Why is it colder up in the sky than on the ground?

Question

Why is it that the higher you go the more colder it gets? Isn't the sun rays closer to you when you are higher up?

Answer 1

You are further off the ground, which catches the sun's heat and re radiates it.
The distance you are closer to the sun is so minute, it is inconsequential. 30 to 50 miles versus 93,000,000 miles

Answer 2

Most of the temperature you feel is due to the air around you, not the sun rays that hit you directly - that's why it is still warm in the shade on a summer day. The ground absorbs solar energy much better than the atmosphere, so it warms up. The warm ground then warms up the air near the ground. This air will rise - hot air rises - but as it does so, it will expand because the air pressure is lower at higher altitudes. As it expands, it cools down - that is a result of the ideal gas law. So you end up with cooler air higher up.

Also, about the sun being closer: it is a little closer at high altitudes, but it's a very small percentage compared to the overall distance from the sun to the earth. However, you do get sunburned easier, because there is less of a screening effect by the atmosphere (there is less atmosphere above you). So you end up getting more solar energy up there anyway, but the air is still colder for the reasons in my first paragraph.

Answer 3

Because the atmosphere is actually heated from the bottom by convection . The atmosphere is transparent(ie directly not heated) to the heat rays of the sun.

Answer 4

It's not really colder up in the sky you just get more wind than on the ground and heat rises but sometimes the wind chill overrides it!

Answer 5

The air is thinner and there isn't any natural solid body that retains heat like the earth.

Answer 6

For every so many feet of altitude you lose so many degrees of temperature. I forgot the ratio. Probably has to do with air density.