Heating and cooling of the atmosphere

Vertical mixing reduces sharp temperature contrast and inversion begins to break. In exams treat wind and mixing as inversion breakers.

Uneven strong surface heating produces rising warm air bubbles and increases turbulence. In exams link afternoon turbulence with convection.

Latent heat released in condensation strengthens convection and supports cloud growth. In exams treat latent heat as an atmospheric energy source.

Tree shade and transpiration use part of energy for cooling. In exams consider forests as local temperature moderators.

A dark bare surface absorbs more energy and has less moisture-based cooling. In exams treat colour and cover as heating factors.

A high-albedo surface absorbs less energy so heating is weaker. In exams link snow with high reflection.

Black roads heat more because of low reflection and high absorption. In exams remember low albedo means stronger heating.

After noon the surface can still have net energy gain for some time so temperature keeps rising. In exams link maximum temperature with lag in energy balance.

Mixing prevents extreme cold from accumulating near the surface. In exams treat strong wind as reducing radiational cooling.

Water vapour absorbs and re-radiates terrestrial radiation reducing night cooling. In exams remember water vapour as a natural greenhouse gas.

Temperature differences between surfaces create local pressure differences and winds. In exams connect land and sea breezes with this.

During the day land heats faster and forms low pressure so cooler air comes from sea. In exams remember daytime direction from sea to land.

At night land cools quickly and air flows from high pressure over land toward sea. In exams remember nighttime direction from land to sea.

In inversion cold air stays below and warm air above suppressing mixing. In exams connect inversion with fog and pollution trapping.

Land absorbs energy directly and heats first then warms nearby air. In exams treat the surface as the primary heating source.

Cold air is dense and collects below causing very low valley-floor temperatures. In exams link valley frost with cold-air drainage.

Clouds cool by shade and reflection in daytime but warm by counter-radiation at night. In exams remember cloud effect by time of day.

Aerosols can reduce energy reaching the surface and lower daytime heating. In exams treat dust as a modifier of solar radiation.

The troposphere is mainly heated from the surface below so temperature usually falls upward. In exams link lower heating with lapse rate.

Green cover provides shade and shifts some heat into latent heat through moisture processes. In exams link green surfaces with urban cooling.

Sensible heat is related to direct temperature increase and moves from surface to air. In exams understand it as heat that is felt.

When energy is used in evaporation less becomes sensible heat and temperature rise is limited. In exams treat latent heat as a temperature regulator.

In winter weak sunshine and stable cold air prevent inversion from breaking. In exams link winter fog with stability and inversion.

Rising air from uneven heating can cool and condense. In exams link local showers with convective uplift.

The surface is the main energy receiver and then different processes heat or cool the air. In exams remember the sequence solar absorption to surface and surface to atmosphere.