Which of the following mechanisms can lead to a decrease in air temperature?
1. Adiabatic cooling
2. Expansion of air
3. Radiation cooling
4. Greenhouse effect
5. Conduction cooling
1. "Adiabatic cooling" --> CORRECT. This occurs when air rises in the atmosphere. As it ascends, the surrounding pressure decreases, causing the air to expand and cool without exchanging heat with the environment.
2. "Expansion of air" --> CORRECT. When air expands due to lower surrounding pressure (often at higher altitudes), it uses internal energy to do work on the environment. This leads to a drop in temperature, so expansion results in cooling. This is part of adiabatic cooling.
3. "Radiation cooling" --> CORRECT. At night, the Earth's surface emits longwave radiation (infrared) into space. As the surface cools, it also cools the air immediately above it through conduction and radiation, especially under clear skies. This can lead to temperature inversions or fog formation.
4. "Greenhouse effect" --> INCORRECT. This is not a cooling process. It occurs when gases like CO₂ and water vapor trap heat in the atmosphere by absorbing outgoing infrared radiation. This warms the atmosphere and slows surface cooling.
5. "Conduction cooling" --> CORRECT. When warm air comes into contact with a cooler surface (like the ground at night), heat transfers from the warmer air to the cooler surface. This lowers the air temperature near the ground. This is especially important in the formation of surface-based fog or frost.
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