What is a temperature inversion?

• A. It is when temperature remains constant with altitude.
• B. It is when temperature decreases more rapidly with altitude.
• C. It is when temperature increases with altitude.
• D. It is when temperature rises after reaching a certain height.

Answer: (C)

A temperature inversion is when a layer in the atmosphere actually gets warmer as you go higher, so temperature increases with altitude within that layer. This creates a stable layer that resists vertical mixing, which is why inversions can trap pollutants and affect cloud formation and fog.

The other descriptions don’t match the idea of an inversion: staying constant with height would not involve a change in temperature with altitude; cooling more rapidly with height is the opposite of an inversion (that would be a stronger lapse rate, not a rise); and talking about a rise after a certain height implies a sudden change rather than a layer where the temperature gradient is positive.