- #1
tonyjeffs
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atmosphere temperature gradients at altitudes impossible??
Here's a link to a graph:
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/atmosphere/layers.html"
I don't understand how this is possible.
The atmosphere is
I don't understand how fully enclosed colder regions can exist between heat sources.
An analogy might be a perfectly insulated pipe with a heat source at either end. No matter what different materials I put in the pipe, it is impossible for the temperature anywhere in the pipe to be lower than that of the the lowest heat source.
Can anyone explain how the atmosphere temperature gradients are possible?
Thanks
Tony
Here's a link to a graph:
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/atmosphere/layers.html"
I don't understand how this is possible.
The atmosphere is
- Warm at the surface, (due mainly to infrared heat from Earth's' surface -ok)
- Cold at 20km altitude (impossible?? Fully encapsulated by heat sources; Nowhere for heat to go.)
- Warm at 50km (Ozone layer heated by UV from sun -OK)
- Cold at 90 km (impossible; fully encapsulated by heat sources)
- Hot at 500km
I don't understand how fully enclosed colder regions can exist between heat sources.
An analogy might be a perfectly insulated pipe with a heat source at either end. No matter what different materials I put in the pipe, it is impossible for the temperature anywhere in the pipe to be lower than that of the the lowest heat source.
Can anyone explain how the atmosphere temperature gradients are possible?
Thanks
Tony
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