Lab 6: Soundings Fall 2010 1) Using the provided Skew-T diagram, and using the data obtained from your section’s upper air balloon launch, plot the following data onto the Skew-T: Temperature Dewpoint Winds 2) After the data is plotted, clearly indicate the following levels and/or areas. Use a skew-T reference guide or use the website http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints for help with each item. Since there are a lot of “Habyhints” from the given website, the number of the “Habyhint” is given in parentheses (with HH) for easy reference. Assume a surface based parcel where appropriate. Lifted Condensation Level (LCL) (HH #299) Surface Wet Bulb Temperature (Normand’s Rule…use http://wwwdas.uwyo.edu/~geerts/cwx/notes/chap08/normand.html ) Level of Free Convection (LFC) (HH #309) Equilibrium Level (EL) (HH #310) Shade and label the Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) (HH #305) Convective Condensation Level (CCL) (HH #320) Convective Temperature Shade Convective Inhibition (CINH) (HH#306) (a different color) Identify major layers of Conditional Instability Identify Cap (HH #308) Identify any temperature inversions (significant inversions) Identify the primary tropopause, and any additional ones.* 3) Calculate the following values. Use the following definitions: Note errors in this, find a new ref for 2011! http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/search?id=stability-index1 Lifted Index K-Index Total Totals (TT) Showalter Index *Tropopause Definition and Finding (Cameron’s favorite thing): The first tropopause (i.e., the conventional tropopause) is defined as the lowest level at which the lapse rate decreases to 2 K/km or less, and the average lapse rate from this level to any level within the next higher 2 km does not exceed 2 K/km. If above the first tropopause the average lapse rate between any level and all higher levels within 1 km exceed 3 K/km, then a second tropopause is defined by the same criterion as under the statement above. This tropopause may be either within or above the 1 km layer. A level otherwise satisfying the definition of tropopause, but occuring at an altitude below that of the 500 mb level will not be designated a tropopause unless it is the only level satisfying the definition and the average lapse rate fails to exceed 3 K/km over at least 1 km in any higher layer.