I know it is colder at higher elevations (there is snow on the top of mountains when no snow is left on the bottom). When I was hiking this summer in Colorado and it started snowing I thought about why it was colder in higher elevations. My guess was that it was mainly due to lower air pressure and being higher up in the atmosphere where air was cooler than is was closer to sea level.

So I did some research online and the main explanations seem to be that at higher elevations the air pressure is lower (molecules and atoms under less pressure move more slowly which means the temperature is less).

Hot air does rise, but the amount of hot air is minor compared to the existing cold air in the atmosphere. So when hot air rises from the ground it is cooled down before getting far off the earth’s surface. And as it rises the pressure decreases, which cools it down.

Mountain Environments report, United Nations Environment Programme:

Photo of John Hunter at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park.

Related: Why is the air cooler at higher altitudes? - Why is the Sky Blue? - scientific explanations for what we experience - Flint and Steel: What Causes the Sparks? - Mount Rainier National Park Photos - Low air pressure decreases temps at high elevation
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Photo of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC by John Hunter. The museum is the newest addition to the collection of Smithsonian museums on the Mall. The second photo is of a Mayan calendar. Photos can be used with attribution.

Related: Botanical Garden - C&O Towpath near Monocacy Aqueduct - Museum of Science in Boston

See more photos from my visit to Parfrey’s Glen Natural Area in Wisconsin, about an hour outside of Madison. It really was amazingly beautiful - the pictures do not do it justice. The Parfrey’s Glen trail is under a mile but well worth visiting. If you want to hike more try the Ice Age National Scenic Trail or nearby Devil’s Lake State Park. The top photo is of me (John Hunter) at nearby Durwood’s Glen. The yellow flower is from Parfrey’s Glen.

Photo of yellow flower by John Hunter is available for use: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike (see requirements for use).

Related: Hoh Rain Forest and Ruby Beach, Olympic National park - C&O Towpath - Monocacy Aqueduct, Maryland - Nature Recreation Declining - Curious Cat photo travelogues - Bull Run Trail, Virginia

Photos from my hike in Starved Rock State Park, Illinois in 2006.

Related: Appalachian Trail Photos - Grand Teton National Park - Bull Run Trail, Virginia - Curious Cat Travel Photo posts

Photos from my hike in Forest Glen Preserve, Illinois 2 years ago.

Other photos: Mount Rainier National Park - Mason Neck State Park, Virginia - South Carolina
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The Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve in Ohio is quite a nice short hike. Photos by John Hunter. If anyone knows what the green beetle is, please add a comment.

I visited the preserve last year. Other sites from the trip include: Rocky Gap State Park, Maryland and Coopers Rock State Forest, West Virginia.

More photos: North Cascades National Park Photos - Mason Neck State Park, Virginia - travel photo directory - Olympic National Park - The Cloisters Museum and the Museum of Modern Art

See more photos of my visit last year to Coopers Rock State Forest in West Virginia. The day before I visited Rocky Gap State Park in Maryland. Photos by John Hunter.

Related: Mason Neck State Park, Virginia - Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky - Huntington Beach State Park, South Carolina

Photo looking north across Lake McDonald from my Village Inn balcony in Glacier National Park, by John Hunter.

Do people still care about nature

I must say I am surprised by this. My visits to national parks have led me to believe the attendance was increasing but that seems to be wrong. The National Parks Service has a simple web tool to view visits to US national parks by year. Go visit great parks, here are some photos from my trips: Grand Teton National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Shenandoah National Park and Grand Canyon National Park.

Related: Regular Exercise Reduces Fatigue - Monarch Butterfly Migration - $500 Million to Reduce Childhood Obesity in USA - Science Opportunities for Students

Photos from my trip to New York City last year are now online. Photos include: The Cloisters (part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art - though located far uptown) art and architecture of medieval Europe, the remodeled Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building and Flatiron Building.

Related: New York City Photo Essays - Paris Travel Photos - Pacific Northwest photos - Curious Cat Travel Photos