tropopause

American  

[trop-uh-pawz, troh-puh-] / ˈtrɒp əˌpɔz, ˈtroʊ pə- /

noun

Meteorology.

1. the boundary, or transitional layer, between the troposphere and the stratosphere.

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tropopause British  

/ ˈtrɒpəˌpɔːz /

noun

1. meteorol the plane of discontinuity between the troposphere and the stratosphere, characterized by a sharp change in the lapse rate and varying in altitude from about 18 km (11 miles) above the equator to 6 km (4 miles) at the Poles

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tropopause Scientific  

/ trō′pə-pôz′,trŏp′ə- /

1. The boundary between the upper troposphere and the lower stratosphere, varying in altitude from about 8 km (5 mi) at the poles to 18 km (11 mi) at the equator.

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Etymology

Origin of tropopause

First recorded in 1915–20; tropo- + pause

Example Sentences

Those warm waters fuel convection, with hot, moisture-laden air rising and fueling rain until it hits the tropopause, where the lowest layer of the atmosphere, the troposphere, meets the stratosphere.

From Scientific American • Jun. 21, 2023

It is above the tropopause, meaning that these are stratospheric winds.

From Washington Post • Feb. 4, 2023

Thunderstorms flatten out at the tropopause, or top of the troposphere, the lowest level of Earth’s atmosphere, since a lid of warm air suppresses continued upward development.

From Washington Post • Jan. 16, 2022

He thinks that without the extra boost from a firestorm, smoke is unlikely to penetrate the tropopause, a boundary that helps isolate the stratosphere.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 18, 2021

We are simply at the mercy of the jet stream, the band of winds snaking at the edge of the tropopause.

From Slate • Jan. 5, 2018