... explained over here.
Do I claim to truly 'understand' it? No of course not, but it seems highly plausible and accords with everything else we know, such as it being colder high up in the mountains (aka 'adiabatic lapse rate'). Or how clouds of gas ignite and become stars.
Are some gases better insulators than others? Of course, but that's a minor tweak in the overall scheme of things.
-------------------------------------------
UPDATE: It's a good job they wrote it up. If you try to click through to the study itself, you get the following message:
WITHDRAWN: Emergent model for predicting the average surface temperature of rocky planets with diverse atmospheres
This article has been withdrawn upon common agreement between the authors and the editors and not related to the scientific merit of the study. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.
What is it that they don't want people to know?
Debate Magazine
