As air rises, the pressure decreases. It is this lower pressure at higher altitudes that causes the temperature to be colder on top of a mountain than at sea level.
The pressure decreases with increasing altitude because both the height of the overlying air column and the density of the air decrease. ... For this reason, warm air masses have a lower pressure than cold air, therefore the first tend to rise, the second to go down.
Answers & Comments
As air rises, the pressure decreases. It is this lower pressure at higher altitudes that causes the temperature to be colder on top of a mountain than at sea level.
Explanation:
The pressure decreases with increasing altitude because both the height of the overlying air column and the density of the air decrease. ... For this reason, warm air masses have a lower pressure than cold air, therefore the first tend to rise, the second to go down.