Why does cold air seem to optically zoom in far-away objects?

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Fanny Viksten
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I have noticed that cold air makes far away objects, such as mountains, appear closer than they do in warm clear weather. Does anyone have an explanation for this?
 
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A.T. said:
How exactly? Taller? Or clearer?
They appear larger than when the air is warm. I already stated comparison to a CLEAR warm day, as heat can make the air hazy and of course that would affect their visibility.
 
Fanny Viksten said:
They appear larger than when the air is warm. I already stated comparison to a CLEAR warm day, as heat can make the air hazy and of course that would affect their visibility.
A temperature gradient can act like a lens, and make objects seem taller.
 
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