Why is the temperature lower up in the mountains?
By ready2earn
@ready2earn (435)
Italy
December 19, 2006 1:59pm CST
During a skiing trip we had a rather fruitless discussion about why temperature is lower up in the mountains. Maybe anyone here can give me a proper answer.
I always thought that the surface of the earth was absorbing sunlight resulting in a raise in temperature. But surely mountains are even better exposed to the sun than the rest!?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@Withoutwings (6992)
• United States
19 Dec 06
Just because you are closer to the sun doesn't mean that you will get warmer. There are several layers to the atmosphere. The Troposphere begins at the earth's surface (the part of the earth that you and I stand on). As you climb higher into the troposphere the temperature drops the higher you go. The next layer of atmosphere is the stratosphere. The temperature in the stratosphere gets warmer the higher you go. The third level is the mesosphere and in this level the temperature drops the higher you go. Finally the next level is the thermosphere. This is the layer closest to the sun, and in this layer the temperature gets hotter the higher up you go. I don't know why the temperature does this - I should have paid more attention in meteorology class.
@CheckNitout (853)
• United States
19 Dec 06
I don't know for sure but maybe up higher the rair is thinner and holds in less heat.
