All Flashcards
How does topography affect thermal inversions?
Valleys and mountains block wind, trapping air and pollutants.
Why are thermal inversions worse in winter?
Ground cools faster than air, creating cooler air near the surface.
What role do high-pressure systems play?
Can cause air to sink and warm, creating an inversion.
How do thermal inversions affect air quality?
They trap pollutants, leading to poor air quality and smog.
What's the relationship between thermal inversion and pollution?
Thermal inversion traps existing pollutants, worsening air quality.
What is the 'lid' effect in thermal inversions?
Warm air acts like a lid, trapping pollutants near the surface.
What is the normal atmospheric condition?
Air gets colder as you go higher in the atmosphere.
How does solar radiation increase during thermal inversions?
Clear skies (no clouds) allow for increased solar radiation.
How does a thermal inversion differ from normal atmospheric conditions?
Normally, air gets colder as altitude increases. In an inversion, a layer of warm air sits above cooler air.
Explain the role of valleys in thermal inversion formation.
Valleys block wind, trapping cooler air and pollutants, making them prone to inversions.
Why are thermal inversions more common in winter?
The ground cools faster than the air, creating a layer of cool air near the surface.
How do high-pressure systems contribute to thermal inversions?
They cause air to sink and warm, creating a layer of warm air aloft that traps cooler air below.
Explain the relationship between thermal inversions and air pollution.
Thermal inversions trap pollutants near the surface, worsening air quality and health impacts.
Describe the impact of topography on thermal inversions.
Valleys and mountains block wind, trapping air and pollutants, leading to thermal inversions.
What role does solar radiation play in thermal inversions?
Clear skies during inversions increase solar radiation, potentially leading to increased ground-level ozone formation.
Explain the concept of a 'lid' in the context of thermal inversions.
The warm air layer acts like a lid, preventing pollutants from rising and dispersing.
What is a thermal inversion?
A layer of warm air trapped above a layer of cooler air.
Define VOCs.
Volatile Organic Compounds, pollutants from car exhaust.
What is smog?
Air pollution caused by trapped pollutants during thermal inversion.
Define particulate matter.
Microscopic solid or liquid matter suspended in the air.
What is hoarfrost?
A deposit of ice crystals formed on objects exposed to the air.