Absolute Stability
- consider the diagram to the right, notice that:
- Tup < Tsp
< Te
- where Tup is the temperature of an unsaturated parcel = 0°C
- Tsp = temperature of a saturated parcel = 10°C
- Te = environmental temperature = 20°C.
- generally, notice that Te is always larger than Tsp and Tup at any level
- Hence, an unsaturated or saturated parcel will always be cooler than the environment and will sink back down to the ground
- This is an example of absolute stability
- The condition for absolute
stability is:
- Gd>Gm>Ge
- Gd is the dry adiabatic lapse rate (10°C km-1)
- Gm is the moist adiabatic lapse rate (6°C km-1)
- Ge is the environmental lapse rate (variable - 0°C km-1 in this case)
Q: How would you characterize the stability of an inversion layer?
