Inversion, Temperature

Generally, the higher in the atmosphere air is, the cooler it is. However, there are some circumstances in which the opposite process occurs and a band of warmer air overlays cooler air. This is known as temperature inversion. A permanent temperature inversion occurs at the edge of the troposphere, with warmer air above it in the stratosphere after the barrier of a temperature inversion known as the troposphere. However, several other methods of creating a temperature inversion exist, which are temporary phenomena. One result of temperature inversion is that particles in the air are unable to rise up into the sky and instead form a layer following the contours of the inversion. When a temperature inversion occurs above an industrial area, therefore, it can trap ...