When environmental lapse rate is
more than dry adiabatic lapse rate,
the atmosphere is said to be in
There are two types of adiabatic lapse rates...wet and dry. (wet is also referred to as saturated or moist) To the extent that the cloudiness your question refers to represents saturated air, then no, the wet adiabatic lapse rate would be lower (approximately 1.5C/1000') than the dry adiabatic lapse rate (approximately 3C/1000').
Lapse rate
Air that is rising at the dry adiabatic rate can simply cool at the rate at which the decreasing pressure forces it to. Once it cools to its dew point at the lifting condensation level, it must condense some of its moisture in order to cool anymore (it is already saturated at this point). Condensation is a process that releases latent heat into the atmosphere, warming the air. Therefore, this heat released counteracts some of the adiabatic cooling that continues to take place as the air rises, and the net effect is a rate of cooling that is reduced. This is the saturated (or moist) adiabatic lapse rate.
It can't possibly be saturated, because by warming it is increasing its ability to hold moisture while maintaining the same amount of moisture.
Then the air is called "stable" because a parcel of air from the surface lifted upward will drop in temperature at the dry adiabatic lapse rate. If the environmental lapse rate is less, then the lifted air will be cooler and more dense than the surrounding air, and thus stop moving upward through the atmosphere.
There are two types of adiabatic lapse rates...wet and dry. (wet is also referred to as saturated or moist) To the extent that the cloudiness your question refers to represents saturated air, then no, the wet adiabatic lapse rate would be lower (approximately 1.5C/1000') than the dry adiabatic lapse rate (approximately 3C/1000').
The rate at which adiabatic cooling occurs with increasing altitude for wet air (air containing clouds or other visible forms of moisture) is called the wet adiabatic lapse rate, the moist adiabatic lapse rate, or the saturated adiabatic lapse rate.
As I recall from flight school, the adiabatic lapse rate is 4.5oF per 1000 feet.
environmental lapse rate involves the actual temperature of the atmosphere at various heights. adiabatic cooling is the cooling of air caused when air is not allowed to expand or compress.
Absolutely Stable Air
lapse rate
The Saturated adiabatic lapse rate is :All air has a moisture content and when a parcel of air heated by its surroundings starts to rise at the dry adiabatic lapse rate it rises until its temperature reaches that of the dew point where its vapour content starts to condense out as tiny liquid water droplets and normally forms the base of a cloud. As this 'heated' parcel of air is still warmer than the environmental lapse rate (circa 1C/1000ft) latent heat is being released as it still continues to rise but now at a reduced rate - it is this reduced rate @1.5C/1000ft that is known as the saturated adiabatic lapse rate. It will cease rising when the environmental temperatures level out and this forms or terminates resulting as the top of the cloud. Meteorologists and pilots use this environmental lapse rate and known dew point temperature to work out the base and tops of cloud for regional and airport forecasts.
The Saturated adiabatic lapse rate is :All air has a moisture content and when a parcel of air heated by its surroundings starts to rise at the dry adiabatic lapse rate it rises until its temperature reaches that of the dew point where its vapour content starts to condense out as tiny liquid water droplets and normally forms the base of a cloud. As this 'heated' parcel of air is still warmer than the environmental lapse rate (circa 1C/1000ft) latent heat is being released as it still continues to rise but now at a reduced rate - it is this reduced rate @1.5C/1000ft that is known as the saturated adiabatic lapse rate. It will cease rising when the environmental temperatures level out and this forms or terminates resulting as the top of the cloud. Meteorologists and pilots use this environmental lapse rate and known dew point temperature to work out the base and tops of cloud for regional and airport forecasts.
Lapse rate
Air that is rising at the dry adiabatic rate can simply cool at the rate at which the decreasing pressure forces it to. Once it cools to its dew point at the lifting condensation level, it must condense some of its moisture in order to cool anymore (it is already saturated at this point). Condensation is a process that releases latent heat into the atmosphere, warming the air. Therefore, this heat released counteracts some of the adiabatic cooling that continues to take place as the air rises, and the net effect is a rate of cooling that is reduced. This is the saturated (or moist) adiabatic lapse rate.
less than the wet adiabatic rate.
It can't possibly be saturated, because by warming it is increasing its ability to hold moisture while maintaining the same amount of moisture.