If the air layers in the diagram were relabeled to illustrate normal atmospheric conditions, the correct labeling from the air layer closest to the Earth's surface to the one farthest from the Earth's surface would be

If the air layers in the diagram were relabeled to illustrate normal atmospheric conditions, the correct labeling from the air layer closest to the Earth's surface to the one farthest from the Earth's surface would be

• A. Cool air, warm air, cooler air
• B. Warm air, cooler air, cool air
• C. Cooler air, warm air, cool air
• D. Warm air, cool air, cooler air

Answer: (D)

Normal atmospheric conditions show a lapse rate where temperature falls as you go higher. The surface is heated by the sun, so the air right at the ground is warm. As that warm air rises, it expands and cools, making the layer above cooler. That cooler layer sits beneath another layer that is even cooler higher up. So, from bottom to top: warm air, then cool air, then cooler air. The other orders would imply an unusual temperature reversal, which isn’t typical in the ordinary atmosphere.

Normal atmospheric conditions show a lapse rate where temperature falls as you go higher. The surface is heated by the sun, so the air right at the ground is warm. As that warm air rises, it expands and cools, making the layer above cooler. That cooler layer sits beneath another layer that is even cooler higher up. So, from bottom to top: warm air, then cool air, then cooler air. The other orders would imply an unusual temperature reversal, which isn’t typical in the ordinary atmosphere.