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Temperature Inversions & Air Pollution

A temperature inversion occurs when a layer of cool air at the surface is overlain by warmer air above it, reversing the normal temperature pattern. This inversion acts as a lid, trapping air pollutants below it and preventing their dispersion. As a result, inversions can greatly increase air pollution levels near the surface by limiting diffusion and the vertical movement of polluted air. They also inhibit the formation of clouds that could help clean the air through precipitation. Both surface and stratospheric inversions influence air quality and climate in these ways.

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65 views3 pages

Temperature Inversions & Air Pollution

A temperature inversion occurs when a layer of cool air at the surface is overlain by warmer air above it, reversing the normal temperature pattern. This inversion acts as a lid, trapping air pollutants below it and preventing their dispersion. As a result, inversions can greatly increase air pollution levels near the surface by limiting diffusion and the vertical movement of polluted air. They also inhibit the formation of clouds that could help clean the air through precipitation. Both surface and stratospheric inversions influence air quality and climate in these ways.

Uploaded by

Zac Bismonte
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© © All Rights Reserved
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 Temperature inversion, is a reversal of the normal behavior of temperature in the

troposphere, in which a layer of cool air at the surface is overlain by a layer of warmer
air. (Under normal conditions, temperature usually decreases with height).

Effects

 Inversions play an important role in determining cloud forms, precipitation, and visibility.
 An inversion acts as a cap on the upward movement of air from the layers below. As a result,
convection produced by the heating of air from below is limited to levels below the
inversion. Diffusion of dust, smoke, and other air pollutants is likewise limited.
 In regions where a pronounced low-level inversion is present, convective
clouds cannot grow high enough to produce showers.
 Visibility may be greatly reduced below the inversion due to the accumulation of dust and
smoke particles. Because air near the base of an inversion tends to be cool, fog is frequently
present there.
 Inversions also affect diurnal variations in temperature. Diurnal variations tend to be
very small.

Ideal Conditions For Temperature Inversion

1. Long nights, so that the outgoing radiation is greater than the incoming radiation.
2. Clear skies, which allow unobstructed escape of radiation.
3. Calm and stable air, so that there is no vertical mixing at lower levels.

January 2, 2016 by PMF IAS

https://www.pmfias.com/temperature-inversion-types-economic-implications-temperature-inversion/
How Do Temperature Inversions
Influence Air Pollution?
By Doug Bennett; Updated May 09, 2018

Temperature inversions have a great effect on air pollution. Whether it's a blanket of smog over
a city or the melting of ice packs due to ozone depletion, atmospheric temperature inversions
are intricately involved. They influence the scope and intensity of the effects of air pollution on a
temporary, localized basis as well as long term and globally.

Atmospheric Effects
Temperature inversions affect air pollution because they change the dynamics of air
movement. Warm air rises in the atmosphere because it is less dense and, therefore,
more buoyant than the cooler air above it. This tendency to rise is what creates the
vertical development found in thunderstorms. However, a temperature inversion
prevents this vertical movement, also known as convection. Stated differently,
inversions function like an atmospheric lid or blanket. This smothering effect traps air
pollutants and allows their concentrations to increase.

Air Pollution Effects


Surface inversions are responsible for producing smog, trapping the pollutants
produced by vehicles, fires and industrial activities. Furthermore, the hydrocarbons and
nitrogen oxides present in these trapped pollutants are converted into harmful ozone by
sunlight, which reduces air quality. The stratosphere’s inversion traps pollutants within
the stable layer, which is something that typically occurs when greenhouse gases are
injected high into the atmosphere by volcanic eruptions. Without the vertical mixing
provided by convection, these gases remain suspended within the inversion layer and
result in a long-term impact on the global climate.

https://sciencing.com/temperature-inversions-influence-air-pollution-10038430.html

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