Surface Inversions, Atmospheric

Stability, and Spray Drift

Surface Temperature Inversions:

• Are very common

• Are easy to recognize
• Affect the dispersal of very small spray droplets
suspended in the air
• Do not increase the amount of off-site movement
• Can increase the potential for offsite affects &
the distance at which affects can be observed
 Atmospheric Stability
• Inversions cause STABLE atmospheric
conditions
• The concept of atmospheric stability helps
understand how inversions affect drift
• Close to the ground, atmospheric stability
changes regularly between STABLE,
NEUTRAL, & UNSTABLE
55 F

60 F
The large scale trend in
65 F
the atmosphere is that
temperature decreases
70 F
with height

75 F

80 F
55 F

60 F
Where there is a decrease in
65 F
temperature with height greater
than the adiabatic rate the
70 F
atmosphere is UNSTABLE

75  F

80  F
55 F Droplets or particles
When the atmosphere issuspended in
the air will be dispersed/diluted
UNSTABLE air parcels near the
60 F
surface will rise and expand
because they are warmer & less
65 F
dense than the air above
70 F

75  F

80  F
 105 foot temperature monitoring tower

105’ 38°F

Cloud of 5-25 u oil 64’ 40°F

droplets generated under
unstable conditions
32’ 40°F

16’ 41°F

8’ 41°F
105’ 38°F 105’ 38°F

64’ 40°F 64’ 40°F

32’ 40°F
32’ 40°F

16’ 41°F
16’ 41°F 8’ 41°F
8’ 41°F
 o
65 F
A temperature inversion is an
o
60 F area where temperature
increases with height.
o
55 F

o
50 F
It can begin at the ground.
o
45 F

o
40 F
50°F
o
30 F Or it can begin above the ground.
48°F
46°F
o
40 F
44°F A temperature inversion
42°F
o
is an area where
50 F
40°F temperature increases
38°F
o
60 F
Thesewith
aloftheight, this will
inversions is area is
be discussed
40°F at thethe inversion
end layer
of the program
42°F
o
70 F
44°F 55
46°F
o
80 F
48°F
 o
65 F
When temperature increases
o
60 F with height the atmosphere is
STABLE.
o
55 F

Vertical mixing of the air and

dispersion of small droplets is
o
50 F

suppressed.
o
45 F

o
40 F
 o
65 F
A parcel of air near the surface is
If forced down by a current of air,
o
always cooler & more dense
it will immediately rise back. than
60 F
the air above, so it can’t rise and
o
disperse.
55 F

o
50 F

o
45 F

o
40 F
 o
65 F
If forced up by a current of air, it
o
60 F
will immediately sink back.

o
55 F

o
50 F

o
45 F

o
40 F
 o
65 F
The parcel of air can’t rise
o
60 F and disperse, but it can be
move laterally in the light
o
55 F variable winds typical of a
surface inversion
o
50 F

o
45 F

o
44 F
 Temperature Profile
Wind 0.6 mph
105’ 35°F
64’ 30°F
32’ 29°F
16’ 28°F
8’ 26°F

Surface Inversion - STABLE CONDITIONS

 Temperature Profile
105’ 35°F
64’ 30°F
32’ 29°F
16’ 28°F
8’ 26°F

Surface Inversion - STABLE CONDITIONS

 105’ 33°F

64’ 32°F
32’ 31°F
16’ 29°F
8’ 27°F

Surface Inversion - STABLE CONDITIONS

 Temperature Profile
105’ 43°F
64’ 36°F
32’ 32°F
16’ 30°F
8’ 28°F Cold air drainage down a slope

Surface Inversion - STABLE CONDITIONS

 Temperature Profile
105’ 43°F
64’ 36°F
32’ 32°F
16’ 30°F
8’ 28°F Cold air drainage down slope

Surface Inversion - STABLE CONDITIONS

 o
65 F
A Surface
Height Inversion
(of the can extend
inversion) doesn’t
o
60 F upwards 5, 50, 100, 500 ft or
matter:
more.
55 F If the application is made within
the inversion it, the effects will
be similar.
o
50 F

o
45 F

o
40 F
Layering observed when oil droplets released at ground level or
top of tower. Clouds moving in different directions.

105’ 35°F

64’ 30°F
32’ 29°F
16’ 28°F
8’ 26°F

Surface inversion extending above the tower

 Cloud is dispersing
2.5 mph wind
105’ 38°F

64’ 38°F
32’ 37°F
16’ 36°F
.5 mph wind 8’ 33°F

Shallow surface inversion

STABLE conditions up to 64’
NEUTRAL conditions at 105’
55 F

60 F
Surface Inversions are
65 F
part of the daily cycle
unless wind or cloud
70 F
cover intervene

75 F

80 F
During the night, unless clouds or wind intervene, the ground loses
heat cooling the air above.
Unless wind intervenes the surface inversion will continue until the
sun begins to heats the ground
During the day when cloud cover is light, the sun heats the ground
warming the air above. This causes in unstable conditions unless
wind intervenes.
As the sun sets the ground begins to lose more heat than it gains,
cooling the air above. In the absence of heavy cloud cover and/or
wind a surface inversion will begin to form.
 60 0.700

Solar Energy (Kw/m2)

50 0.600
Temperature (°F)

40
105’ temperature
0.500
0.400
30
0.300
20 64’ temperature 0.200
16’
32’temperature
temperature
8’ temperature
Solar energy
10 0.100
0 0.000

Time of Day
 Daily Cycle 11/9/93 Inversion - Stable
Unstable
60 0.7

Solar Emergy (Kw/m2)

50 Inversion - Stable 0.6
Temperature (°F)

40 0.5
0.4
30
0.3
20 0.2
10 Sunrise Sunset 0.1
0 0

8' temp 105' temp solar energy

How to recognize a surface inversion

• Sunset to just after sunrise

• Windless to low wind conditions (<2-3 mph)
• Clear to partly cloudy skies
• Ground fog (if sufficient humidity exists)
• Dust hanging over a roadway
• Smoke from a chimney forming a layer
• Dew or frost (if sufficient humidity exists)
 Lack of heavy cloud cover
Signs of a surface
inversion in the
early morning Windless or light
variable wind

Ground Fog

Frost (or dew)

 Smoke from a chimney forming a layer

Surface inversion - early morning

How to recognize the potential for a
surface inversion

• Sun is getting low in the sky

• Wind is becoming light and variable
• Clear to partly cloudy skies
Surface Inversions don’t:

• Increase the amount of spray droplets

moving off-site
Surface Inversions can:
• Decrease the dispersion of droplets too small to
quickly settle out.
• Result in a higher air concentration of these small
droplets.
• Increase the potential for off-target effects.
• Increase the distance at which off-target effects can be
observed.
• Increase the size of the area affected.
• Cause the direction of drift to be unpredictable
 Reducing the effects of Surface
Inversions on Spray Drift

• Minimizing production of very small drops

• Using equipment the minimizes the number
of small drops suspended in the air
• Morning applications are likely to have
shorter exposure to STABLE conditions
than evening applications
 o
80 F

When the atmospheric stability is

o
80 F NEUTRAL, there
Vertical mixing is little
is not or
suppressed
o
change
as underinSTABLE
temperature with and
conditions,
80 F
height. Low heavy
the turbulence of evencloud cover
a 5 mph
o
and/or
wind iswind contribute
effective to
in dispersing
80 F suspended small droplets.
NEUTRAL conditions.
o
80 F

o
80 F
 Temperature Profile
105’ 32°F
64’ 33°F
32’ 33°F
16’ 33°F
8’ 32°F Wind 4.5 mph

NEUTRAL CONDITIONS
 Temperature Profile
105’ 32°F
64’ 33°F
32’ 33°F
16’ 33°F
8’ 32°F Wind 4.5 mph

NEUTRAL CONDITIONS
Surface Inversion Temperature Profile
No wind 105’ 43°F
64’ 36°F
32’ 32°F
16’ 30°F
8’ 28°F
7:00 AM

Neutral Conditions Temperature Profile

4.5 mph wind 105’ 32°F
64’ 33°F
32’ 33°F
16’ 33°F
8’ 32°F

8:30 AM
 Neutral conditions can be the
best time to spray
• Wind direction if often consistent
• Good dispersion of droplets too small to
quickly settle out.
50°F o
30 F
48°F Aloft Inversions
46°F o
40 F
44°F
• Are A temperature inversion
not likely to effect applications to
42°F o is an area
agricultural where
crops
50 F
40°F • Lowtemperature increasescan affect
altitude aloft inversions
38°F o
60 F
with
aerial height,
forestry this is area is
application
40°F • Lowthe inversion
altitude layer are often
aloft inversions
42°F o surface inversions in the process of
70 F
44°F dissipating & 55
are therefore short lived
46°F
o
80 F
48°F
Surface Temperature Inversions:

• Are very common

• Are easy to recognize
• Affect the dispersal of very small spray droplets
suspended in the air
• Do not increase the amount of off-site movement
• Can increase the potential for offsite affects &
the distance at which affects can be observed