Question

Under what conditions does the inversion of temperature apply?

Answer 1

Inversion of temperature occurs under the following conditions:

1. On calm, cold winter nights when the sky is clear and the air is very dry.
2. Heat from the Earth’s surface escapes rapidly back into space due to radiational cooling.
3. Cold air sinks down into the valley bottoms while the upper slopes remain warmer.
4. This causes a reversal in the normal temperature distribution, with the valley floor being colder than the higher slopes.

These conditions lead to temperature increasing with height instead of decreasing, creating an inversion layer, which is common in mid-latitude mountainous regions during winter nights.