Name:_________________________
Date:___________________________
Activity C3: Elevation and Temperature
INSTRUCTIONS
Part 1: Elevation and Temperature
1. Locate and mark the following locations on a map of Ecuador.
Location
Cotopaxi
Quito
Latacunga
Ibarra
Esmeraldas
Guayaquil
Latitude
0
0
-1
0
+1
-2
Elevation (m)
5897
2811
2785
2228
7
4
High Temperature (C)
-10 C
1. Which location do you think will have the highest temperature? the lowest? Why?
HINT: the effect latitude will have on the temperature for each of the locations is negligible because
they are all within 2 of the equator.
Part 2: Analyze the Data
1. Create a scatter plot of Temperature vs. Elevation using the data you collected above.
1. Add a linear trend line (line of best fit) through the data in the scatter plot. NOTE: A trend line should be
a different color and will not cross every point but rather there should be approximately the same
number of points below the line as above it.
2. Look the trend line. Estimate the approximate change in temperature for every increase of 1,000m in
elevation.
3. Based on the graph you created above and assuming all other weather factors remained constant (same
latitude, etc.), predict the temperature for the following elevations:
o 0 m: _________ C
o 1000 m: _________ C
o 2000 m: _________ C
o 3000 m: _________ C
o 4000 m: _________ C
4. Highest Elevation: Mt. Everest, located on the border of Nepal and Tibet, is the world's tallest mountain
with an elevation of 8848m:
o Assuming no other factors affected the temperature, what would be your prediction for the
temperature at the summit?
o
The actual temperature on the summit of Mt. Everest varies from -15 C to as low as -36 C. What
might account for the differences between your prediction and the actual temperatures? (Hint:
Locate Mt. Everest on a world map)
5. Lowest Elevation (not under seawater): The Bentley Subglacial Trench located in Antarctica has the
world's lowest elevation not under seawater at -2555m (although the trench is covered by approximately
3000m of snow and ice).
o Assuming no other factors affected the temperature, what would be your prediction for the
temperature?
o
The actual temperature of the trench is significantly below 0 C. What might account for the
differences between your prediction and the actual temperatures? (Hint: locate Antarctica on a
world map)
Part 3: Final Conclusions
1. How does elevation affect temperature?
2. Can you rely on one day's worth of data to determine a general trend between temperature and
elevation? Explain.
3. If you would opt to collect more data, how much do you think would be sufficient?
4. How could you obtain this data?
5. In the troposphere, the lowest, or inner-most layer of earth's atmosphere, both air pressure and the
density of air (the number of gas molecules per cubic measurement) decrease as elevation increases.
How and why do you think this affects the change in air temperature as elevation increases?