Inversion of Temperature| Class 11 Geography Notes

Inversion of Temperature is a specific layer in the atmosphere. This layer describes how the air temperature increases with height. As per the Inversion of Temperature, the lower altitude contains the cold air layer and the higher altitude contains the warm air. This type of inversion happens when the air temperature decreases with altitude. Inversion can cause so much air pollution like smog.

In this article, we are going to discuss the Inversion of Temperature in detail.

Inversion of Temperature| Class 11 Geography Notes

Inversion of Temperature

Inversion of Temperature is the reverse process of the normal behavior of temperature in the layer of the troposphere. Under normal conditions, the temperature decreases with the altitude which is known as the normal lapse rate. Under the Inversion of Temperature, the warm air layer lies over the cold layer.

Favorable Conditions Of The Inversion of Temperature

Here are the favorable conditions of the Inversion of Temperature as mentioned below:

• Long winter nights are a favorable condition for the Inversion of Temperature. Long winter nights help to lose the heat from the ground by following the terrestrial radiation.
• Cloudless and clear sky helps in the Inversion of Temperature without any obstruction.
• Dry air near the ground surface helps in the absorption of the heat from the surface of the Earth.
• Slow air movement and the snow-covered ground surface help in the mixing of the heat in low layers. They also help to release maximum heat through the process of reflection.

There are two types of Inversion of Temperature including Non-Advectional and Advectional as mentioned below.

Non-Advectional Inversion of Temperature

Non-Advectional Inversion of Temperature is where when air cools down due to any contact of the cold air. It happens during the static atmospheric conditions. Here are the two major types of the Non-Advectional Inversion of Temperature as mentioned below.

Radiation Inversion (Surface Temperature Inversion)

• In this inversion, the hot air cools down with the contact of the cold surfaces.
• This process happens mostly on clear nights due to the rapid radiation.
• If the temperature drops down to the dew point, the fog happens.
• It is a very common phenomenon in the high altitudes.

Subsidence Inversion (Upper Surface Temperature Inversion)

• This inversion happens when the temperature lapse rate is reduced.
• It is very common in those places where the atmosphere is really dry.
• The favorable region of this type of inversion is the location where the air pressure is so high.

Advectional Inversion of Temperature

Advection inversion is also known as the dynamic inversion. In this process, the cold air mass pushes a warm air mass upside down. This type of inversion is unstable and has a significant slope. Here are the two major types of the Advectional Inversion of Temperature as mentioned below.

Valley Inversion in Intermontane Valley

• This type of inversion happens in the high mountains due to the high temperature of the lower layers of air.
• The surface radiates the heat rapidly in the upper layer and the lower layer becomes so heavy.
• The sloping surface pushes the warm layer downwards and becomes cold gradually.

Frontal or Cyclonic inversion

• In this inversion, the warm and cold air meets together.
• The warm air layer rises and the cold layer falls gradually. This process is known as the Frontal inversion.
• This process takes place in the temperate zone and causes different cyclonic conditions.
• This type of inversion is unstable.

People Also Read:

• Solar Radiation
• Thermal Expansion Formula
• Effect of Change of Temperature
• Temperature Conversion Formulas
• Why does Temperature Decrease with Increasing Altitude?

FAQs on Class 11 Notes Inversion of Temperature

What is the short note on temperature inversion?

A temperature inversion is a layer in the atmosphere in which air temperature increases with height. An inversion is present in the lower part of a cap. The cap is a layer of relatively warm air aloft (above the inversion).

What do you mean by inversion of temperature?

Temperature inversion, a reversal of the normal behaviour of temperature in the troposphere (the region of the atmosphere nearest Earth’s surface), in which a layer of cool air at the surface is overlain by a layer of warmer air.

How do you find temperature inversion?

Measure air temperature at 6–12 inches above the soil and at 8–10 feet above the soil. An inversion exists if measured air temperature at 8–10 feet above the soil is higher than the measured air temperature at 6–12 inches above the soil.

What is temperature inversion wind?

Often times the wind under an inversion is much lighter, and also can be a different direction than the winds aloft. When it is a low-level inversion due to radiational cooling, often the winds under the inversion will come off of the land (which is cooler) and flow towards the water (which is slightly warmer).

What causes temperature inversion?

The inversion created from a cold front is especially evident when a shallow layer of polar air moves into lower latitudes. The air associated with the shallow air mass is colder than the air aloft, thus creating an inversion. Inversions promote stability within the vertical layer of the troposphere they exist.