How does warm sinking air create a subsidence inversion?

Question

or just an inversion?

Answer 1

Air that is descending warms just as air that is rising cools. The rate of change of temperature with height is called the lapse rate. There are different lapse rates in the atmosphere.

The environmental lapse rate is the change of temperature with height as the observer rises through the atmosphere. This is usually determined by weather balloons or aeroplanes climbing and descending.

The dry adiabatic lapse rate is the rate of change of temperature of dry air that is forced to rise or descend by various processes.

The moist or saturated adiabatic lapse rate is the rate of change of temperature of moist air in which water vapour is condensing or water droplets are evaporating.

In a high pressure system, the descending air warms at the dry adiabatic lapse rate. This is usually greater than the environmental lapse rate so as the air descends, it becomes warmer than the air below it. This creates the subsidence inversion.

A radiation inversion is caused by the ground cooling rapidly on calm, clear nights and cooling the air above it which is then cooler than the air above that.

Answer 2

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