Secondary I • 2yr.
How does temperature vary with the atmosphere’s altitude? Thank you
How does temperature vary with the atmosphere’s altitude? Thank you
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Explanation from Alloprof
This Explanation was submitted by a member of the Alloprof team.
Thank you for your question!
The temperature of the atmosphere is highly variable. Indeed, it changes depending on the layer at which one is located.
The five layers of the atmosphere are the following (starting with the one in which we are located, the troposphere):
• Troposphere (0 to 12 km above sea level)
• Stratosphere (12 to 50 km above sea level )
• Mesosphere (50 to 85 km above sea level)
• Thermosphere (85 to 500 km above sea level)
• Exosphere (500 km above sea level)
At sea level (at an altitude of 0 km), the temperature in the troposphere is about 20 ° C. With every additional kilometer, the temperature drops by 10 ° C.
The temperature then begins to rise again in the stratosphere and increases with altitude.
The temperature then decreases in the mesosphere and keeps declining with altitude.
The temperature rises once more in the thermosphere and keeps increasing with altitude. It varies from a frigid -85 ° C to several hundred degrees Celsius.
The temperature of the exosphere is very high but not as high as the one in the thermosphere. Air pressure is very low at this altitude, making the air a rare substance.
Don’t hesitate to ask other questions!