The atmospheric shell lying just above the
troposphere which is characterized by an increasing temperature with altitude. The stratosphere
begins at the
tropopause (about

-

height) and extends to a height of about

,
where the lapse rate changes sign at the
stratopause and the beginning of the
mesosphere.
Source:
PAC, 1990, 62, 2167
(Glossary of atmospheric chemistry terms (Recommendations 1990))
on page 2217