GS Question

Causes for the formation of heat islands in urban habitats:

1. Urbanization: The process of building infrastructure, such as buildings, roads, and parking lots, reduces vegetation cover, increasing the absorption and retention of heat in urban areas.

2. Buildings and materials: Urban areas have higher concentrations of materials, such as concrete and asphalt, which have high heat-absorbing capacities and low heat reflection rates.

3. Waste heat: Human activities such as industrial processes, electricity generation, and transportation, release excess heat into the environment, contributing to the heat island effect.

4. Lack of green spaces: The removal of trees and vegetation reduces shade and evapotranspiration, which leads to higher temperatures.

5. Human activities: The increase in energy consumption, air conditioning use, and vehicle emissions all contribute to heat generation, especially during hot seasons.

‘Temperature inversion’ refers to a meteorological phenomenon where the normal decrease in temperature with height is reversed, resulting in warmer air above cooler air. This typically occurs during calm and clear nights when the ground cools rapidly, and the air near the ground becomes colder than the air above it. The cool air near the surface gets trapped under a layer of warmer air, inhibiting vertical mixing.

Temperature inversion can affect weather and the inhabitants of an area in several ways:

1. Fog and smog formation: Temperature inversion can trap pollutants, including smoke, fog, and smog, close to the ground, leading to reduced visibility and poor air quality.

2. Temperature stratification: Inversion layers act as a cap, inhibiting vertical mixing of the atmosphere, which can result in stagnant air and the accumulation of pollutants.

3. Smoother air traffic: Temperature inversions can create stable atmospheric conditions, reducing turbulence and providing smoother air travel.

4. Temperature extremes: Inversion layers prevent the downward mixing of colder air, resulting in warmer surface temperatures, especially during winter months in valleys or basins where inversions are common.

5. Crop frost protection: In agricultural areas, temperature inversions can protect crops from frost by keeping the warmer air closer to the ground.

Overall, temperature inversion plays a crucial role in the local weather conditions, air quality, and various aspects of human activities in a specific geographical area.