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Why is it that the atmosphere does not get hotter with increasing height?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
It would appear to be straightforward wouldn't it? You're closer to the sun so why aren't you hotter?
Venus provides us with a clear indication to the answer. Although Venus is closer to the Sun than us it isn't close enough to account for its surface temperature. Other than the Sun Venus is the hottest place in our solar system hotter than poor Mercury that sits right next to the mighty Sol.
Venus is hot because of the runaway greenhouse effect in its atmosphere. The atmosphere of Venus is incredibly dense with phenomenal pressure due to the number of particles per unit area.
This massive increase in pressure has a number of effects. Particles being in close proximity are ideal for transporting heat energy via conduction and convection through simple kinetic transfer (heat energy is simply the increased vibration of particles of matter). On top of this there is an increase in the sheer volume of greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases can absorb radiant heat energy (energy in the form of infrared which is simply part of the electromagnetic spectrum). Radiant heat energy causes matter to vibrate more. Greenhouse gases can absorb this energy and then release it as infrared radiation again. This absorption and release leads to infrared heat energy bouncing around the atmosphere. The greater the number of greenhouse gas particles the greater the chance of this happening.
Why is Venus important?
This happens on Venus because of the increased gas pressure (increase in gas particle number per unit area). On Earth (and all planets) the atmosphere gets more dense as one travels towards the surface of the planet. The higher you are the more tenuous is gravity's pull on the molecules of the atmosphere. You therefore find higher atmospheric pressures near the surface of the planet due to gravity and the mass of atmosphere pressing down from above.
Remembering why Venus is hotter than Earth is should be clear that as you increase the atmospheric pressure by travelling down through the atmosphere towards the surface of the planet you increase the number of particles per unit area to transmit heat energy kinetically via convection and conduction and you increase the likelihood of a greenhouse effect trapping radiant heat energy for longer.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
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What atmosphere layer does temperature decrease with increasing height?
In the troposphere (the layer of the earth that we live in), the temperature decreases with increasing height. The troposphere contains approximately 80% of the atmosphere's mass and 99% of its water vapour and aerosols.As you increase height, you reach areas of the atmosphere that have fewer and fewer air molecules (which means the air is less dense) because gravity is keeping the majority of air molecules closer to the ground. So, at higher altitudes, the air is less able to store heat.
Within a thunderstorm cell does the temperature fall or rise with increasing altitude?
Temperatures fall with height in a thunderstorm cell. Temperatures generally fall with height in the atmosphere unless there's an inversion present (and those lead to a stable atmosphere not favorable for thunderstorm development)....So if there's thunderstorms present, temperatures should be falling with height.
What layer of the atmosphere has the most constant temperature?
the stratosphere, but at the top it gets a little hotter.
How does greenhouseeffect affect the air?
Increasing the temperature of the earth atmosphere.
What planet has the highest average surface temperature and why?
Venus, because of its atmosphere. The greenhouse affect keeps the atmosphere from letting certain gases out so it just gets hotter and the atmosphere just gets thicker.
Would you get hotter or colder as you went higher up in the atmosphere?
Upto Ozon Layer it get colder and then start increasing the temperature.......
What causes atmosphere to get hotter?
The sun is one factor that causes the atmosphere to get hotter.
What is the reason you categorize the atmosphere into different layers?
Density of air decreases on increasing height, hence we categorize the atmosphere into different layers from Troposhere to Ionosphere at particular kilometers respectively.
What atmosphere layer does temperature decrease with increasing height?
In the troposphere (the layer of the earth that we live in), the temperature decreases with increasing height. The troposphere contains approximately 80% of the atmosphere's mass and 99% of its water vapour and aerosols.As you increase height, you reach areas of the atmosphere that have fewer and fewer air molecules (which means the air is less dense) because gravity is keeping the majority of air molecules closer to the ground. So, at higher altitudes, the air is less able to store heat.
What is the effect of increasing the acid's temperature?
It gets hotter
How do atmospheric layers differ?
The five layers of the atmosphere have different atmospheric temperature that occurs with increasing altitude. The layers also thin out with height from the surface.
In which layers of the atmosphere does the temperature increase with increasing height?
The stratosphere is where the temperature increases with height. This is due to absorption of UV radiation by atmospheric ozone.
Within a thunderstorm cell does the temperature fall or rise with increasing altitude?
Temperatures fall with height in a thunderstorm cell. Temperatures generally fall with height in the atmosphere unless there's an inversion present (and those lead to a stable atmosphere not favorable for thunderstorm development)....So if there's thunderstorms present, temperatures should be falling with height.
Would it be hotter or colder if the atmosphere had more carbon dioxide?
hotter. That is one main reason in global warming
Which food help for increasing height?
there is not a food for increasing height you just haft to drink milk and be healthy and you will grow
How has the atmosphere changed?
Carbon dioxide is increasing in the atmosphere, and oxygen is decreasing.
Is Mercury hotter than Earth why?
Mercury is hotter than the earth because:It has a thin atmosphere, where much heat can pass throughIt is the closest planet to the SunIt doesn't have an ozone layer
