What is the primary effect of an adiabatic process on air temperature?

In an adiabatic process, temperature changes occur due to the expansion or compression of air without any heat exchange with the environment. When air rises in the atmosphere, it expands due to lower pressure at higher altitudes. This expansion causes the air to cool. Conversely, when air descends, it compresses and warms up due to the increase in pressure. This fundamental principle explains how temperature varies in the atmosphere as air parcels move vertically.

Adiabatic processes are crucial for understanding various atmospheric phenomena, such as the development of clouds and precipitation. They illustrate how air behaves under changing pressure conditions, impacting weather patterns and climate. The other options do not accurately represent the nature of adiabatic processes—air does not maintain a constant temperature, nor does it simply lose heat through compression without temperature change.