ESS11
Prof. Jin-Yi Yu
Adiabatic Lapse Rate
qBy considering the
Boyle’s law (about random motion of air
molecules), the barometric law (about the
gravitational pull of air molecules), and the first law of
thermodynamics (about the energy conversion), it
can be shown that air temperature decrease
linearly with height.
qThis linear decreasing
rate is called the “adiabatic lapse rate”, which is
about 10°C per kilometer.
q“Adiabatic” means no
heat is added or subtracted from a parcel as it
rises, expands, and cools.