2006-10-02 00:22:57 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Because higher elevations are cooler. As the warm air rises, it loses energy (heat).
2006-10-02 00:30:57 · answer #1 · answered by The ~Muffin~ Man 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Warm air rises, and cold air sinks, following the principle of Convection Currents. However, following the concept in Air Pressure and Altitude that: From sea level to about 11 km above, the temperature decreases uniformly by 6 Degrees Celsius for every kilometer increase in height. The highest peak on Earth, Mt. Everest is just 8, 820 km. in altitude, obviously, lower than the limit for uniform decrease in temperature(11 km). So, as your altitude increases(farther from sea level in terms of height), pressure would relatively tend to decrease. Water's Freezing Point is 0^0C. So, icecaps are found in top of mountains, respectively, snow forms in the troposphere.
2006-10-02 00:35:47 · answer #2 · answered by Ryan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Heated air is thinner and weighs less than cold air so it is squeezed upwards by colder heavier air as it moves towards the surface. As the heated air moves upwards, it is cooled and begins to move back towards the surface. At varying elevations depending on where you are at on the planet, the cool air is so thin that it is lighter than the warmer air below it and its ability to retain heat is reduced. The air movement stops resulting in fairly constant cool temperatures.
2006-10-02 05:01:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Near sea level, the atmosphere refects back a lot of heat (greenhouse effect). At the top of the mountain, the air is thinner and heat escapes into space (which has a temperature near absolute zero.
2006-10-02 00:31:10 · answer #4 · answered by amania_r 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thinner air, lower Barometric pressure, molecules more seperated, means cooler air temperatures at elevations, so that at 20,000 feet the temperature is near or below freezing. Snow forms, and sometimes melts as it falls, forming cold rains...
2006-10-02 00:32:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Heated air rises and cools off. At the point where the heated air is sufficiently cooled, known as the dew point, clouds form. The higher you get, the colder it gets. At 10,000 feet, the air is cold. Always. At 20,000 feet, the air temperature is often sub-zero.
2006-10-02 07:41:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
One of the early gas laws (Gay-Lussac's, see ref.) says that reducing the pressure of air (or any gas or mixture of gases) will reduce its temperature. When horizontally moving air encounters a mountain, it is forced upwards which reduces its pressure and cools it. This reduces its ability to carry moisture, so the water it is bearing condenses out; if cold enough, it falls as snow.
2006-10-02 01:51:31 · answer #7 · answered by kirchwey 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First the sunlight warms the ground, then ground warms the air, then it rises up, but until it reaches to top of a mountain it looses energy, so its warmer when you r closer to ground..
2006-10-02 00:26:34 · answer #8 · answered by Remzy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because there is less air at higher elevations.
2006-10-02 00:25:08 · answer #9 · answered by gismo_28 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Snow falls up charlie brown! Snow falls up!
2006-10-02 00:26:14 · answer #10 · answered by Brettski 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋