Which term describes the atmospheric condition where temperature increases with height, contrary to normal decrease?

Which term describes the atmospheric condition where temperature increases with height, contrary to normal decrease?

• A. Humidity
• B. Temperature inversion
• C. Solar radiation
• D. Conduction

Answer: (B)

A temperature inversion happens when the air near the ground is cooler than the air above it, so temperature rises with height instead of falling. Under normal conditions, air cools as you go up, allowing vertical mixing. But during an inversion, a stable layer traps pollutants close to the surface, often leading to fog or smog in cities, because there’s little vertical movement to disperse them. This situation commonly occurs on calm, clear nights in valleys or urban basins. The other terms don't describe this vertical temperature pattern. Humidity is about water vapor content in the air, not how temperature changes with height. Solar radiation refers to the sun’s energy, not the vertical temperature profile. Conduction is a heat transfer process through contact, not a description of atmospheric layering.

A temperature inversion happens when the air near the ground is cooler than the air above it, so temperature rises with height instead of falling. Under normal conditions, air cools as you go up, allowing vertical mixing. But during an inversion, a stable layer traps pollutants close to the surface, often leading to fog or smog in cities, because there’s little vertical movement to disperse them. This situation commonly occurs on calm, clear nights in valleys or urban basins.

The other terms don't describe this vertical temperature pattern. Humidity is about water vapor content in the air, not how temperature changes with height. Solar radiation refers to the sun’s energy, not the vertical temperature profile. Conduction is a heat transfer process through contact, not a description of atmospheric layering.