{"id":5482,"date":"2021-04-16T10:00:43","date_gmt":"2021-04-16T08:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breeze-technologies.de\/?p=5482"},"modified":"2021-09-29T01:12:40","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T23:12:40","slug":"what-is-temperature-inversion-and-how-does-it-exacerbate-smog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breeze-technologies.de\/de\/blog\/what-is-temperature-inversion-and-how-does-it-exacerbate-smog\/","title":{"rendered":"What is temperature inversion, and how does it exacerbate smog?"},"content":{"rendered":"

While most people are familiar with the fact that smog is caused by severe air pollution, few know that the weather can also be at fault thanks to a phenomenon called \u201ctemperature inversion\u201d. Read on to find out more.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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What is smog?<\/h2>\n

To start off, <\/span>smog<\/span><\/a> is defined as widespread air pollution that reduces visibility. The term \u201csmog\u201d is a combination of two words: \u201csmoke\u201d and \u201cfog\u201d, which are meant to describe its appearance. Originally, what is now known as <\/span>sulphurous smog<\/span><\/a> was common in industrial areas<\/a> as it came from the sulphur oxides released by burning fossil fuels such as coal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, <\/span>photochemical smog<\/span><\/a>, also called ground-level ozone<\/a> or summer smog, is much more common. It predominantly occurs in urban areas, as the nitrogen oxides<\/a> necessary for its creation come from car exhaust. In the presence of sunlight and heat, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds<\/a> undergo what\u2019s called a photochemical reaction to form smog. The result is a light brown colouration<\/a> of the atmosphere causing reduced visibility, vegetation damage, and respiratory distress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"An

An example for photochemical smog. Image: Unsplash.com \/ Nishaan Ahmed<\/p><\/div>\n

Then there\u2019s winter smog, which is caused by temperature inversion due to the cold season.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a temperature inversion?<\/h2>\n

Usually, the higher the altitude, the lower the temperature of the air. <\/span>Temperature inversion<\/span><\/a> is a meteorological phenomenon that develops when cool air is trapped at the ground under a layer of warm air.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are <\/span>four types of temperature inversions<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n