What is subsidence in meteorology?

Subsidence in meteorology refers to the process where air descends in the atmosphere. When air sinks, it leads to an increase in pressure and compression, resulting in warming of the air mass. This phenomenon is crucial because descending air is often associated with stable weather conditions, as it inhibits cloud formation and permits clearer skies. The warming of air during subsidence occurs due to the adiabatic heating process, where air compresses as it descends, causing its temperature to rise.

Understanding subsidence is important for pilots and meteorologists because it significantly impacts weather patterns, visibility, and overall flying conditions. This process can influence the development of high-pressure systems, where the stable conditions associated with subsiding air often lead to fair weather.

Other concepts in the question involve various atmospheric behaviors, such as rising air associated with different weather patterns, processes leading to cloud formation, and temperature changes due to solar inputs, but they do not define subsidence accurately.