Which of the following statements concerning atmosphere of the Earth are correct? 1. In stratosphere, temperature increases with altitude. 2. In mesosphere, temperature decreases with altitude. 3. The lowest temperature of the atmosphere is recorded in the upper part of mesosphere. 4. Tropopause is an isothermal zone. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The Earth's atmosphere is divided into layers based on temperature gradients. In the stratosphere, temperature increases with altitude due to the absorption of ultraviolet radiation by the ozone layer [3]. Conversely, in the mesosphere, temperature decreases with height as there is no significant heat source [3]. The mesopause, located at the upper boundary of the mesosphere, is the coldest region of the atmosphere, where temperatures can drop to approximately -100°C [3]. The tropopause serves as the transition boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere; it is characterized by a lapse rate of zero, meaning temperature remains constant with height, effectively making it an isothermal zone [2]. Consequently, all four statements provided in the question are scientifically accurate descriptions of the atmospheric thermal profile.

Sources

1. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 20: Earths Atmosphere > Stratosphere (12 to 50 km) > p. 275
2. [2] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Composition and Structure of Atmosphere > STRUCTURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE > p. 65