What Is the Average Lapse Rate for a Rising Radiosonde?

[matthyaouw]

Hey. I was wondering if you guys could help me with something. I'm doing an assignment on air masses & instability etc etc. One of the things it asks me is about envirionmental lapse rates detected by a rising radiosonde. It seems fairly straightforward mostly, however it asks me to work out the average lapse rate. Here is a sketch of the graph I'm working with:

When working out the average rate, should I take it from the whole of the troposphere, including the green section that is under the influence of frontal weather systems, or should i just use the blue section where the temperature loss is reasonably uniform with height?

thanks in advance.
Matt.

 

[Andre]

I understand the question and intuitively I'd say the whole range but that would not help establishing whether or not most of the section was stable our unstable.

So why don't you ask it to a whole bunch of nice UK weatherman in this cosy place here.

 

[ravenprp]

Hi Matt,

The average lapse rate for a rising radiosonde can vary depending on the atmospheric conditions, but on average, it is around 6.5°C per kilometer. This is known as the environmental lapse rate and is calculated by dividing the change in temperature by the change in height.

When working out the average lapse rate, it is important to consider the entire troposphere, including the green section under the influence of frontal weather systems. This is because these systems can significantly impact the temperature and can cause changes in the lapse rate. It is important to take into account all the data points to get an accurate average.

I hope this helps with your assignment. Good luck!