sTEm–at-Work Puzzle #20: Atmosphere Data Analysis

A technician working with a NASA high altitude balloon for atmospheric temperature data collection has transferred the transmitted data from the sensor system in the balloon into a data analysis computer software package. The software plot shows the pressure and temperature axes pointing toward higher values. The graph has pressure and temperature data relative to the altitude above sea level when the measurements were made. The tech elected to use the horizontal axis, the abscissa, for the altitude data. Now the tech must indicate if the arrow on the abscissa is pointing toward higher, or lower altitude values. The tech has labeled the abscissa based on his knowledge that the pressure of the atmosphere is always inversely proportional to the altitude above sea level.

The arrow on the abscissa is pointing toward higher altitude values. (yes or no).

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