Objectives To determine the stability of the atmosphere based on the dry and sat

Question

Objectives

To determine the stability of the atmosphere based on the dry and saturated adiabatic rates and the environmental lapse rate

Using the following graph, answer questions 1-4

1. What is the dry adiabatic rate in °C/1000m?

2. What is the environmental lapse rate in °C/1000m?

3. What is the saturated adiabatic rate in °C/1000m?

4. Is the atmosphere stable, unstable, or conditionally unstable?

5. List the four mechanisms that cause air to rise

6. Why is the saturated adiabatic rate less than the dry adiabatic rate?

Explanation / Answer

1. What is the dry adiabatic rate in °C/1000m?
Answer: The value of the lapse rate is totaly dependent on the amount of water vapour. Dry air cools at around 10C/km is calles dry adiabitic lapse rate.
the Dry adiabetic lapse rate at in *C/1000m is 9.8. It is a consant while the moist adiabetic lapse rate varies with temprature.

2. What is the environmental lapse rate in °C/1000m?
Answer: The environmental lapse rate is 7*C/1000m. The rate at which the atmospheric temperature decreases with increase in altitude is called environmental lapse rate.

3. What is the saturated adiabatic rate in °C/1000m?
Answer: The saturated adiabatic lapse rate also known as the moist adiabatic lapse rate. This varies with pressure and temperature, and although always lower than the dry adiabatic lapse rate, it can be very similar or as low as 3°C/1000m.

4. Is the atmosphere stable, unstable, or conditionally unstable?
Answer: The stabily of the atmosphere is dependent on the air quality of the particular are if the atmosphere is dry than we can say that the atmosphere is stable but if the atmosphere is moist or it content water vapour than it might be unstable because when the air content water vapour than there is a possiblity of the rain. in the rainy season air content moisture so the atmosphere mostly unstable in rainy season.

5. List the four mechanisms that cause air to rise
Answer: The mechanisms are:
1. Convective uplift
2. Convergence
3. Orographic lifting
4. Frontal wedging

6. Why is the saturated adiabatic rate less than the dry adiabatic rate?
Answer: When air rises, moist air cools at a lower rate than dry air. So for the same vertical movement, a parcel of moist air will be warmer than a parcel of dry air. As a result of the latent heat that is released during water vapour condensation, moist air has a relatively lower adiabatic lapse rate than dry air.
   Moist air contains more amount of water vapour than dry air. When air rise moist air take more time to cools than dry air. so saturated adiabatic rate is less than dry adiabatic rate because saturated air contains more water vapour than dry air.

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