When does heat stop rising?

Question

As we all know heat rises. We also know that at extremely high elevations (mountaintops) heat is barely exists. At what point in altitude does the temperature begin to drop?

Answer 1

As the distance from the source to the object increases the heat dispurses its always there just not in concentrated amounts.  Think of the sun warming the earth.  The sun is hot yet the heat travles through space and warms the earth.  Not at the poles but at the equator

Answer 2

The temperature of the atmosphere decreases with height at a rate of approximately 6.6 degrees C per km when moist, and 9.8 degrees C per km when dry, this is called an adiabatic lapse rate.  Think of a balloon capturing the heat coming off of the surface which has been heated by the sun.  The balloon will rise.  As the balloon rises, the temperature will decrease by the rates given above.  When the temperature is above the dewpoint it is considered dry, and when it is equal to the dewpoint it is considered moist.  The temperature will never be below the dewpoint.  The temperature of the parcel of air (in the balloon) will decrease until it is equal to that of the outside environment, and then there will cease to be any upward motion.  

For more info, look up adiabatic lapse rate and the ideal gas law.

Answer 3

Actually, even at mountaintops there is plenty of heat, as compared say, to empty space.  Anyway, heat will rise until it encounters an environment where the amount of heat there equals or exceed the amount of heat that was originally rising.  Temperatures typically drop as soon as one increases in altitude (I am ignoring inversions here).  As an air parcel rises, it will cool due to decreasing pressure, but as long as the air outside of that air parcel remains cooler than the air parcel, the parcel will continue to rise.

Answer 4

It is at a maximum not far from sea level, it begins to drop at this point.

Heat stops rising when there is no atmosphere to transfer the heat.

Answer 5

I assume you are seeking the highest level warm air can possibly reach which is the Stratosphere.  It cannot go any higher than the bottom of the Stratosphere.  Large thunderstorms can have massive cumulus clouds that go vertical all the way up to but never past the Stratosphere.  You can actually see the tops of the clouds flatten out.  

*