ATMO 201 EXAM 2 COMPREHENSIVE
EXAMINATION 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Adiabatic process. Answer: -No heat gained/lost
-Unsaturated conditions
-Reversible process bc the air parcel has same temp at beginning
and end
◉ Stable. Answer: -If an object, when forced to move, tends to move
back to its original position
◉ Unstable. Answer: -If an object, when forced to move, tends to
continue to move away from its original position
◉ -Warm air (cool air more dense). Answer: At the same height, is
warm or cool air less dense?
◉ Dry-adiabatic lapse rate. Answer: -An unsaturated (dry) parcel
will always rise and sink at 9.8C per kilometer
-For simplicity sake for this class, we'll use 10C
,◉ Moist-adiabatic lapse rate. Answer: -When parcels rise and cool,
they'll eventually become saturated
-As they continue to rise, water vapor will condense into liquid
water (a cloud)
Remember: during condensation, latent heat released inside parcel
-Instead of cooling at 10C per km, it cools slower appx 6C per km
◉ Environmental lapse rate. Answer: -Parcels always rise/sink at
either dry or moist adiabatic lapse rate
-The air surrounding parcel can have a variety of temps
-Measured w radiosondes
-Since adiabatic lapse rates are known, we can compare them to
environmental lapse rate to determine whether parcel will be
stable/unstable
-If a parcel is forced to rise, and it's warmer than its environment, it
will continue to rise and be unstable
-If it is forced to rise and is cooler than its environment, it will sink
back down to the original position and be stable
◉ Absolutely stable. Answer: -When environmental lapse rate is less
than adiabatic rate (6C per km)
-Air parcels will be colder than their environment and sink back to
their original position
-Temp inversion (temp increase w height) acts as a lid
, -Often occurs at night due to radiational cooling
◉ Absolutely unstable. Answer: -When environmental lapse rate is
greater than dry-adiabatic lapse rate (10C per km)
-Air parcels will be warmer than their environment and continue to
rise
-This condition usually only occurs near the surface, and not for very
long since the rising parcels will bring the warm air up and cool air
will mix down around them
◉ Conditionally unstable. Answer: -When environmental lapse rate
is between the dry and moist adiabatic lapse rates (6C and 10C per
km)
-Unsaturated parcels will sink back to their original position,
saturated parcels will continue to rise
-There is instability, on the condition that the parcel is saturated
-On avg, the atmosphere in this state (avg environmental lapse rate
is 6.5C per km)
-This helps to explain why cumulus clouds can grow v tall into
cumulonimbus bc ONLY saturated parcels continue to rise
-Free convection level (LFC)
◉ Naturally stable. Answer: -When environmental lapse rate equals
the dry adiabatic lapse rate
EXAMINATION 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Adiabatic process. Answer: -No heat gained/lost
-Unsaturated conditions
-Reversible process bc the air parcel has same temp at beginning
and end
◉ Stable. Answer: -If an object, when forced to move, tends to move
back to its original position
◉ Unstable. Answer: -If an object, when forced to move, tends to
continue to move away from its original position
◉ -Warm air (cool air more dense). Answer: At the same height, is
warm or cool air less dense?
◉ Dry-adiabatic lapse rate. Answer: -An unsaturated (dry) parcel
will always rise and sink at 9.8C per kilometer
-For simplicity sake for this class, we'll use 10C
,◉ Moist-adiabatic lapse rate. Answer: -When parcels rise and cool,
they'll eventually become saturated
-As they continue to rise, water vapor will condense into liquid
water (a cloud)
Remember: during condensation, latent heat released inside parcel
-Instead of cooling at 10C per km, it cools slower appx 6C per km
◉ Environmental lapse rate. Answer: -Parcels always rise/sink at
either dry or moist adiabatic lapse rate
-The air surrounding parcel can have a variety of temps
-Measured w radiosondes
-Since adiabatic lapse rates are known, we can compare them to
environmental lapse rate to determine whether parcel will be
stable/unstable
-If a parcel is forced to rise, and it's warmer than its environment, it
will continue to rise and be unstable
-If it is forced to rise and is cooler than its environment, it will sink
back down to the original position and be stable
◉ Absolutely stable. Answer: -When environmental lapse rate is less
than adiabatic rate (6C per km)
-Air parcels will be colder than their environment and sink back to
their original position
-Temp inversion (temp increase w height) acts as a lid
, -Often occurs at night due to radiational cooling
◉ Absolutely unstable. Answer: -When environmental lapse rate is
greater than dry-adiabatic lapse rate (10C per km)
-Air parcels will be warmer than their environment and continue to
rise
-This condition usually only occurs near the surface, and not for very
long since the rising parcels will bring the warm air up and cool air
will mix down around them
◉ Conditionally unstable. Answer: -When environmental lapse rate
is between the dry and moist adiabatic lapse rates (6C and 10C per
km)
-Unsaturated parcels will sink back to their original position,
saturated parcels will continue to rise
-There is instability, on the condition that the parcel is saturated
-On avg, the atmosphere in this state (avg environmental lapse rate
is 6.5C per km)
-This helps to explain why cumulus clouds can grow v tall into
cumulonimbus bc ONLY saturated parcels continue to rise
-Free convection level (LFC)
◉ Naturally stable. Answer: -When environmental lapse rate equals
the dry adiabatic lapse rate
