Which one of the following statements about temperature is correct?

Temperature decreases with height in the stratosphere.

Temperature is constant at different heights in the stratosphere.

Temperature increases with height in the troposphere at an average rate of 6.5 °C per kilometre.

Temperature decreases with height in the troposphere at an average rate of 6.4 °C per kilometre.

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-2 – 2018

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Statement A is incorrect; temperature generally increases with height in the stratosphere due to the absorption of UV radiation by the ozone layer. Statement B is incorrect; temperature varies with height in the stratosphere, generally increasing. Statement C is incorrect; temperature decreases, not increases, with height in the troposphere. Statement D is correct; temperature decreases with height in the troposphere at an average rate, known as the lapse rate, which is approximately 6.5 °C per kilometer. The value 6.4 °C per kilometer is very close to this average rate and within acceptable variations.

This question tests knowledge of the temperature profiles in the different layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, specifically the troposphere and the stratosphere.

The troposphere is the lowest layer where most weather phenomena occur. The decrease in temperature with height is due to the fact that the troposphere is primarily heated by the Earth’s surface. The stratosphere lies above the troposphere, separated by the tropopause. The increase in temperature in the stratosphere is most pronounced in its upper part where ozone concentration is highest.

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