In the troposphere, how does temperature generally change with altitude?

• A. Temperature decreases as elevation increases
• B. Temperature increases as elevation increases
• C. Temperature remains constant with elevation
• D. Temperature cycles with elevation

Answer: (A)

In the troposphere, temperature generally cools as you rise. The main reason is that pressure falls with height, so rising air expands. When air expands, it must do work on its surroundings, and that energy comes from the air’s internal energy, causing it to cool. On average, the environmental lapse rate is about 6.5°C per kilometer, though the exact rate varies with moisture and weather conditions. This cooling trend is what drives most weather processes in the troposphere. There are exceptions, like temperature inversions where a warm layer sits above a cooler layer, but the typical pattern is a decrease in temperature with increasing altitude.