Temperature inversion

A temperature inversion is an atmospheric condition in which warmer air overlies cooler air near the ground, suppressing vertical mixing and often trapping pollutants.

Radiation inversion: A near-surface inversion formed when the ground loses heat by radiation, cooling the air above it. Clear, calm nights cool the ground and create this common inversion type.
Air pollution: Harmful substances in the atmosphere at concentrations that threaten health or ecosystems. A low inversion can prevent polluted surface air from dispersing upward.
Weather forecasting: The prediction of atmospheric conditions using observations, physical models, and statistical methods. Forecasters track inversions to anticipate fog, stagnant air, and limited pollutant dispersion.
Environmental lapse rate: The observed rate of temperature change with altitude at a particular place and time. Unlike an inversion, the usual environmental profile has temperature decreasing with height.
Subsidence inversion: An inversion formed when descending air warms through compression above cooler air near the surface. Sinking air can cap a broad region and persist beyond a single night.
Smog: Air pollution that reduces visibility and can harm health, commonly involving particles and chemical pollutants. Inversions can concentrate pollutants near the ground and intensify smog episodes.
Radiosonde: An instrument package carried by a weather balloon to measure atmospheric conditions aloft. Vertical temperature profiles reveal inversion height and strength.
Temperature inversion cap: An inversion that forms a lid over a lower atmospheric layer and inhibits upward mixing. This term emphasizes an inversion's role as a barrier to convection and dispersion.
Advection inversion: An inversion formed when warm air moves over a colder surface or colder air mass. Horizontal transport creates the temperature layering without requiring strong local cooling.
Particulate matter: A mixture of tiny solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in air. Particles accumulate beneath persistent inversions when ventilation is weak.

Linked from 20 pages