A low heat
Question: I’ve always understood that hot air rises and cold air sinks. But
on a recent visit to Death Valley in the US, I learned that it is the hottest
and driest area in North America despite being the lowest point in the western
hemisphere. Why is this?
Answer: The apparent paradox of warm air lying beneath cold air is not
confined to Death Valley. All over the globe, air temperatures tend to decline
with height, up to the bottom of the stratosphere—witness the presence of
permanent snow on high mountaintops. This is partly because most…
