Compared with the tropics, the Arctic has:

• A. A warmer troposphere and a colder stratosphere
• B. A colder troposphere and a warmer stratosphere
• C. A colder troposphere and a colder stratosphere
• D. A warmer troposphere and a warmer stratosphere

Answer: (C)

The Arctic region is characterized by a significantly colder climate compared to the tropics. In the Arctic, the troposphere, which is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere where most weather occurs, typically sees much lower temperatures than in tropical regions. This is partly due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis and the angle of sunlight, which results in less solar radiation heating the surface in polar regions.

In addition to the tropospheric temperature, the stratosphere, which is the layer above the troposphere, tends to experience colder temperatures in the Arctic as well. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer, which absorbs sunlight and warms that layer; however, at high latitudes like the Arctic, the reduction in solar radiation and the polar night effects contribute to overall lower stratospheric temperatures.

Thus, the Arctic exhibits both a colder troposphere and a colder stratosphere compared to the warmer, more consistent temperatures seen in the tropics where sunlight is more direct and abundant year-round. This understanding of temperature profiles in different atmospheric layers underpins why the correct answer identifies both layers as being colder in the Arctic compared to tropical regions.