Meteorology · Stability — Atmospheric Stability
A stable atmosphere (warm air over cool air, or a small lapse rate) tends to produce:
- AClear skies guaranteed
- BTowering cumulonimbus and thunderstorms
- CViolent vertical convection
- DLayered (stratiform) clouds, fog, smoke trapped near the surface, and little vertical mixing✓ Correct
Explanation
In a stable atmosphere, vertical motion is suppressed, so clouds spread horizontally (stratus), fog and haze persist, and pollutants and smoke are trapped under an inversion. An unstable atmosphere (steep lapse rate) favors strong convection, cumuliform clouds, showers, and thunderstorms.
Authority: Bowditch (Pub. No. 9), Stability
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