Temperature/Levels » Equivalent Potential Temperature (Theta-e) Definition
Definition: Equivalent Potential Temperature
The equivalent potential temperature (theta-e) is the temperature a sample of air would have if all its moisture were condensed out by a pseudo-adiabatic process (i.e., with the latent heat of condensation being used to heat the air sample), and the sample then brought dry-adiabatically back to 1000 hPa.
The equivalent potential temperature is identical to the equivalent temperature, except the sample is brought dry-adiabatically from the equivalent temperature at the initial level to the equivalent potential temperature at the 1000 hPa level.
Equivalent potential temperature is commonly expressed in kelvins. However, in this module we will use °C for the sake of convenience. To convert from K to °C, simply subtract 273.15.