2007-01-24 06:31:00 · 2 answers · asked by jim_walks 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
At first order, the height of the tropopause (upper limit of the troposphere) depends on the temperature at the surface. The higher the surface temperature, the more convection (thunderstorms) occurs, pushing the tropopause upwards. As a consequence, the tropopause is higher at the equator (55000 feet) than at the poles (26000 feet), causing the elliptical shape of the troposphere.
2007-01-24 15:13:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The rotation of the Earth causes the atmosphere to bulge at the equator just as the land itself does. If the atmosphere is thicker at the equator than at the poles its cross section looks elliptical. The same process makes the planet an oblate spheroid rather than a sphere.
2007-01-25 05:04:54 · answer #2 · answered by tentofield 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋