How is heat transferred in the troposphere?

Since Earth Science is really where this belongs, I have responded there, but I will do so again.

Any body that has heat will emit radiation, which is energy that travels in waves. The Earth radiates heat into the troposphere at night.

For example, the Earth can heat the air in direct contact with it, which is effectively the first three meters of the atmosphere. Conduction, or the transfer of energy by contact, is a very small factor in the transfer of heat in the troposphere, as it only really occurs within the first few feet of any layer.

A region of black asphalt will heat up significantly faster than a region of snow-covered ground. Convection is the transfer of heat via the unequal heating of the Earth. Warm air rises as it expands, so different surfaces on the Earth heat up differently based on their albedo (reflectiveness).

The horizontal transfer of air, or advection, is what happens when warm air is moved by the wind over a colder region; this phenomenon is commonly referred to as fronts.

When water molecules transition to a higher energy level, they retain latent heat, which is the heat that they store. For example, when water boils, the temperature stays around 100 degrees C even though the heat source is still producing heat. This extra energy is absorbed by the water molecules as they transform into water vapor.

Thus, in conjunction with convection, if we have water vapor in a warm air parcel and that parcel rises and cools (because of the drop in pressure), we will witness the water vapor transform back into liquid water (forming a cloud) and the latent heat be released as sensible heat (heat you can feel).

The last phenomenon is known as turbulent mixing, which is the result of a stronger wind and rougher terrain. It mixes the planetary boundary layer (the first 1000 meters), increasing the effects of radiation and conduction.

Heat is transferred in the troposphere primarily through convection, conduction, and radiation.