Which of the following phenomena helps spread heat upwards through the atmosphere?

The phenomenon that helps spread heat upwards through the atmosphere is convection currents. Convection occurs when warmer air, which is less dense, rises and is replaced by cooler, denser air. This process creates circulation patterns in the atmosphere that effectively transport heat from the surface upward.

When the ground heats up from solar radiation, it warms the air directly above it. As this warm air rises, it creates a void that draws in cooler air from the surrounding areas, establishing a continuous cycle. This upward movement of warm air is essential for various atmospheric processes and contributes significantly to the distribution of temperature and energy within the atmosphere.

Other options, such as radiative cooling, involve heat being lost from the surface to the atmosphere rather than being distributed upwards. Temperature inversion refers to a condition where the temperature increases with altitude, which can inhibit vertical mixing and is not a mechanism for spreading heat upward. Ground absorption pertains to the way the Earth's surface absorbs solar energy, which indirectly affects temperature but does not directly result in the upward movement of heat.