Temperature inversion causes?

• A. Lower wind speed
• B. Increased drift
• C. Decreased evaporation
• D. Pesticide degradation

Answer: (B)

When a temperature inversion is present, a stable layer of air sits near the ground, with air temperature actually getting warmer with height rather than cooler. This stability greatly reduces vertical air movement, so spray droplets aren’t mixed upward and diluted as they would be in a turbulent sky. Instead, the droplets stay in that near-surface layer and can be carried horizontally by the light winds within that layer, allowing them to travel farther than usual and deposit off-target. Evaporation or degradation aren’t the primary effects here; those processes depend on other factors like moisture, temperature, and chemical properties. The key outcome of an inversion is the increased potential for drift due to limited vertical mixing and persistent near-ground transport.