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inversion

inversion

2 7.4
A layer of cold air trapped below warm air near the ground
  • noun
  • /ɪnˈvɜrʒən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : inversión térmica
  • The mountain-rimmed basin aids the formation of temperature inversions that concentrate suspended particulate matter and hold it near the surface.
  • thermal inversion
  • temperature inversion
  • frequent temperature inversions

Examples

  • It's a temperature inversion in the mid part of the lower atmosphere.

  • In an inversion, cool air gets trapped under a layer of warmer air.

    Academic text (2008)
  • A low-level temperature inversion held this concentration within a few hundred meters of the ground.

    Academic text (1993)
  • The latter is characterized by a high level of air pollution due to frequent thermal inversion, with pollution being trapped close to ground level.

    Academic text (2015)
  • In an inversion, the cooler air is trapped beneath warmer air, leading to persistent fog.

  • A temperature inversion often causes air pollution to become concentrated near the surface.

  • During a temperature inversion, the warm layer of air above prevents cooler air from rising.

Compounds

matrix inversion
  • Specialized
8.6

To find a matrix that, when multiplied by the original, makes the identity matrix

9.9

An old word for someone who behaves in ways usually seen in the other sex

Surface Forms

inversion singular
inversions plural

Morphology

inversion = invert (semi-transparent) = invert + ion

Formed from 'invert' + '-ion', but the meteorological sense (temperature profile reversal) is specialized and may not be fully predictable for an average learner.

Etymology

Inversion comes from the Latin invertere, where in- means 'in' and vertere means 'to turn'. A weather inversion is when the usual order of warm and cold air is 'turned', so warm air sits above cold air and can trap fog or pollution.