It is the vertical profile of temperature, or lapse rate of the atmosphere, which determines whether an air mass is stable or not. …
If it falls rapidly with height
, then the atmosphere is said to be unstable; if it falls more slowly (or even temporarily increases with height) then a stable atmosphere is present.
What is the difference between a stable and unstable environment?
Stable air means that the
weather is likely to be calm
. It may rain or snow slowly and steadily, it may be sunny, but the weather will not change quickly. Unstable air means that the weather might change quickly with very little warning.
How does stable air differ from unstable air?
How does stable air differ from unstable air? …
Stable air resists upward movement
, whereas unstable air does not. Clouds formed when stable air is forced to rise are generally thin and precipitation, if any, is moderate or light.
What causes stable and unstable air?
To be “unstable”, the lowest layers of an air mass must be so warm and/or humid that,
if some of the air rises, then that air parcel is warmer than its environment, and so it continues to rise
. This is called moist convection. … This is called a stable airmass.
What are the stable characteristics of the atmosphere?
- Cloud Cover. Because stable air masses are, by nature, calm and free of violent disturbances, they are often marked by the appearance of stratiform clouds or fog. …
- Smooth Air. …
- Uninterrupted Precipitation. …
- Low Visibility.
How do you know if atmosphere is stable?
In order to determine the stability of the atmosphere,
meteorologists compare the temperature of a rising air parcel with the temperature of the air around it at the same level
. To describe the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding air parcels, meteorologists use the environmental lapse rate.
What causes instability in the atmosphere?
Air is considered unstable, in the lowest layers of an air mass
when the air is warmer and or more humid than the surrounding air
. When this occurs the air will rise, as that air parcel is warmer than the air surrounding it. … This combination will gradually reduce the instability of the air mass.
Is stable air good?
In stable air,
there is no turbulence
, but there are fogs, drizzles, and smog from air pollution in cities. Although instability is associated with a large number of different incidents, warm upward flows in such air provide good conditions for soaring – particularly for paragliding.
How does air become unstable?
Air is considered unstable, in the lowest layers of an air mass
when the air is warmer and or more humid than the surrounding air
. When this occurs the air will rise, as that air parcel is warmer than the air surrounding it. In an unstable environment, the weather can change suddenly and can be violent.
How can a conditionally unstable atmosphere become unstable?
The lower layer of the atmosphere is in a state of conditional instability, so
when water vapor reaches saturation point
, it becomes unstable, and cumulus and cumulonimbus occur.
Are cumulus clouds stable or unstable?
Cumulus clouds developing into thunderstorms in a
conditionally unstable
atmosphere over the Great Plains.
What affects air stability?
Stability is determined by
comparing the temperature of a rising or sinking air parcel to the environmental air temperature
. Imagine the following: at some initial time, an air parcel has the same temperature and pressure as its environment.
Does stable air rise?
Air that has a tendency to sink is known as a stable air. If the air parcel’s temperature is greater than the temperature of the surrounding air mass, the
air parcel is less dense
and tends to rise.
What are the four characteristics of stable air?
What are the characteristics of stable air? A—
Good visibility; steady precipitation; stratus clouds
. B—Poor visibility; steady precipitation; stratus clouds. C—Poor visibility; intermittent precipitation; cumulus clouds.
Which factor is most significant in the formation of clouds in the atmosphere?
Condensation
is the process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water. Condensation is crucial to the water cycle because it is responsible for the formation of clouds.
What do you mean by instability in atmosphere?
Instability is
the state in which an air parcel finds itself warmer than the air surrounding it at the same pressure
(elevation). The air parcel is buoyant. It will spontaneously rise.
