


















Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Prepare for your exams
Study with the several resources on Docsity
Earn points to download
Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan
Community
Ask the community for help and clear up your study doubts
Discover the best universities in your country according to Docsity users
Free resources
Download our free guides on studying techniques, anxiety management strategies, and thesis advice from Docsity tutors
The concept of stability in meteorology, focusing on lapse rates, adiabatic processes, and environmental conditions. It discusses how air parcels expand and contract as they rise or descend, the role of temperature changes, and the importance of adiabatic and diabatic processes. The document also covers the dry and moist adiabatic lapse rates and their significance in determining stability in the atmosphere.
What you will learn
Typology: Lecture notes
Uploaded on 09/12/2022
1 / 26
This page cannot be seen from the preview
Don't miss anything!
-^
-^
(from
The Blue Planet
)
Air molecules in the parcel (or the balloon) have to use theirAir molecules in the parcel (or the balloon) have to use theirkinetic energy to expand the parcel/balloon.
-^
Therefore the molecules lost energy and slow down their
-^
Therefore, the molecules lost energy and slow down theirmotions Î
The temperature of the air parcel (or balloon) decreases withl
ti^
Th
l^
t^
i^
d t
i^
th
t^
ti l
elevation. The lost energy is used to increase the potentialenergy of air molecular.Si
il^
l^
h^
h^
i^
l d
d^
h^
i l
f
Similarly when the air parcel descends, the potential energy ofair molecular is converted back to kinetic energy. Î
Air temperature rises.
(from
M
eteorology: Understanding the Atmosphere
)
(from
Meteorology: Understanding the Atmosphere
)^
they rise will cool at a rate
ll^
h^
h^
d^
di b
i
smaller than the dry adiabaticlapse rate due the heatingproduced by the condensation of water vapor.
is not a constant but determinedis not a constant but determinedby considering the combinedeffects of expansion coolingand latent heatingand latent heating.
p^
p^
-^
The environmental (orambient) lapse rate is
f^
d
h
i^
l
referred to the verticalchange in temperaturethrough still air.through still air.
-^
The environmentallapse rate is not fixedlapse rate is not fixed.It changes from day today and from place to
y
p
place.
environmental lapse rate =0 5
° C/100m
environmental
lapse rate =0.5 C/100m
(from
Understanding Weather & Climate
)
e = environmental lapse rate
p
d = dry adiabatic lapse rate Γ
m = moist adiabatic lapse rate
e <
m
e <
m
Γe >
d
Γe >
d
Γm <
e <
d
(from
Meteorology Today)
Absolutely Unstable AtmosphereAbsolutely Unstable AtmosphereAbsolutely
Unstable Atmosphere
Absolutely Unstable Atmosphere (from
Meteorology Today)
(from
Meteorology Today)