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parcel
football shaped object that will increase or decrease in our atmosphere.
parcel theory
cannot mix in air from outside, contained
rising parcels will what?
expand and cool
sinking parcels will?
compress and warm
as an unsaturated parcel increases 1 km how much does the temp decrease
10 degrees Celsius
Adiabatic processes
when air parcels rise and sink in unsaturated conditions and no heat is gained or lost.
Adiabatic processes
air parcel has the same temp at the beginning and the end.
moist parcel
cools around 6 degrees Celsius per km
moist adiabatic lapse rate
6 degrees celsius per km
Environmental lapse rate
Can change between 7, 2, and 11 degrees celsius per km
absolutely unstable atmosphere/ dry adiabatic rate
greater than 10 Degrees C per km
Conditionally unstable atmosphere
Between 6 and 10 Degrees C per km
Absolutely stable atmosphere/ moist adiabatic rate
6< degrees C per km
stable environment
an environment with little or no unexpected or sudden change
absolutely stable environment parcel movement
dry and moist will sink, (sink, sink)
unstable environment
all parcels will be warmer than there environment and once forced will continue to rise.
Unstable environment parcel movement
Both moist and dry parcels will rise.
will warm air rise or sink?
rise
will cool air rise or sink?
sink
conditionally stable/unstable
there is instability, on the condition that the parcel is saturated.
Conditionally stable/unstable parcel movement
unsaturated parcel will sink and saturated parcel will rise (up, down)
Neutrally stable
when environmental lapse rate equals the dry adiabatic lapse rate.
Neutrally stable parcel movement
no parcel movement (=,=)
ways that parcels are lifted
convection, lifting along topography, lifting along weather fronts, and convergence of air.
free convection
caused mostly by afternoon heating that causes hotspots (due to varying albedo)
Free convection
causes blue sky between cumulus clouds from sinking air.
free convection parcel movement
parcels are warmer than environment causing the air to rise.
lifting condensation level
force an unsaturated parcel to rise from the surface.
cloud base height formula for cumulus clouds
T-Td / 2.5C x 1000
The instability of the air above.
what does the depth of a cumulus cloud depend on?
Level of free convection
when the parcels temp becomes warmer than its environment above this point it will rise freely
Equilibrium Level
level above the LFC at which the parcel becomes cooler than the environment.
LCL
The parcel is saturated
unsaturated topography
the temp is the same on the windward and leeward sides of the mountain
6 degrees C
what rate do the temp and dew point temp decrease at once the parcel is saturated?
saturated topography
the temp will be warmer and dew point will be drier on the leeward side compared to the windward side.
rain shadow effect
causes the amount of rain to be noticeably less on the windward side compared to the leeward side.
Note 
Flashcard (80)