Where is the tropopause typically higher?

The tropopause is typically higher during summer seasons due to the increased surface heating and resulting convection. During summer, the atmosphere warms, causing the troposphere (the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere) to expand, which raises the altitude of the tropopause. As warm air rises, it creates a greater gradient between the troposphere and the stratosphere, thereby pushing the tropopause higher.

In contrast, during winter, the atmosphere cools, which leads to a decrease in the height of the tropopause since cooler air is denser and does not rise as much.

Additionally, the tropical regions, which are often more affected by the warm temperatures of summer, generally have a higher tropopause compared to colder, higher latitude regions, where the temperature gradient is less pronounced, especially during the winter months. Therefore, the significant influence of seasonal temperature changes on the tropopause clearly shows why it is higher in summer.