The dry adiabatic lapse rate is approximately 9.8 °C per kilometer, indicating how temperature decreases with altitude in dry air. This occurs as the air expands and cools while rising due to lower pressure. Therefore, the correct answer to your multiple-choice question is A. 9.8 C/km.
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The dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR) refers to the rate at which the temperature of a parcel of air changes as it moves vertically in the atmosphere, assuming the air parcel is not saturated with water vapor (dry) and that the process is adiabatic (no heat exchange with the surroundings).
In simple terms, when a dry air parcel rises, it expands due to lower atmospheric pressure and cools at a constant rate, and when it descends, it compresses and warms up at the same rate. This is an important concept in meteorology for understanding weather patterns and atmospheric dynamics.
The value of the dry adiabatic lapse rate is approximately 9.8 °C/km . This means that for every kilometer of elevation gained, the temperature of the dry air parcel decreases by about 9.8 degrees Celsius. Conversely, as the parcel descends, it increases by the same rate.
Therefore, the correct choice is: 9.8 C/km .