Atmospheric stability- why is water vapor so important in the atmosphere?

Stability: tendency of an air parcel to remain in place or to rise

Dependent on 2 forces:
1. Buoyant force (upward); low density parcels will rise
2. Gravitational force (downward); high density parcels will sink

Air Parcels
- Stable: resists ascending
- Unstable: continues to rise
Adiabatic Processes
- Expansion  cooling
- Compression  warming
- Temperature of saturated air changes more slowly than temp for dry air
Lapse Rates
- Normal= 6.4 C/1000m (3.5 F/1000ft)
- Environmental= actual (sounding)
- Dry Adiabatic= 10 C/1000m (5.5 /1000ft)
- Moist Adiabatic= 6 C/1000m (3.3 F/1000ft)
- Relationship between 3 lapse rates allows us to determine atmospheric stability
- DAR-MAR- Environmental lapse rates
- 3 possible outcomes
1. Unstable
2. Conditionally Unstable
3. Stable