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Temperature Inversions

Large-scale temperature inversions occur in the lower atmosphere when warm air overlies cooler air. These widespread inversions are caused by a variety of factors. The four primary types of inversions are the marine inversions, regional subsidence inversions, high-pressure inversions, and radiation inversions.

Marine inversions occur near the coast, mainly near the western side of continents where marine air is blown inland by prevailing winds. The ocean is cool compared to the land therefore the air right above the ocean is also cool. The prevailing winds blow this cool air toward the land. Meanwhile, the land is warm due to solar radiation. The warm air rises and circulates above the cooler air creating a temperature inversion. At night, the land cools quickly. This causes a rev

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Radiation inversions are commonplace in the desert where the air is very dry and the land will cool down very quickly. This is a common occurrence in the southern California coastal zone. The warm air then traps the cooler coastal air and a temperature inversion is created.

Regional subsidence inversions are created when air flows over an obstacle such as a mountain range or blows from a high plateau and descends into a lower basin. Therefore they do not respond well to changes in solar radiation. This means that inversions generally occur at night once the land cools down and convection of the air ceases. After the air crosses the obstacle it descends and is heated by adiabatic compression. The subsidence causes the air to pressurize and warm. This air is typically dry which causes it to warm very quickly (this is known as a dry adiabat).

A radiation inversion occurs when heat is rapidly lost from the surface by thermal radiation. The ground, and the layer of air which comes into contact with ground, cool rapidly at night. However, the air higher up remains warm.

A high-pressure inversion can form when a stationary high-pressure system settles over a region. The air will descend until it reaches the denser, colder air found at the surface.

Approximate Word count = 528
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

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