Time for a 🧵

A hazy view from the nest cam in the City this morning as a temperature inversion continues to trap pollutants near the surface. Now is a good a time as any to do a deep-dive into the science behind these set ups. #CaWx
It is important to highlight that when we talk about pollution we are often referring to two key particulates: PM and Ozone. Both tend to be emitted 🏭 from a wide arrange of emission sources and spread outward into the lower levels of the atmosphere. PM and Ozone
Normally, these pollutants get transported away from their original sources, but this transport gets halted as soon as we A) have a temperature inversion over us and B) are sitting under a stable air mass. Infographic on temperature inversions.
So the question becomes: how much longer will we be dealing with this air quality? The good news is we currently have a surge of cleaner marine air slowly coming up the coast. Once the sea breeze kicks back in, we can expect built-up pollutants to begin to slowly exit our area!
As always, be sure to follow @AirDistrict and @SpareTheAir for any air quality-related alerts. You can also visit airnow.gov to find what the current air quality index (AQI) levels are in your neck of the woods. #CaWx

Text: Temperature Inversion Layer And Pollutants!
How do inversions form?
Temperature Inversions form through the cooling of the air near the ground at night while warmer, less dense air sits above the cooler layer.
Currently, pollutants are trapped by the stable air near the ground.

How do inversions impact air quality?
Thanks to the high pressure over us, this warm air above us acts like a lid, suppressing vertical mixing and trapping the stable air near the surface.
As pollutants from emission sources are emitted into the air, the marine inversion layer traps the particulates below it, leading to poor air quality.

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