The atmosphere of the Earth is composed of several different layers that extend out into space. The layer that occupies between the first 9 and 17 km from the Earth's surface is the troposphere, where most of our weather occurs. The stratosphere extends above it up to about 50 km altitude. Associate Professor Masakazu Taguchi at the Department of Earth Science, Aichi University of Education in Japan, is currently focusing his research on understanding the dynamical interaction between the extratropical stratosphere and troposphere and the role of stratospheric variations in the weather and climate.