A convective current (rising air parcel) starts at the surface with a temperatur

Question

A convective current (rising air parcel) starts at the surface with a temperature of 90°F. Saturation takes place at 6,000 ft and growth of the cumulus takes place to 9000 ft. If the environmental temperature at 9000 ft is 42°F. Draw a diagram.

1) What is the rising air’s temperature and dew point at 6,000 ft? Show your work.

2) What is the rising air’s temperature and dew point at 9,000 ft? Show your work.

3) Is the air stable or unstable at 9,000 ft and why? Your answer should include how this is related to the density of the air in the rising parcel and the density of the surrounding air?

4) At 9,000 ft. what could happen to the environmental temperature to make the air stable? Give a specific environmental temperature that would make the air stable at 9000 ft. What might cause this to take place?

5) At the surface what could happen to the initial parcel temperature to make the air more unstable if it gets up to 9000 ft.? What about a surface temperature change to make it less unstable at 9000 ft.? What might cause these temperature changes?

Explanation / Answer

The rising air’s temperature at 6000ft = 58°F

                        Dew Point                     = 58°F

At Dew Point the rising temperature and Dew point temperature is same. At this point the humidity is at 100%

Rising temp and dew point at 9000 ft is 48°F

The air is unstable at 9000 ft because it has not reached °C which is at 32°F. The density of air increase up side and decrease down side

The more stability of the air increase as it go from land surface to up to 9000ft. The decrease of temp. is 5.5°F/1000ft. So rising air temp. decrease at this rate and cools down

Hieght (ft)                             Rising air temp °F                Adaiabatic temp. °F

9000                                                  42(Environmental temp)   48.0* dewpont temp

8000                                                                                                  51.0*                        

7000                                                                                                  54.0*                        

6000                                                  57.0^ rising air temp and dew point                 

5000                                                  62.5^            

4000                                                  68.0^            

3000                                                  73.5^

2000                                                  79.0^

1000                                                  84.5^

^ indiacate rising air temp. at the rate of 5.5°F/1000ft

*Indicate adiabatic temp.             reduction      3.0°F/1000ft after dew point

The dew point is at 6000ft and its rising temp and dew point is same

After 6000ft dew point temp it reduced to   3.0°F/1000ft

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