If hotter air rises, why is air that is closer to the Earth's surface warmer than the air high above it? It was a question that I had to do. Anyone know it?
2007-10-14 20:40:56 · 4 answers · asked by anonymous 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
The further towards the centre of the Earth, the warmer, due to the internal heat of the Earth. The surface of the earth is also heated by sunlight. This heats the lower layers of air.
Hot air rises, but only to a certain point: hotter air is less dense. As it rises to higher altitudes, it encounters lower-pressure (less dense) air: when it gets to a level that matches its density, it quits rising.
The Higher, the closer to outer space which has a temperature close to 0 deg Kelvin. So what you have up there is colder, less compressed, less dense air, which now sits on top of the warmer lower air.
Smaller scale similar situations that form on top of cities are called 'temperature inversions'.
2007-10-16 18:00:36 · answer #1 · answered by fooles.troupe 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
When we say that hot air rises it refers to a parcel of air which is different from the surrounding air.The parcel of air rises whereas the surrounding air does not rise and remains where it is .When we say that the ascending parcel of air is hot, it means that it is comparatively hotter than the surrounding air and this does not mean that the sorrounding air is cold.The parcel of air will ascend as long as it is warmer than the surrounding air and will stop rising once its temperature becomes equal to that of the surrounding air.
The surrounding air is nothing but the atmosphere which will always be warmer at the bottom and colder at the top particularly in the troposphere.
2007-10-20 14:29:35 · answer #2 · answered by Arasan 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
3 causes:
a. pressure: hot air does rise, but it is subject to the pressure applied to it by the lighter gases above it.
b. refraction: the air closer to the earth gets heated by the incoming solar radiation and by the heat retained, reflected and emitted by the earths surface and living beings.
c. concentration: due to being farther away from earth, the higher gases usually escape gravitational pulls and thus have more space to move around. this is why the higher u get, the less concentration of air (noticed by us because of lack of oxygen). the more space molecules have to move around, the more they do, so they lose energy (kinetic and thermic) so they get colder and fall. its a cycle
2007-10-15 03:57:53 · answer #3 · answered by mech9x 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I would say because the Earth's core is hot... just a guess though...
2007-10-15 03:46:03 · answer #4 · answered by Uncle J 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋