MasteryExams
Geography • Physical GeographyEasy

What is the term used to describe the lowest layer of the atmosphere where temperature generally decreases uniformly with an increase in altitude at the normal lapse rate?

A. Stratosphere
B. Troposphere✓ Correct Answer
C. Ionosphere
D. Exosphere

💡 Solution & Explanation

The troposphere is the lowest atmospheric layer containing approximately 75 percent of the atmosphere's mass and nearly all water vapor, characterized by a decrease in temperature with altitude at an average lapse rate of 6.5 degrees Celsius per kilometer. The stratosphere lies above the tropopause with an inversed temperature profile. The ionosphere contains electrically charged ions that reflect radio waves back to Earth. The exosphere represents the outermost fringe where atmospheric gases gradually fade into the vacuum of outer space.

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