How does the lapse rate in clouds compare with the lapse rate of air?

Asked by: Carrie Bendinger

How does the lapse rate typically compare between the inside and outside of a cloud?

The lapse rate of temperature is ignorant of clouds, it only cares that either e/es<1 (dry) or e/es>=1 (moist), where e is vapor pressure and es is saturation vapor pressure. A cloud is saturated (and in places supersaturated) and so the lapse rate will be the same as saturated air outside of a cloud.

What is the lapse rate of air?

9.8 °C/km

The lapse rate is the rate at which an atmospheric variable, normally temperature in Earth’s atmosphere, falls with altitude. Lapse rate arises from the word lapse, in the sense of a gradual fall. In dry air, the adiabatic lapse rate is 9.8 °C/km (5.4 °F per 1,000 ft).

How are lapse rate and the stability of the air related?

The atmosphere is said to be absolutely stable if the environmental lapse rate is less than the moist adiabatic lapse rate. This means that a rising air parcel will always cool at a faster rate than the environment, even after it reaches saturation.

Which of the following lapse rates are compared to determine the stability of the atmosphere?

In order to determine the stability of the atmosphere, meteorologists compare the lapse rate of the environment to the dry and the moist adiabatic lapse rates.

What is the difference between the environmental lapse rate and the adiabatic lapse rate?

The environmental lapse rate refers to the temperature drop with increasing altitude in the troposphere; that is the temperature of the environment at different altitudes. It implies no air movement. Adiabatic cooling is associated only with ascending air, which cools by expansion.

When the environmental lapse rate in the atmosphere is greater than both the wet and dry adiabatic rates what atmospheric condition exists?

unstable equilibrium

Figure 2: This image illustrates the concept of unstable equilibrium. In this case, the environmental lapse rate is greater than both the dry and moist adiabatic lapse rates. The atmosphere is considered to be unstable if a rising parcel cools more slowly than the environmental lapse rate.

What is the average adiabatic lapse rate for cloudy air?

The average wet adiabatic lapse rate in the bottom 2000 m of cloud is therefore 9 °C/2000 m, or 4.5 °C/1000 m.

What are the different lapse rates?

There are three types of lapse rates that are used to express the rate of temperature change with a change in altitude, namely the dry adiabatic lapse rate, the wet adiabatic lapse rate and the environmental lapse rate.

Why does the lapse rate affect tendency of air to rise?

The environmental lapse rate is equal to the dry adiabatic rate. The warmth from the forest fire heats the air, causing instability near the surface. Warm, less-dense air (and smoke) bubbles upward, expanding and cooling as it rises.

Which would increase the stability of an air mass?

Cooling from below: surrounding air is warmer, which would increase the stability of an air mass.

What’s the meaning of lapse rate?

lapse rate, rate of change in temperature observed while moving upward through the Earth’s atmosphere.

What is meant by stability in the air?

Atmospheric stability is a measure of the atmosphere’s tendency to discourage or deter vertical motion, and vertical motion is directly correlated to different types of weather systems and their severity.

What is the difference between the environmental lapse rate and adiabatic cooling quizlet?

What is the difference between the environmental lapse rate and adiabatic cooling? The environmental lapse rate is the decrease in temperature with the increase in altitude; adiabatic cooling is caused by a decrease in pressure as an air parcel rises.

Why is the moist adiabatic lapse rate slower than the dry lapse rate?

The moist adiabatic lapse rate is less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate because moist air rising condenses out its water vapor (once saturation is attained).

What causes the adiabatic lapse rate?

The traditional explanation of the adiabatic lapse rate asserts that it is due to the change in the internal energy that a parcel experiences when it is compressed without exchange of heat or salt.

What is the environmental lapse rate and how is it determined quizlet?

The environmental lapse rate is the decrease in temperature as you go up through the troposphere avg = 3.5 degrees F/ 100 ft. It is determined by radio sounds attached to a balloon.

What is the difference between the environmental lapse rate and adiabatic cooling quizlet?

What is the difference between the environmental lapse rate and adiabatic cooling? The environmental lapse rate is the decrease in temperature with the increase in altitude; adiabatic cooling is caused by a decrease in pressure as an air parcel rises.

What is the environmental lapse rate and how is it determined?

The environmental lapse rate is determined by the distribution of temperature in the vertical at a given time and place and should be carefully distinguished from the process lapse rate, which applies to an individual air parcel. See autoconvective lapse rate, superadiabatic lapse rate.

What is the difference between wet adiabatic rate and dry adiabatic rate quizlet?

The moist adiabatic lapse rate is less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate because moist air rising condenses out its water vapor (once saturation is attained).

What is the difference between dry adiabatic rate and wet adiabatic rate?

Dry adiabatic lapse rate: Assumes a dry parcel of air. Air cools 3°C/100 m rise in altitude (5.4°F/1000 ft). Wet adiabatic lapse rate: As parcel rises, H₂O condenses and gives off heat, and warms air around it. Parcel cools more slowly as it rises in altitude, ≈6°C/1000 m (≈3°F/1000 ft).

Why is there a difference between the dry adiabatic lapse rate and the moist adiabatic lapse rate?

Basically, the saturated adiabatic lapse rate is less compared to the dry adiabatic lapse rate. This is because the cooling of the parcel of air in the saturated adiabatic lapse rate during rising is divided into energy released upon condensation.