Surface temperature inversions occur when air temperature increases with height from the ground surface, and they are most likely between sunset and two hours after sunrise.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. Partly

Answer: (A)

A surface temperature inversion occurs when the air near the ground becomes cooler than the air above it, so temperature actually increases with height in the lowest layer. This happens because the ground loses heat by radiational cooling at night, cooling the air right above it faster than the air higher up, creating a stable layer with little vertical mixing. These inversions form after sunset and can persist through the night and into the early morning, often lasting for a couple of hours after sunrise before daytime heating erodes them. Calm, clear conditions make this especially likely, and inversions can trap moisture and pollutants near the surface. So the statement about inversions being most likely between sunset and two hours after sunrise fits the typical pattern.