Exercise 16 Problems—Part I (S.I.

Units)
Name: Mohamed Isa Section: GEOG-120L-

1185

Assume that a parcel of air is forced to rise up and over a 4000-meter-high mountain (as shown).

The initial temperature of the parcel at sea level is 30°C, and the lifting condensation level (LCL)

of the parcel is 2000 meters. The DAR is 10°C/1000 m and the SAR is 6°C/1000 m. Assume that

condensation begins at 100% relative humidity and that no evaporation takes place as the parcel

descends.
 1. Calculate the temperature of the parcel at the following elevations as it rises up the

windward side of the mountain.

a. 1000 m 20 °C

b. 2000 m 10 °C

c. 4000 m -2 °C

2.

a. After the parcel of air has descended down the leeward side of the mountain

to sea level, what is the temperature of the parcel? 38 °C

b. Why is the parcel now warmer than it was at sea level on the windward side

(what is the source of the heat energy)?

Latent heat was released during condensation, which slowed down the rate of cooling above the

LCL on the side facing the wind.

3.

a. On the windward side of the mountain, is the relative humidity of the parcel

increasing or decreasing as it rises from sea level to 1000 meters?

Increasing

b. Why?

Since cooling lowers capacity, it makes relative humidity rise.

4.
 a. On the leeward side of the mountain, is the relative humidity of the parcel

increasing or decreasing as it descends from 4000 meters to sea level?

Decreasing

b. Why?

As it warms up, capacity goes up, and relative humidity goes down.

Exercise 16 Problems—Part II (S.I. Units)

Answer the following questions after completing the problems in Part I. You will also need to

refer to the chart of Saturation Mixing Ratios in Figure 15-1; interpolate from the chart as

needed. Assume that condensation begins at 100% relative humidity and that no evaporation

takes place as the parcel descends.

5.

a. On the windward side of the mountain, should the relative humidity of the

parcel change as it rises from 2000 m to 4000 m? No!

b. Why?

As the air rises and cools down more, capacity goes down, but condensation happens, keeping

the relative humidity at about 100%.

 6. As the air rises up the windward side of the mountain,

a. What is the capacity (saturation mixing ratio) of the rising air at 2000

meters? 7.6 g/kg

b. What is the capacity of the air at 4000 meters? 3.1 g/kg

7. What is the capacity of the air after it has descended back down to sea level on the

leeward side of the mountain? 43.1 g/kg

8.

a. Assuming that no water vapor is added as the parcel descends down the

leeward side of the mountain to sea level, is the water vapor content (the

mixing ratio) of the parcel higher or lower than before it began to rise over

the mountain? Lower

b. Why?

Water vapor was lost when the side that was facing the wind condensed.

c. What is the lifting condensation level of this parcel now, after descending to

sea level on the leeward side of the mountain? 4000 m

Exercise 16 Problems—Part III (English

Units)
Assume that a parcel of air is forced to rise up and over a 6000-foot-high mountain (as shown).
The initial temperature of the parcel at sea level is , and the lifting condensation level (LCL) of
the parcel is 3000 feet. The DAR is 5.5°F/1000 feet, and the SAR is 3.3°F/1000 feet. Assume
that condensation begins at 100% relative humidity and that no evaporation takes place as the
parcel descends. Indicate calculated temperatures to one decimal place.
 1. Calculate the temperature of the parcel at the following elevations as it rises up the
windward side of the mountain.
1. 1000 feet 74.67 oF
2. 3000 feet 73.2 oF
3. 6000 feet 69.9 oF
2.

a. After the parcel of air has descended down the leeward side of the mountain to sea level,

what is the temperature of the parcel? 109.5 oF

b. Why is the parcel now warmer than it was at sea level on the windward side (what is the

source of the heat energy)?

In this case, the potential energy that the parcel got when it was lifted on the windward side is

what heated it up during the lee side descent. As the parcel fell, this potential energy was

changed into kinetic energy. This kinetic energy showed up as faster molecular motion, which

led to higher temperatures because of adiabatic compression. So, the parcel on the lee side gets

warmer because the potential energy gained during rise on the windward side is turned into

kinetic energy. This leads to adiabatic compression, which raises the temperature.
 3.

a. On the windward side of the mountain, is the relative humidity of the parcel increasing or

decreasing as it rises from sea level to 2000 feet? Increasing

b. Why?

As a piece of air rises through the atmosphere, it cools through adiabatic cooling, which happens

because atmospheric pressure drops as height increases. This happens at a rate of 5.5°F per 1000

feet. As the air cools, it may hit its dew point temperature. This is where condensation starts, and

it is called the lifting condensation level (LCL). The rate of cooling slows down because latent

heat is released during condensation, but the parcel's mixing ratio stays pretty much the same.

This means that the difference between air temperature and dew point temperature stays the

same. As the parcel rises, this makes the relative humidity rise, which means it is getting close to

saturation and condensation is more likely.

4.

a. On the leeward side of the mountain, is the relative humidity of the parcel increasing or

decreasing as it descends from 6000 feet to sea level? Decreasing

b. Why?

A piece of air falls through the atmosphere and the atmospheric pressure rises, which causes

adiabatic compression and a temperature rise at a rate of 5.5°F per 1000 feet. As the parcel falls,

the mixing ratio stays the same, so there is always a gap between the air temperature and the dew

point temperature. This is similar to how it rises on the windward side. The most important

difference, though, is that as the temperature rises away from the dew point, the relative humidity
drops. As the parcel falls, this change makes the air less saturated, which shows that the relative

humidity is going down.

Exercise 16 Problems—Part IV (English Units)

Answer the following questions after completing the problems in Part III. You will also need to
refer to the table of Saturation Mixing Ratios in Figure 15-1; interpolate from the chart as
needed. Assume that condensation begins at 100% relative humidity and that no evaporation
takes place as the parcel descends.

5.

a. On the windward side of the mountain, should the relative humidity of the

parcel change as it rises from 3000 feet to 6000 feet ? NO

b. Why?

The relative humidity stays the same because the temperature drops as the air parcel rises and

cools through adiabatic cooling. The cooler air causes condensation, which is the change of

water vapor in the parcel into liquid water or clouds. In the process of condensation, latent heat is

released, which cancels out the cooling effect of adiabatic expansion. Because of this, the

parcel's relative humidity stays close to 100%, meaning it keeps a high wetness content as it

rises. Because of this, the relative humidity doesn't change as the box rises because it can hold as

much water as it can already.

6. As the air rises up the windward side of the mountain

a. What is the capacity (saturation mixing ratio) of the rising air at 3000 feet?

8.5 g/kg

b. What is the capacity of the air at 6000 feet? 4.8 g/kg

 7. What is the capacity of the air after it has descended back down to sea level on the

leeward side of the mountain?

8.

a. Assuming that no water vapor is added as the parcel descends down the

leeward side of the mountain to sea level, is the water vapor content (the

mixing ratio) of the parcel higher or lower than before it began to rise over

the mountain? Lower

b. Why?

As a column of air rises over a mountain, adiabatic cooling lowers its temperature. This causes

the relative humidity to rise until it hits 100%, which causes condensation and clouds to form.

The rate of cooling is slowed down by the release of latent heat during condensation. On the

other hand, when you go down the lee side of the mountain, adiabatic warming happens. This

makes the temperature rise and the relative humidity drop, which evaporates clouds. The rate of

warming is slowed down by the uptake of latent heat during evaporation. Because of these

processes, the parcel's temperature drops and its relative humidity rises during rising, which

makes the amount of water vapor in it rise. As the parcel goes down the mountain, however, the

temperature rises and the relative humidity drops. This causes the water vapor content to drop,

which results in a smaller mixing ratio than when it was going up the mountain.

c. What is the lifting condensation level of this parcel now, after descending

to sea level on the leeward side of the mountain?

The lifting condensation level (LCL) is the height at which a rising mass of air becomes

saturated and clouds start to form. On the lee side of a mountain, the LCL would stay the same

on the way down if the parcel stays unsaturated. It would also stay the same before going up the
mountain. But if the parcel had gotten wet and clouds appeared during ascent, the LCL on the lee

side would be different because the temperature and dew point would have changed. Adiabatic

warming during descent would make the LCL lower on the lee side than on the windward side.

This shows how changes in temperature and dew point affect how clouds grow in mountainous

areas.