MAULANA AZAD NATIONAL INSTITIUTE OF

Temperature
TECHNOLOGY
POORNA SHREE

Inversion
22EO50
 T
Agenda
Introduction

Defination

Pictorial Representation

Favorable conditions

Effects

Types

Summary
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 Introduction
Under normal conditions, temperature usually decreases with
increase in altitude in the troposphere at a rate of 1 degree for
every 165 metres. This is called normal lapse rate.
But on some occasions, the situations get reversed and
temperature starts increasing with height rather than decreasing.
This is called temperature inversion.

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TEMPERATURE INVERSION
DEFINATION
“A temperature inversion is a layer
in the atmosphere in which air

”
temperature increases with height.
0
 PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION

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 FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS

• Long winter nights: Loss of heat by terrestrial radiation from

the ground surface during night may exceed the amount of
incoming solar radiation.
• Cloudless and clear sky: Loss of heat through terrestrial
radiation proceeds more rapidly without any obstruction.
• Dry air near the ground surface: It limits the absorption of the
radiated heat from the Earth’s surface.
• Slow movement of air: It results in no transfer or mixing of
heat in the lower layers of the atmosphere.
• Snow covered ground surface: It results in maximum loss of
heat
Presentation title through reflection of incoming solar radiation. 7
 Effects
•Temperature inversion determines the
precipitation, forms of clouds, and also causes

E
frost due to condensation of warm air due to its
cooling.

• Dust particles hanging in the air:Due

to inversion of temperature, air pollutants
such as dust particles and smoke do not
disperse on the surface.
• Stops the movement of air: It causes
the stability of the atmosphere that stops
the downward and upward movement of
air.
• Less rainfall: Convection clouds can not
move high upwards so there is less rainfall
and no showers. So, it causes a problem
for agricultural productivity.
• Lower visibility: Fog is formed due to the
situation of warm air above and cold air
below, and hence visibility is reduced
which causes disturbance in
transportation.
• Thunderstorms and tornadoes: Intense
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thunderstorms and tornadoes are also
 Thunderstorms and
tornadoes:

Lower visibility:

Dust particles hanging in the air:

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 TEMPERATURE INVERSION

Advectional Non-
Advectional
Radiation Inversion (Surface Temperature Valley inversion in
Inversion) intermontane valley
Subsidence Inversion (Upper Surface Frontal or Cyclonic
Temperature Inversion) inversion

Vertical advection- It happens at valleys as there the air gets heated and rises resulting in colder
air from the above to sink to the bottom like a slope then a temperature inversion form.
Moreover, valley inversion happens in the mountain valleys due to the vertical movement of air
and radiation.

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 .

Valley
Cold air at the hills
Cyclonic
Radiation Subsidence
A subsidence and mountains,
Radiation inversions inversion Frontal or cyclonic
inversion
Inversion
are the most common Inversion
inversion develops produced during
inversion is caused in
type of inversion. Colder when a widespread the night, flows
the temperate zones
air can establish itself layer of air descends. under the influence
due to temperate
near the ground on clear The layer is of gravity. Being
cyclones which are
nights when the winds are compressed and heavy and dense,
formed due to the
relatively calm and the heated by the the cold air acts
convergence of warm
earth's surface radiates resulting increase in almost like water
westerlies and cold
its absorbed solar atmospheric and moves down
polar winds in the
radiation back towards pressure, and as a the slope to pile up
northern hemisphere.
space. result the lapse rate deeply in pockets
of temperature is and valley bottoms
reduced. with warm air
above.
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 LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE
LAYER OBSERVATION

TROPOSPHERE LAPSE RATE = +VE(

STRATOSPHERE TEMPERATURE
INVERSION=+VE
MESOSPHERE LAPSE RATE = +VE

THERMOSPHERE(IONOSPHERE) TEMPERATURE
INEVRSION=+VE
EXOSPHERE TEMPERATURE
INVERSION=+VE

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 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.
The thermal inversion in the stratosphere on Earth is due to absorption of
ultraviolet radiation by Ozone (O3) but can be generated by other molecules
on different planets. Above the stratosphere the temperature decreases
with height due to cooling in the infrared, mainly by CO 2.
Temperature inversions are caused by atmospheric ripples called gravity
waves.
The inversion in the thermosphere occurs due to the extremely low density
of its molecules.

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 SUMMARY
Inversion of temperatures causes the formation of clouds,
precipitation, and frost. This is due to the condensation of
warm air. The inversion of temperature is protection to
human beings. The dry air of the inversion catches the air
pollutants towards itself. Because of the inversion of
temperature, air pollutants such as dust particles and
smoke do not scatter on the land. This shield acts as a
cover to the nearest atmospheric sphere (troposphere).

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 Select a mistake
that reflects your
ability to own
Thank your errors, take
you in feedback,
create a plan for
improvement,
problem-solve,
and share lessons
Tasila Poorna Shree​