turbulence inversion
Quick Summary
A temperature inversion is a meteorological phenomenon where the normal atmospheric temperature gradient is reversed. Typically, air temperature decreases with altitude in the troposphere. However, during a temperature inversion, a layer of cooler air near the surface is trapped beneath a layer of warmer air.
This inversion acts as a lid, limiting the vertical movement of air and thus trapping pollutants, smoke, and dust near the ground, which can lead to reduced visibility and fog formation. There are four main types of inversions: ground, turbulence, subsidence, and frontal. A turbulence inversion specifically forms when turbulent air below is overlain by quiescent air, leading to mixing that cools the upper part of the turbulent layer, creating warmer air above cooler air.1
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