Temperature Inversion, Conditions, Types, Effects & Applications by Haris Salahuddin

Temperature Inversion:

The increase in temperature with increase in altitude is called temperature inversion.

Conditions:

For temperature inversion the following conditions are required

1: Sky should be clear

2: Night must be long

3:  There should be calm and stable air

Types:

1: Ground Inversion:

A ground inversion develops when air is cooled by contact with a colder surface until it becomes cooler than the overlying atmosphere.

Ground inversion has two types

a) Radiation Inversion:

This inversion occurs most often on clear nights, when the ground cools off rapidly by radiation. If the temperature of surface air drops below its dew point, fog may result. 

b) Advection Inversion:

This inversion occurs during cold month on coastal areas when warm air passes over cooler surface. Here the cold wind blows from sea to land.

2: Upper Air Inversion:

It has two types

Subsidence Inversion:

This type of inversion occurs when a thick mass of air subsides due to high pressure, as a result the sinking air compresses and warms. In certain cases, the subsidence continues to a particular level where the air diverges horizontally above a lower layer of colder air. This inversion commonly occurs in regions of high pressure.

Turbulence Inversion:

This inversion is caused due to mechanical process. In this inversion the convection of cold air masses to lower surface takes place. This inversion commonly occurs at high altitude regions.

3: Frontal Inversion:

A frontal inversion occurs when a cold air mass undercuts a warm air mass and lifts it, the front between the two air masses has warm air above and cold air below. This kind of inversion has considerable slope, whereas other inversions are nearly horizontal. In addition, humidity may be high, and clouds may be present immediately above it.

Advantages of Temperature Inversion:

Temperature inversion forms a cap like a barrier which restricts all the pollutants to enter in the higher atmospheric region.

It results in the formation of fog and clouds.

Prepared By: Haris Salahuddin