Search results
Feb 1, 2021 · Learn how meteorologists use temperature profiles and cloud types to distinguish between stable and unstable air masses. Find out what causes air to rise and form different types of clouds, and how instability leads to showers and thunderstorms.
When an air mass is unstable, the element of the air mass that is displaced upwards is accelerated by the pressure differential between the displaced air and the ambient air at the (higher) altitude to which it was displaced.
In the first of a new series, Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin explains with the help of a few simple household items how unstable air causes cumulus clo...
Learn how thunderstorms form, what causes them to be severe, and how to stay safe. Unstable air is one of the three ingredients needed for thunderstorms to develop, along with moisture and a lifting mechanism.
Jun 13, 2024 · Learn how unstable air, moisture and lift create thunderstorms. Watch a video and download a poster from NOAA SciJinks, a website about weather science.
May 24, 2024 · Air is unstable when the environmental lapse rate is greater than the dry adiabatic rate. Under these conditions, a rising parcel of air is warmer and less dense than the air surrounding it at any given elevation.
Let's start with clouds in an unstable environment. When the environment is unstable, air parcels are able to rise via positive buoyancy if nudged upward from their initial position (say, near the surface). To get a visual on this process, let's perform a little experiment.
