<p>The existence, and accordingly the height, of a tropopause depends on whether the other planets' atmosphere has a layer of ozone or any other gas that absorbs some part of incoming solar radiation leading to a substantial heating and, hence, a significant temperature inversion.</p>
<p>Given an atmospheric composition, to attain some numerical values for the tropopause height and the lapse rate probably requires modelling of radiative transfer, which is a notoriously difficult task.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-01T14:37:17.160Z
2023-03-01T14:37:17.160Z
hschoell
<p>Is it possible to come up with a formula to estimate the height of the tropopause and the upper layer lapse rate only based on atmospheric composition and other atmospheric parameters (not relying on atmospheric sounding data)?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-02T05:42:57.160Z
Note that even Earth's varies quite a bit, as [Wikipedia says](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropopause), varying from 9 km average at the Poles to 17 km average at the Equator, basically due to temperature -> density differences.
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-02T12:42:13.623Z
A good read on this topic is https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107588417 chapter 15.5. In short: You can get estimates if you have some understanding of the planets atmosphere.
Joscha Fregin
<atmosphere><planetary-science><atmosphere-modelling><inversion><stratosphere>
How to estimate altitude of tropopause of other planets?
Redirectk
# How to estimate altitude of tropopause of other planets?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-02-27)

Is it possible to come up with a formula to estimate the height of the tropopause and the upper layer lapse rate only based on atmospheric composition and other atmospheric parameters (not relying on atmospheric sounding data)?

**Tags:** atmosphere, planetary-science, atmosphere-modelling, inversion, stratosphere

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Note that even Earth's varies quite a bit, as [Wikipedia says](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropopause), varying from 9 km average at the Poles to 17 km average at the Equator, basically due to temperature -> density differences.  
> **username_2**: A good read on this topic is https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107588417 chapter 15.5. In short: You can get estimates if you have some understanding of the planets atmosphere.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2023-03-01. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

The existence, and accordingly the height, of a tropopause depends on whether the other planets' atmosphere has a layer of ozone or any other gas that absorbs some part of incoming solar radiation leading to a substantial heating and, hence, a significant temperature inversion.

Given an atmospheric composition, to attain some numerical values for the tropopause height and the lapse rate probably requires modelling of radiative transfer, which is a notoriously difficult task.


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