Distribution of temperature and inversion of temperature

Urban structures can store and slowly release heat. In exams link higher urban night temperature with urban heat island.

Strong wind increases mixing and rain can wash particles down. In exams understand that pollution trapping may reduce when inversion breaks.

Close isotherms show large temperature change over short distance. In exams identify temperature gradient from line spacing.

Land far from sea heats and cools quickly so range increases. In exams check distance from sea at same latitude.

A cold ocean current cools the air above the sea surface. This cooler air may reach the nearby coast and make local coastal temperatures relatively lower, so option B is correct. Option A is generally associated with warm ocean currents. A cold current can influence temperature but cannot keep it exactly constant throughout the year or increase coastal altitude. Exam tip: warm currents raise nearby coastal temperatures, whereas cold currents lower them.

A warm current brings heat and can make a high latitude coast milder. In exams treat currents as modifiers of latitude effect.

Land has lower heat capacity so its temperature changes quickly. Link land water contrast with temperature range in exams.

Northern Hemisphere has more land and in winter it cools rapidly. Understand January isotherms through land water contrast.

Oceans make temperature more uniform and moderate. Link regular Southern Hemisphere isotherms with ocean dominance.

Low latitude increases heat but altitude lowers temperature. In exams balance both effects together.

In valley inversion cold dense air collects on the valley floor. In exams identify cold below and warm above.

In inversion the atmosphere becomes stable and pollutants may also be trapped below. Link stability with inversion in exams.

Clear sky increases surface heat loss and calm air reduces mixing. Remember the main conditions of inversion in exams.

Strong wind mixes cold and warm layers and reduces stability. Treat wind as an inversion breaking factor in exams.

Vertical mixing is weak in inversion and pollutants are trapped below. Link inversion with air pollution in exams.

Cold dense air drains downward and stays in the valley and can form frost. Link valley floor with frost in exams.

More daytime heating and stronger night radiational cooling increase range. Link fewer clouds with higher daily range in exams.

Moisture clouds and sea reduce day night temperature difference. Study the causes of low range together in exams.

In deserts surface heats by day and cools quickly at night. Link dryness with high temperature range in exams.

Clouds affect shortwave and longwave energy differently. Keep day and night reasoning separate in exams.

Removal of vegetation can warm surface and reduce natural cooling. Link land cover change with local temperature in exams.

Concrete and asphalt store heat which reduces night cooling. Link urban materials with temperature in exams.

Direct answer: Option A, the black road has low albedo and high absorption. Albedo is the fraction of incoming solar radiation reflected by a surface. A light surface such as clean snow has high albedo and reflects much sunlight, so it absorbs less energy. A dark surface such as black asphalt has low albedo and absorbs more solar radiation. The absorbed energy changes into heat, making the road surface warmer. Option A correctly joins the cause and effect. Option B is wrong because a black road does not reflect all solar energy; it absorbs a large share. Option C is wrong because snow reflects much radiation rather than absorbing all of it. Option D is wrong because black asphalt and white snow have very different albedos. The exact temperature also depends on wind, moisture, and heat loss, but under comparable conditions the darker low-albedo surface warms more. Memory cue: white reflects; black absorbs.

Higher albedo returns more energy so the surface may warm less. Link albedo with reflection in exams.

South facing slope is more exposed to the Sun and can receive more energy. Check hemisphere and slope aspect together in exams.