The Troposphere extends from the surface to a height that depends on latitude, typically within which range?

• A. 20,000 to 60,000 feet
• B. 60,000 to 90,000 feet
• C. 0 to 20,000 feet
• D. 100,000 to 150,000 feet

Answer: (A)

The height of the troposphere depends on latitude because the atmosphere is warmer and taller in the tropics and cooler and thinner toward the poles. The top of the troposphere, the tropopause, sits around 20,000 feet in higher latitudes and up to about 60,000 feet near the tropics. So the troposphere typically extends from the surface to roughly 20,000 to 60,000 feet. The other ranges don't fit this latitude-dependent extent: 60,000 to 90,000 feet is generally higher than the common tropopause in many areas, 0 to 20,000 feet is too low for most latitudes, and 100,000 to 150,000 feet lies well above the troposphere into the stratosphere.