Q: What is a heat dome?

A heat dome is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs when an area of high atmospheric pressure forms in the upper layers of the atmosphere. As the sun heats the Earth's surface, a thermal depression forms above the surface, raising hot air upward through rising air currents. The upper elevation reflects these rising hot currents and bounces them back down, leading to the retention of hot air in the lower layers and a significant increase in temperature. This phenomenon is known as a heat dome.