3. Stability

Changing Stability » Vertical Motion Vertical Displacement of a Layer: Dry Base / Saturated Top

Conceptual animation showing how ascent affects lapse rate of atmospheric layer with a dry base

In contrast to the previous example, if an ascending layer is unsaturated at the bottom and saturated at the top, the layer becomes more stable.

For a more quantitative description of the effects of convergence, divergence, and vertical motion on stability, see the sidebar: The Continuity Equation.