What Are Air Currents And Temperature Inversions?

A very interesting question. It relates to the relative motion of air molecules in our planet. The sun beating down on the earth, keeps the surface of the earth warm, and the earth warms the lower atmosphere. The air in the upper atmosphere is much cooler than the air above the ground. Since warm air is less dense than cold air, warm air has a tendency to rise up towards the upper atmosphere whereas cold sinks to the lower atmosphere. These currents of air mix the lower atmosphere. The dirty air we produce is carried upwards and dispersed quickly into the vast upper atmosphere.
Sometimes these air currents disappear for a time. Then the air in the higher region of the atmosphere, warmed by the sun, becomes warmer than air near the ground. There is a temperature inversion. The cooler air near the ground is much denser and stays where it is. Pollutants poured into a stagnant layer do no become easily dispersed. They accumulate near the ground level, mainly over cities. Temperature inversions force us to breathe our own pollutants, and sometimes these make us ill. Temperature inversions are most likely to occur in places which have a hot climate and still air.

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