Temperature inversion, as the name suggests, is the inversion of the behavior of the earth’s normal temperature(T°). It is also known as thermal inversion. Air pollution refers to the contamination of air we breathe by natural, meteorological, or anthropogenic reasons. But how exactly does it affect air pollution? Let us have a look.
A temperature inversion is an increase in the earth’s T° with an elevation in the earth’s lower atmosphere. The closest layer to the earth’s surface is the troposphere where the majority of our weather occurs. Normally, when we ascend into the troposphere, the T° of the air drops. A temperature inversion happens when this is altered.
Warm air has a lower density than cold air. When cold air is above, this causes warm air to bounce, resulting in rising thermals.
An inversion acts as a boundary for that warm air, stopping it from expanding and rising upwards. When convective clouds hit an inversion, they stop growing. Rather than rising vertically, these clouds begin to spread horizontally beneath an inversion. Convection fog clouds will not produce rain if the inversion is low. It can also trap mist and fog, as well as smog and pollutants within the atmosphere.
There are several types of inversion, depending on the nature of the air and the T°. These include:
When the air near cold earth’s surface cools faster than the air above, a ground inversion occurs. This is common on a clear and quiet night when heat radiates away from the earth and swiftly cools. Fog can form near the ground. Occasionally remaining until the earth warms up again during the day.
A frontal inversion happens when a mass of cold air collides with warm air and undercuts it. As warm air is forced upwards it then cools down and condenses into horizontal layers of mist or vapor. These form clouds. When these cloud layers are thick enough, they give drizzle, rain or snow.
A subsidence inversion happens when a high-pressure area causes a layer of air to sink or subside. As it falls, the air compresses and dries out, allowing it to warm up. In some cases, such as land masses in winter, the air near the earth’s surface remains colder. The resulting inversion can cause shallow layers of cloud to trap haze and hinder visibility.
Air pollution is the contamination of air quality via natural or anthropogenic reasons. This alters the chemical composition of the air present in the atmosphere. Air pollution can exist both indoors and outdoors. But what is the reason behind contamination of air? There are many natural, and anthropogenic reasons that contribute to the deteriorating air quality. Some of these include:
These include many meteorological, and weather conditions that affect the concentration of air pollution in an area. These include:
Air pollution causes due to anthropogenic or man made reasons are much more responsible for air quality deterioration as compared to natural causes. Some of these include:
When an inversion occurs, the air near earth’s surface does not mix with higher air, pollutants can build up when an advection inversion is present. It plays a significant role in determining the air pollution dispersion and diffusion.
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