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gerardflyagain
15th Aug 2016, 17:18
Why does an inversion cause turbulence?

foxmoth
15th Aug 2016, 18:26
Not sure where you get this from, AIUI an inversion does not cause turbulence, and above an inversion you will generally find smooth air, you may be thinking of an turbulence inversion but here the inversion is caused by the turbulence rather than the other way round.
A turbulence inversion often forms when quiescent air overlies turbulent air. Within the turbulent layer, vertical mixing carries heat downward and cools the upper part of the layer. The unmixed air above is not cooled and eventually is warmer than the air below; an inversion then exists.

hoodie
15th Aug 2016, 22:22
I opened the thread expecting it to be about this skilled and fortunate chap.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37081840

gerardflyagain
16th Aug 2016, 17:15
I got it from PPLCruiser and it didn't say a turbulence inversion. It said that an inversion can cause turbulence, I'm pretty sure.

foxmoth
16th Aug 2016, 17:26
well I suppose if you have hills then the air flowing over them will be trapped by the inversion, but again I do not see this as the inversion actually causing the turbulence, just increasing it, otherwise I think you need a met man to answer - there are a couple on the Flyer forum.

Whopity
19th Aug 2016, 19:56
Normal convection takes place below an Inversion which acts as a cap preventing air from rising further, it has to go somewhere so it moves horizontally until it cools and sinks back towards the surface. This motion in the inversion layer results in turbulence which ceases as you climb above the inversion layer.

foxmoth
21st Aug 2016, 20:33
Normal convection takes place below an Inversion which acts as a cap preventing air from rising further, it has to go somewhere so it moves horizontally until it cools and sinks back towards the surface. This motion in the inversion layer results in turbulence which ceases as you climb above the inversion layer.

But is that really the inversion causing the turbulence? To me the cause is the convection with the inversion just exacerbating it.