成せい層そう圏けん

せ

い

そ

う

け

ん

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

stratosphere

The atmospheric layer above the troposphere, extending from about 10–50 km altitude. Used in scientific, meteorological, and general contexts.

成せい層そう圏けんにはオゾン層そうがある。

The ozone layer is in the stratosphere.

気き球きゅうが成せい層そう圏けんまで上じょう昇しょうした。

The balloon ascended into the stratosphere.

Usage patterns

成層圏せいそうけんに達たっするto reach the stratosphere
気き球きゅうは成せい層そう圏けんに達たっした。
The balloon reached the stratosphere.
成せい層そう圏けんを飛ひ行こうするto fly through the stratosphere
その飛ひ行こう機きは成せい層そう圏けんを飛ひ行こうできる。
That aircraft is capable of flying through the stratosphere.

Kanji

成turn into, become, get
層stratum, social class, layer
圏sphere, circle, radius

Don't confuse with

対たい流りゅう圏けん
成層圏 refers to the stratosphere (roughly 10–50 km up, where the ozone layer sits), while 対流圏 is the troposphere below it where weather occurs, and the two names are easily mixed up.
中ちゅう間かん圏けん
成層圏 is the stratosphere, whereas 中間圏 is the mesosphere directly above it, and learners often confuse the order of these atmospheric layers.

Word family

亜あ成せい層そう圏けん
substratosphere
極きょく成せい層そう圏けん雲うん
polar stratospheric cloud
成せい層そう圏けん飛ひ行こう機き
stratoplane

Built from

成せい層そう+圏けん

Etymology

Compound of 成層 (seisō, 'stratification') and 圏 (ken, 'sphere, zone'). The term was coined in the early 20th century as a calque of the English 'stratosphere'.