As an undergraduate research assistant in the lab of the famous Dr. S. Nameerf, your duties involve measuring water potential in experimental soil-plant-atmosphere systems. Assume you make a series of measurements in a system under normal daylight conditions, with stomata open and photosynthesis occurring. Which of the following correctly depicts the trend your measurement data should follow if the cohesion-tension mechanism is operating?

a. soil < roots < leaves < atmosphere
b. atmosphere < leaves < roots < soil

c. soil < roots = leaves < atmosphere
d. atmosphere < leaves = roots < soil