What phenomenon occurs when warm air rises and cools, leading to cloud formation?

The phenomenon that occurs when warm air rises and cools, leading to cloud formation, is known as convection. This process begins when the sun warms the Earth's surface, causing the air above it to heat up. As the warm air becomes less dense, it begins to rise. As it ascends, the pressure decreases, allowing the air to expand and cool. When it cools to its dew point, the moisture in the air condenses into tiny water droplets, leading to cloud formation.

Convection is a fundamental process in meteorology and is responsible for various weather patterns, including thunderstorms and the development of cumulus clouds. It plays a critical role in the vertical transport of heat and moisture within the atmosphere, which is essential for weather systems.

The other options refer to different processes: inversion describes a situation where warm air traps cooler air below it, radiation relates to the transfer of heat through electromagnetic waves, and conduction refers to heat transfer through direct contact between materials. These processes do not specifically describe the upward movement of warm air and subsequent cooling that leads to cloud formation, making convection the correct choice for this phenomenon.