HOUR 8.

WATER IN THE
ATMOSPHERE AND
ATMOSPHERIC STABILITY –
PART 2
 OBJECTIVE: TO GAIN AN
UNDERSTANDING OF:

1. LIFTING PROCESSES.
2. ENVIRONMENTAL LAPSE RATE AND
STABILITY
3. WEATHER CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED
WITH STABLE AND UNSTABLE AIR.
1. LIFTING PROCESSES.
2. ENVIRONMENTAL LAPSE RATE AND
STABILITY

Atmospheric Stability – Rising plumes of air

Absolute instability
Conditional instability
How stability changes:
Temperature changes and stability
Heating at bottom/cooling above

Radiation cooling from clouds

Cloud cooling cools the upper
atmosphere thus encouraging
unstable conditions.
 3. WEATHER CONDITIONS
ASSOCIATED WITH STABLE AND
UNSTABLE AIR.

UNSTABLE AIR – VIGOROUS LIFTING

= CUMULUS CLOUDS

STABLE AIR – POOR LIFTING =

STRATUS CLOUDS
 SUMMARY
• ADIABATIC PROCESSES
• STABILITY
• CLOUD TYPES