Lapse rates, stability, moisture variables, skew-T diagrams, adiabatic processes and cloud formation.
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- What is the environmental lapse rate?
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The rate of temperature decrease with altitude in the actual atmosphere, typically about 6.5 K/km on average.- What is the dry adiabatic lapse rate?
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The rate of temperature change for a parcel of unsaturated air that rises or sinks without condensation, approximately 9.8 K/km.- Define the moist adiabatic lapse rate.
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The rate of temperature change for a saturated air parcel rising or sinking with condensation occurring, typically 4-6 K/km.- What atmospheric condition exists when the environmental lapse rate is less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate?
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Stable atmosphere; a displaced air parcel will return to its original level.- When is an atmosphere considered absolutely stable?
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When the environmental lapse rate is less than the moist adiabatic lapse rate.- When is an atmosphere absolutely unstable?
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When the environmental lapse rate exceeds the dry adiabatic lapse rate.- Define conditional instability.
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An atmosphere stable to dry convection but unstable to moist convection, occurring when the environmental lapse rate falls between the dry and moist adiabatic rates.- What is dew point temperature?
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The temperature to which air must be cooled at constant pressure to reach saturation.- What is relative humidity?
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The ratio of actual vapor pressure to saturation vapor pressure at the same temperature, expressed as a percentage.- What is absolute humidity?
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The mass of water vapor per unit volume of air, usually expressed in grams per cubic meter.- Define saturation mixing ratio.
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The maximum amount of water vapor that air can hold at a given temperature and pressure, expressed as grams of vapor per kilogram of dry air.- What is the lifting condensation level (LCL)?
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The altitude at which an air parcel becomes saturated when lifted adiabatically, where condensation begins.- What is convective available potential energy (CAPE)?
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The amount of energy available to lift an air parcel, calculated as the positive area between the environmental lapse rate and the parcel path on a skew-T diagram.- What is the lifted index (LI)?
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The temperature difference between the environment and a lifted parcel at 500 mb, used to assess atmospheric instability.- On a skew-T diagram, what do isobars represent?
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Horizontal lines representing constant pressure levels.
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