Hypoxia and Medicine

Why are high altitudes cooler than lower areas?

Public Comments

1. air is thiner
2. more air pressure
3. Most of the heat of the air is by radiation from the earth. So, as we go to higher altitudes, the radiation from the earth is reduced and so the air becomes cooler. Also hot air is lighter than cooler air and rises, but as it rises it cools. Thus air at higher altitudes is cooler than sea level.
4. Temperature is a measure of the kinetic energy of air particles (for this discussion). As the altitude increases the total kinetic energy imparted to an object decreases because the density or the air decreases.
5. atmospheric pressure.....the higher you are the lower the pressure is...there is a direct temperature/pressure relationship....at sea level is 0 psi or 14.7 psia and the higher you go the pressure drops...thus, so does the temp.