Which atmospheric layer experiences a continuous decrease in temperature with altitude at the normal lapse rate and contains almost all the water vapor of the atmosphere?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere where temperature decreases steadily with increasing height, maintaining the normal lapse rate of roughly 6.5 degrees Celsius per kilometer. It holds roughly 99 percent of the total water vapor and aerosol mass of the entire atmospheric column, driving weather phenomena. The stratosphere lies immediately above it, separated by the tropopause, and exhibits rising temperatures with altitude due to ozone absorption. The mesosphere sits higher still, characterized by extremely cold temperatures reaching the minimum values in the atmosphere.