Consider the following statements about the causes of ground surface inversion of temperature : 1. Ground surface inversion is also termed as radiation inversion. 2. The existence of negative lapse rate results in surface inversion. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Both statements are correct. Temperature inversion is a reversal of the normal behavior of temperature in the troposphere, where temperature increases with altitude instead of decreasing.

• Statement 1: Ground surface inversion is also known as radiation inversion. It occurs on cold, clear, and calm nights when the Earth's surface loses heat rapidly through long-wave terrestrial radiation. This cools the air layer in immediate contact with the ground more quickly than the air layers above it.
• Statement 2: The Normal Lapse Rate refers to the decrease in temperature with increasing altitude. When this trend is reversed (temperature increases with height), it is mathematically described as a negative lapse rate. Therefore, a negative lapse rate is the defining characteristic of any temperature inversion, including surface inversions.