Explanation of cold air in the mountains

Date 29 August 2022
Tuesday

Have you ever wondered why mountainous areas or mountains are cooler when they are closer to the sun? While in the lowlands such as the coast it is hotter than the mountains even though the distance is farther from the sun.

There is a scientific explanation for this question. There are several factors that affect the air above the mountains can be colder than at the coast or lower plains.

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Here is the explanation

1. Air Pressure

Factor If any of your friends here are studying geography, surely you already know about this. It is said that the higher the earth's surface, the lower the air pressure. Because the air molecules move more slowly so there is no collision between air molecules.

Unlike in the lowlands or urban areas because so many air molecules move quickly and collide with each other, causing hot temperatures.

There is also an explanation that for every 100 meters increase, the air temperature will decrease by 0.60-1 degrees Celsius and this temperature drop will continue until it reaches an altitude of about 17 kilometers.

If the altitude has exceeded 17 kilometers then there is another mechanism that occurs in temperature changes, the mechanism is the mechanism of absorption of ultraviolet by ozone.

This mechanism makes the altitude above 17 kilometers making the temperature hotter or higher and will continue to increase to the outer layer of our earth's atmosphere. After the ozone layer, there are also different temperature change mechanisms in other layers of our earth's atmosphere.

2. Gravity

The effect of the earth's gravity will also affect the air in the mountains. The law of gravity states that the farther a place or area from the center of the earth will affect the gravitational pull so that the attraction is getting weaker.

That is, the farther from the center of the earth, the less air. A little air makes the air pressure decrease. The lower the air pressure, the less friction between the air molecules, so the air temperature is cold.

Those are some of the reasons why the temperature in mountainous areas is cooler even though it is closer to the sun. So in essence, distance has no effect in this case. Because even if we climb the highest mountain in the world, the distance will not affect the air on earth.

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