a stabilizing effect on atmospheric conditions in the region. Ozone plays the major role in regulating the thermal regime of the stratosphere, as water vapor content within the layer is very low.
Temperature increases with ozone concentration.
Solar energy is converted to kinetic energy when ozone molecules absorb ultraviolet radiation, resulting in heating of the stratosphere. Ozone concentration in the this region is about 10 parts per million by volume as compared to approximately 0.04 parts per million by volume in the troposphere. Ozone absorbs the bulk of solar ultraviolet radiation in wavelengths from 290 nm - 320 nm. These wavelengths are harmful to life because they can be absorbed by the nucleic acid in cells. Increased penetration of ultraviolet radiation to the planet's surface would damage plant life and have harmful environmental consequences.