Sounding Question....

[Fred Gossage]

Hey guys,

I am trying to brush up on my skills when it comes to interpreting soundings. I am fairly decent as long as the major lines are already plotted......but there are some sites where the parcel lapse rate isn't....and this is where I have trouble. I understand the fact that in order to plot the parcel lapse rate, you follow the dry adiabatic lapse rate until saturation......then you follow the moist adiabatic lapse rate the rest of the way up........ But here's my question.....

How do you know when you reach saturation while following the dry adiabatic lapse rate???? What lines do I need to look for...crossing where or whatever they may be doing????

THANKS SO MUCH in advance for any help!!!!!

 

[Fred Gossage]

Well, I did a little researching....and I found the answer......but for other people on here who may want to know also....I'll post the answer....

You draw a dry adiabat from the surface temperature....
Then you draw a mixing ratio line from the surface dewpoint.....
Where these intersect is the LCL (Lifted Condensation Level)

What you do is........follow the dry adiabat up to this point (the LCL), then you follow the moist adiabat the rest of the way up....to plot the parcel lapse rate. (That is the line you compare against the temperature line to get indicies like LI, CAPE, etc)

Hope I have helped someone else who may have been wondering the same thing....