Equilibrium level

In meteorology, the equilibrium level (EL), or level of neutral buoyancy (LNB), or limit of convection (LOC), is the height at which a rising parcel of air is at the same temperature as its environment.

Diagram showing an air parcel path when raised along B-C-E compared to the surrounding air mass Temperature (T) and humidity (Tw)

This means that unstable air is now stable when it reaches the equilibrium level and convection stops. This level is often near the tropopause and can be indicated as near where the anvil of a thunderstorm because it is where the thunderstorm updraft is finally cut off, except in the case of overshooting tops where it continues rising to the maximum parcel level (MPL) due to momentum. More precisely, the cumulonimbus will stop rising around a few kilometres prior to reaching the level of neutral buoyancy and on average anvil glaciation occurs at a higher altitude over land than over sea (despite little difference in LNB from land to sea).^[1]

References

^ Takahashi, Hanii; Z. Luo (2012). "Where is the level of neutral buoyancy for deep convection?". Geophys. Res. Lett. 39 (L15809).

External links

The Difference Between the Equilibrium Level and Maximum Parcel Level
Identity of Storm Features

Meteorological data and variables

General	Adiabatic processes Advection Buoyancy Lapse rate Lightning Surface solar radiation Surface weather analysis Visibility Vorticity Wind Wind shear

Condensation	Cloud Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) Fog Convective condensation level (CCL) Lifted condensation level (LCL) Precipitation Water vapor

Convection	Convective available potential energy (CAPE) Convective inhibition (CIN) Convective instability Convective temperature (T_c) Equilibrium level (EL) Free convective layer (FCL) Helicity Level of free convection (LFC) Lifted index (LI) Maximum parcel level (MPL) Bulk Richardson number (BRN)

Temperature	Dew point (T_d) Dew point depression Dry-bulb temperature Equivalent temperature (T_e) Forest fire weather index Haines Index Heat index Humidex Humidity Relative humidity (RH) Mixing ratio Potential temperature (θ) Equivalent potential temperature (θ_e) Sea surface temperature (SST) Thermodynamic temperature Vapor pressure Virtual temperature Wet-bulb temperature Wet-bulb potential temperature Wind chill

Pressure	Atmospheric pressure Baroclinity Barotropicity Pressure gradient Pressure-gradient force (PGF)

Categories

This article was sourced from Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. World Heritage Encyclopedia content is assembled from numerous content providers, Open Access Publishing, and in compliance with The Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act (FASTR), Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Public Library of Science, The Encyclopedia of Life, Open Book Publishers (OBP), PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and USA.gov, which sources content from all federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government publication portals (.gov, .mil, .edu). Funding for USA.gov and content contributors is made possible from the U.S. Congress, E-Government Act of 2002.

Crowd sourced content that is contributed to World Heritage Encyclopedia is peer reviewed and edited by our editorial staff to ensure quality scholarly research articles.

By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. World Heritage Encyclopedia™ is a registered trademark of the World Public Library Association, a non-profit organization.

Equilibrium level