Have you ever noticed that on top of great mountains it is common to have snow? You may have also noticed that in lower areas, such as the coast or other places, it is more common to be hot, isn't it? This is because there is a relationship between altitude and climate.
The sentence is: the higher, the colder; the lower, the hotter.
But why does this happen? Does it mean then that every place with low altitudes is hot and every high place is always cold?
This is not always the case, as there are others factors that affect the climate, such as latitude, air masses, lighting zones, among others. For example, at the North Pole, the climate is always polar because this area receives less sun and when it receives sunlight, it is less intense. Therefore, it is not hot there and the altitude does not change that.
Generally, high places are cooler and low places are warmer because of the atmospheric pressure. Because of the force of gravity, air molecules are always pulled down, so areas with less altitude get a larger amount of these molecules, while higher areas get any less.
For this reason, the force of atmospheric pressure (the “weight of air” on the surface) contributes to temperatures rising as the molecules are closer together and thus store heat.
Another factor that makes lower areas warmer is the surface temperature. When the sun's rays hit, the ground heats up. This heat from the ground spreads through the surrounding area, warming the lower parts while the higher points get cooler.
By Me. Rodolfo Alves Pena
