Thermal inversion
Definition
Thermal inversion refers to a weather condition where the normal temperature pattern in the atmosphere is reversed, with warm air being trapped above cooler air near the surface. This can lead to the accumulation of pollutants and smog in lower layers of the atmosphere.
Analogy
Imagine a blanket covering a bed on a cold winter night. The warm air from your body gets trapped under the blanket, while the cold air stays closer to the floor. Similarly, during a thermal inversion, warm air acts like a blanket that traps pollutants close to the ground.
Related terms
Temperature inversion: A phenomenon where temperature increases with altitude instead of decreasing as it normally does in the troposphere.
Smog: A type of air pollution that occurs when pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react with sunlight.
Inversion layer: The layer of warm air that forms during a thermal inversion and prevents vertical mixing of pollutants.
"Thermal inversion" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Additional resources (3)
Practice Questions (8)
- What is a thermal inversion?
- What is one of the main sources of pollutants that can be trapped by thermal inversion?
- What can thermal inversion lead to in terms of weather?
- What is the relationship between thermal inversion and pollution trapping?
- What is one of the negative impacts of the pollutants trapped by thermal inversion on human health?
- What is one of the impacts of thermal inversion on the weather?
- What happens to the air temperature during a thermal inversion?
- What is one of the effects of thermal inversion on the ground?
Resources
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