The dry adiabatic lapse rate is approximately how many degrees Celsius per 100 meters?

The dry adiabatic lapse rate is approximately how many degrees Celsius per 100 meters?

• A. -1 C
• B. -2 C
• C. +1 C
• D. 0 C

Answer: (A)

The dry adiabatic lapse rate is the rate at which a dry air parcel cools as it rises (or warms as it sinks) without exchanging heat with its surroundings. Its standard value is about 9.8°C per kilometer, which is roughly 0.98°C per 100 meters. Because temperature falls with height in rising air, the lapse rate is negative. So, for every 100 meters you ascend, the air parcel cools by about 1°C. That’s why the best choice is approximately -1°C per 100 meters. The other options don’t fit because -2°C per 100 m would be a steeper drop than the dry adiabatic rate, +1°C per 100 m would imply warming with height, and 0°C per 100 m would mean no temperature change with height.

The dry adiabatic lapse rate is the rate at which a dry air parcel cools as it rises (or warms as it sinks) without exchanging heat with its surroundings. Its standard value is about 9.8°C per kilometer, which is roughly 0.98°C per 100 meters. Because temperature falls with height in rising air, the lapse rate is negative. So, for every 100 meters you ascend, the air parcel cools by about 1°C. That’s why the best choice is approximately -1°C per 100 meters. The other options don’t fit because -2°C per 100 m would be a steeper drop than the dry adiabatic rate, +1°C per 100 m would imply warming with height, and 0°C per 100 m would mean no temperature change with height.