What happens to temperature as elevation increases?

As elevation increases, temperature generally decreases due to the thinning of the atmosphere. This phenomenon is often described by the environmental lapse rate, which states that, on average, the temperature decreases by about 6.5 degrees Celsius for every kilometer of altitude gained in the lower atmosphere, known as the troposphere. The decrease in temperature with elevation occurs because the air pressure drops at higher altitudes, leading to less air density and reduced capacity to hold heat. Additionally, the surface of the Earth absorbs solar energy and warms the air closest to it, but as you go higher, the direct influence of this surface heating diminishes. Therefore, it is accurate to say that temperature decreases as elevation increases.