What happens to air temperature when it descends after being lifted?

• A. It remains constant
• B. It cools significantly
• C. It increases due to adiabatic warming
• D. It fluctuates widely

Answer: (C)

When air descends after being lifted, it undergoes a process known as adiabatic warming. This phenomenon occurs because as air rises, it expands due to the lower atmospheric pressure at higher altitudes, which causes it to cool. Conversely, when that same air mass starts to descend, it is compressed by the increasing pressure at lower altitudes. This compression leads to an increase in temperature, known as adiabatic warming.

The rate at which this temperature increase occurs is roughly 5.5°F (or about 3°C) for every 1,000 feet of descent. This is a fundamental concept in meteorology, illustrating how air behaves under varying pressure conditions and is essential for understanding weather patterns and phenomena such as wind and cloud formation.