Which statement best describes the combined effects of increasing latitude and increasing elevation on average temperature?

Which statement best describes the combined effects of increasing latitude and increasing elevation on average temperature?

• A. Increasing latitude warms temperature.
• B. Elevation has no effect on temperature.
• C. Latitude and elevation have no effect on temperature.
• D. Both increasing latitude and increasing elevation lead to cooler average temperatures.

Answer: (D)

Both increasing latitude and increasing elevation lead to cooler average temperatures. As you move toward higher latitudes, the Sun’s rays strike the Earth at a more oblique angle and for shorter durations in winter, so less energy reaches the surface on average. Climb to a higher elevation, and temperature drops due to the lapse rate: air becomes less dense and expands as pressure decreases, cooling as you rise. These cooling effects add together, making regions farther north and higher up consistently cooler than places at lower latitudes and elevations.

Both increasing latitude and increasing elevation lead to cooler average temperatures. As you move toward higher latitudes, the Sun’s rays strike the Earth at a more oblique angle and for shorter durations in winter, so less energy reaches the surface on average. Climb to a higher elevation, and temperature drops due to the lapse rate: air becomes less dense and expands as pressure decreases, cooling as you rise. These cooling effects add together, making regions farther north and higher up consistently cooler than places at lower latitudes and elevations.