METEOROLOGY STABILITY OF AIR

STABILITY OF AIR

Stability or Equilibrium of a fluid (gas or liquid) is its tendency to return to

its original position, when slightly displaced by an external force.

We can describe the stability of the air using the following terms:-

 Absolute stability
 Absolute instability
 Conditional stability
 Neutral equilibrium of air

Let us consider a point P at sea level, having an atmospheric temperature

of 150C. If a parcel of air at P was made to rise slightly by some disturbance,
its temperature would fall by 100C per km height (DALR) if the parcel was
dry and by about 50C per km height (SALR) if the parcel was saturated.

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ROHAN D’SOUZA
METEOROLOGY STABILITY OF AIR

ABSOLUTE STABILITY:

If the environment is such that the actual lapse rate existent is less than
DALR and SALR, absolute stability is said to exist. This is shown by ELR 1 in
the figure.

In other words,

 If dry, temperature of parcel at 1 km height is 50C,

 If wet, temperature of parcel at 1 km height is 100C,
 Present temperature of surrounding air at 1 km height is more than
100C.

This means that the parcel of air is colder (and hence denser) than the
surrounding air at that level and would thus try to return below to its
original position. Because this happens regardless of whether the parcel
was originally saturated or not, this condition is referred to as absolute
stability.

ABSOLUTE INSTABILITY

If the environment is such that the actual lapse rate existent is more than
SALR and DALR, absolute instability is said to exist. This is shown by the
ELR 2 in the figure.

In other words,

 If dry, the temperature of the parcel at 1 km height is 50C.

 If wet, temperature of parcel at 1 km height is 100C,
 Present temperature of surrounding air at 1 km height is less than
50C.

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ROHAN D’SOUZA
METEOROLOGY STABILITY OF AIR

This means that the parcel of air is warmer (and hence less dense) than the
surrounding air at the same level and would thus try to continue upwards
in the direction of the original disturbance. Because this happens
regardless of whether the parcel was originally saturated or not, this
condition is referred to as absolute instability.

CONDITIONAL STABILITY

If the environment is such that the actual lapse rate existent is less than
DALR but more than SALR, conditional stability is said to exist. This is
shown by the ELR 3 in the figure.

In other words,

 If dry, the temperature of the parcel at 1 km height is 50C,

 If wet, the temperature of the parcel at 1 km height is 100C,
 Present temperature of surrounding at 1 km height is between 50C
and 100C.

This means that if the parcel of air is dry, it is colder (and hence denser)
than the surrounding air at the same level and would try to return below to
its original position i.e. stable equilibrium.

If the parcel of air was saturated, it is warmer (and hence less dense) than
the surrounding air at the same level, and would try to continue upwards in
the direction of the original disturbance i.e. unstable equilibrium.

Because stability or instability in this case depends on whether the parcel is

dry or saturated, this condition is known as conditional stability.

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ROHAN D’SOUZA
METEOROLOGY STABILITY OF AIR

NEUTRAL EQUILIBRIUM OF AIR

If the ELR coincides with the DALR when the parcel of air is dry or with
SALR when the parcel is saturated, then the parcel of air which is displaced
upwards, is at the same temperature as that of the surrounding air at the
same level and would have no tendency to return to its original position or
to continue upwards in the direction of the original disturbance. This
condition is known as indifferent or neutral equilibrium.

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ROHAN D’SOUZA