Adiabatic parcel gradient in a hydrostatic environment
ID: adiabatic-parcel-gradient-in-a-hydrostatic-environment
A dry parcel in rapid pressure balance with an ambient ideal gas has . Ambient hydrostatic equilibrium gives , hence . At a temperature-matched launch point this equals the dry adiabatic lapse rate, supplying the local linear stability test. A substantially hotter parcel does not exactly follow the ambient density's hydrostatic adiabat.
New to topics? Read the docs here!