Heat-absorbing metals may reside in a planet’s upper atmosphere.

The team studied thermal inversions in twenty-five gas giants, which are largely composed of helium and hydrogen.

Researchers found that gas giants featuring a thermal inversion were likely to contain heat-absorbing metals, which may reside in the planets’ upper atmospheres.

Gas giants were likely to contain heat-absorbing metals when they featured a layer of atmosphere warmer than the layer beneath it, researchers found; this phenomenon is known as a thermal inversion.

English

PASSAGE:
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

• A thermal inversion is a phenomenon where a layer of atmosphere is warmer than the layer beneath it.
• In 2022, a team of researchers studied the presence of thermal inversions in twenty-five gas giants.
• Gas giants are planets largely composed of helium and hydrogen.
• The team found that gas giants featuring a thermal inversion were also likely to contain heat-absorbing metals.
• One explanation for this relationship is that these metals may reside in a planet’s upper atmosphere, where their absorbed heat causes an increase in temperature.

QUESTION: The student wants to present the study’s findings to an audience already familiar with thermal inversions. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?