9/6/16

Skew-­‐T log-­‐p diagram

• Thermodynamic  
Skew-­‐T  Analysis: diagram  used  for  
weather  analysis  and  
Review  of  Key  Concepts forecasting
Atmos 5110/6110
Synoptic–Dynamic  M eteorology  I • Isotherms  are  “skewed”
Jim  S teenburgh
University  o f  U tah
Jim.Steenburgh@ utah.edu

Based  o n  n otes  f rom  P eter  Veals

• Large  angle  between  
See  A lso:  h ttp://www.meted.ucar.edu/mesoprim/skewt/table_of_contents.htm
isotherms  and  dry  
adiabats

Example
Moist
Dry Mixing  Ratio
Adiabat
Adiabat
Isotherm

Isobar Dewpoint Temperature

Moist Moist
Dry Adiabat Dry Adiabat
Adiabat Adiabat

Isobar Isobar

Absolutely  Unstable  (Superadiabatic) Dry  Adiabatic  (Well  mixed,  dry  neutral)

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Moist Moist
Dry Adiabat Dry Adiabat
Adiabat Adiabat

Isobar Isobar

Conditionally  Unstable Absolutely  Stable

Moist Moist
Dry Adiabat Dry Adiabat
Adiabat Adiabat

Isobar Isobar

Isothermal Inverted

Example Lifting  Condensation  Level

• Height  at  which  a  parcel  of  
air  becomes  saturated  if  
lifted  dry  adiabatically
“Well  mixed”
Inversions  are  stable   • Found  by  finding  where  
layers  but  stable  layers   mixing  ratio  and  dry  adiabat
are  not  necessarily  
inversions
for  surface  parcel  intersect
Shallow  stable  layer

• Sometimes  average  values  

for  a  layer  are  used  instead  
(“mixed-­‐layer”  LCL)

Inversion
T  increases  with  height
Image  Source:  UCAR/COMET

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Convective  Condensation  Level Convective  Temperature  (Tc)

• Height  to  which  a  parcel  of   • Temperature  that  
air,  if  heated  sufficiently  
from  below,  must  rise   must  be  reached  to  
adiabatically  to  reach  
saturation   form  convective  
clouds  from  heating
• Found  by  following  mixing  
ratio  line  to  environmental  
temperature
• Found  by  following   Tc=
20ºC
• CCL  ≠  LCL dry  adiabat to  
– LCL  – Cloud  base  if  lifted surface  from  CCL
– CCL  – Cloud  base  if  heated

Image  Source:  UCAR/COMET Image  Source:  UCAR/COMET

CIN,  CAPE,  and  Equilibrium  Level Flavors  of  CAPE

CAPE
Convective
Equilibrium Available • SBCAPE  (Surface-­‐Based  CAPE)  – Calculated  
Level Potential
Energy
using  surface  parcel
LFC • MLCAPE  (Mixed-­‐Layer  CAPE)  – Calculated  
Level  of Free
Convection
using  mean  conditions  of  surface  layer  (often  
CIN lowest  100  mb,  but  can  vary)
Convective
INhibition
• MUCAPE  (Most-­‐Unstable  CAPE)  – Highest  
LCL:  Lifting  
value  of  all  levels  in  sounding
Condensation
Level
• DCAPE  (Downdraft  CAPE)  – Downdraft  
Dry  Adiabat equivalent  of  CAPE
Mixing  Ratio

Real-­‐Time  Examples