climate and weather
AL0610
StuveLab.docxUpper Air Diagrams, Lapse Rates, & Stability NAME ___________________________
Meteorologists use upper air diagrams to diagnose moisture in the atmosphere and stability to help predict the weather. Today you will be creating an upper air diagram and determining what it says about the stability of the atmosphere.
1. Using the data below, plot the Temperature and Dewpoint on the attached blank upper air diagram. Make sure it is clear which line is T and which is Td.
2. Using the Height and Temperature data in the chart below determine the change (∆) of Temperature and Height in each layer. Use these numbers to calculate the lapse rate:
Lapse Rate = ∆ T/∆ H
72233 LIX Slidell Muni Observations at 12Z 30 Jan 2014
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PRES HGHT TEMP DWPT RELH MIXR DRCT SKNT ∆ T ∆ H ∆ H Lapse Rate
mb m C C % g/kg deg knot C m km C/km
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1000.0 209 -3.5 -19.5 28 0.82 90 18
950.6 610 -0.7 -32.8 7 0.26 135 10 ____ ____ ____ ____
897.0 1077 4.0 -45.0 1 0.08 47 4 ____ ____ ____ ____
850.0 1514 3.4 -23.6 12 0.67 310 8 ____ ____ ____ ____
787.1 2134 1.5 -24.1 13 0.70 295 16 ____ ____ ____ ____
757.9 2438 0.3 -23.4 15 0.77 290 22 ____ ____ ____ ____
700.0 3072 -1.7 -28.7 11 0.51 250 27 ____ ____ ____ ____
649.9 3658 -3.2 -37.2 5 0.24 265 27 ____ ____ ____ ____
600.0 4288 -6.3 -40.3 5 0.19 260 26 ____ ____ ____ ____
555.4 4877 -11.0 -42.5 6 0.16 260 27 ____ ____ ____ ____
500.0 5680 -17.5 -45.5 7 0.13 255 34 ____ ____ ____ ____
400.0 7310 -29.7 -49.7 13 0.10 245 52 ____ ____ ____ ____
351.0 8230 -37.4 -45.8 41 0.18 235 66 ____ ____ ____ ____
300.0 9310 -42.3 -62.3 9 0.03 235 88 ____ ____ ____ ____
250.0 10520 -48.3 -70.3 6 0.01 235 100 ____ ____ ____ ____
200.0 11980 -50.7 -79.7 2 0.00 240 91 ____ ____ ____ ____
150.0 13830 -57.9 -84.9 2 0.00 240 84 ____ ____ ____ ____
100.0 16310 -67.7 -87.7 4 0.00 260 58 ____ ____ ____ ____
3. The dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR) is about -10 C/km and the wet or saturated adiabatic (WALR) is about -6 C/km. How do your lapse rates compare to these numbers? Are they less, greater, or in between?
4. What does this tell you about the stability of the atmosphere?
