The Colder Upper Deck

• Measurements reveal that air temperature decreases with height as we ascend into the atmosphere.
• The troposphere experiences a decrease from the ground up to 15-20 km.
• The stratosphere increases the temperature up to 50 km.
• The mesosphere decreases to 80 km, and the ionosphere increases.
• Solar radiation heats the earth’s surface more than the air it travels through.
• Heat at the surface is transported by convective expansion into the atmosphere, leading to cooler temperatures at higher levels.
• The real atmosphere is dynamic with constant motion, with small departures from hydrostatic and adiabatic conditions.