Inversion (meteorology)

Have you ever seen fog on the ground? Imagine that fog is like a blanket covering the Earth. Now, imagine if that fog stayed on the ground and didn't rise up.

This is what happens during an inversion in meteorology. Normally, the atmosphere gets colder as you go higher up. However, during an inversion, a layer of warmer air gets stuck near the ground and colder air is above it.

This happens when the ground cools down at night and radiates heat into the atmosphere. This causes the air near the ground to cool down, making it denser and heavier. The denser, colder air stays close to the ground while warmer air floats above it.

Inversions can affect our weather in different ways. They can trap pollution close to the ground, making it difficult to breathe. They can also make it harder for clouds to form and trap moisture, leading to dry conditions.

So, remember to think of the blanket of fog on the ground when you hear about inversions in meteorology!