Turbulence in an inversion

[gerardflyagain]

Why does an inversion cause turbulence?

[foxmoth]

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]

I opened the thread expecting it to be about this skilled and fortunate chap.

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

[gerardflyagain]

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]

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]

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]

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.