A parcel of air with an initial temperature of 15 o C begins to rise in Location

Question

A parcel of air with an initial temperature of 15oC begins to rise in Location A (blue). The lifting condensation level of the parcel is 1000 m.

A) Describe the stability pattern of this parcel of air

B)Does the parcel of rising air become highly stable or highly unstable between 1000 and 1500 m? Why?

A parcel of air with an initial temperature of 35oC begins to rise in Location B (orange). The lifting condensation level of the parcel is 2000 m.

C) Will this parcel of air begin to rise from the surface on its own? Why?

D) Does the stability of this parcel change with increased elevation? If so, at what elevation does this change occur?

Thank you!

Explanation / Answer

1)

A)

The air Parcel is warmer than surroundings. So warm air is less dense than the cold air and the parcel continues to rise.So the parcel is Unstable. Above the condensation level(1000m), the rising air parcel is saturated and cools at the moist adiabatic rate. Condensation again occurs, and the water vapor is converted into liquid cloud droplets.n before.

But the stability of the air above the condensation level plays a significant role in the the upwrd growth of the cumulus cloud. When a  stable layer forms at a short distance above the lifting condensation level (cloud base), only cumulus humilis are able to form. Here there is stable layer above 1000m.

B)

The parcel of air become deeply stable between 1000m and 1500m. Because the temperature of the paecel increases with height.

C) The parcel of air with an initial temperature of 35oC will begin to rise from the surface on its own, because the temperature of the parcel is higher than the surroundings.

A rising parcel of unsaturated surface air will cool at the dry adiabatic rate. The dry adiabatic rate is less than the environmental lapse rate, the parcel is warmer than the surrounding air and will continue to rise from its original position. It is unstable.

D) The rising air parcel is unsaturated and will cool at the dry adiabatic rate. After condensation level(2000m), it become saturated and the parcel of saturated air cooling at the lower moist adiabatic rate and it will be even warmer than the air around it. The air parcel is continue to rise on its own since it is warmer and less dense than the air around them. This atmosphere is known as absolutely unstable.

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