The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
From the Greek word tropos, meaning turning, troposphere is the zone of moisture-laden storms between the surface and the stratosphere above. Because ice crystals must form before precipitation can begin, the troposphere rises to 10–12 mi (16–19 km) over the equator but grades downward to 5–6 mi (8–9 km) over the poles. It is marked by a sharp drop in temperature vertically, averaging 3.5 degrees per 1,000 ft (305 m) because of exponentially decreasing density of air molecules. Actual "lapse" rates vary enormously, ranging from inversions, where temperatures rise and trap pollutants, to steep lapse rates with warm surface air topped by very cold polar air; the latter produces dangerous storms.