What is the phenomenon where temperature increases with height in the troposphere called?
A temperature inversion occurs when the standard rule of the troposphere—cooling with height—is reversed. In this scenario, a layer of warm air sits above a layer of cooler air near the surface. This creates a stable “lid” that traps pollutants, smog and moisture close to the ground, often leading to poor air quality and foggy conditions. ANSWER: (C) Temperature inversion
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Temperature inversion occurs when temperature increases with height in the troposphere, opposite to the normal lapse rate. This traps cooler air below warmer air, preventing vertical mixing. It often leads to fog, smog accumulation, and poor air quality, especially in urban and valley regions.
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Normally, the troposphere cools as you climb higher. However, under certain conditions, such as clear winter nights or when warm air moves over a cold surface, the ground cools the air immediately above it faster than the air higher up. This reversal is called a temperature inversion. Because the cooler air is denser, it remains trapped at the surface, prevented from rising by the warmer “cap” above. This lack of vertical mixing is why inversions are frequently associated with heavy smog in urban areas, as car exhaust and industrial smoke cannot escape the lower atmosphere.