What phenomenon occurs when the upper layer of air is warmer than the air below?

Temperature inversion is a meteorological phenomenon that occurs when a layer of warm air traps cooler air beneath it. Typically, air temperature decreases with altitude due to the normal lapse rate, where the atmosphere cools as you move higher. However, during a temperature inversion, the usual pattern is reversed, leading to the creation of a warm layer above cooler air.

This condition can significantly affect weather and local air quality. For example, it can lead to the accumulation of pollutants close to the ground, as the warm air layer acts like a lid, preventing the cooler, denser air below from rising and dispersing emissions. Understanding this phenomenon is important for aerial applicators, as it can influence how and when to apply pesticides or fertilizers and how these applications disperse in the environment.

While thermal stratification, atmospheric pressure changes, and weather fronts relate to air properties and weather patterns, they do not specifically address the scenario where warm air is found above cooler air, which distinctly characterizes a temperature inversion.