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Tephigrams For Dummies

This document introduces tephigrams, which are graphs used to depict atmospheric conditions. It discusses key tephigram elements like temperature, pressure, lapse rates, and dew point. Examples are provided of idealized and actual atmospheric soundings on tephigrams. The document works through a sample problem to determine how high a thermal will rise using a tephigram. It also explains concepts such as stable, unstable, and conditionally unstable air and how slopes on a tephigram indicate these conditions.

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629 views28 pages

Tephigrams For Dummies

This document introduces tephigrams, which are graphs used to depict atmospheric conditions. It discusses key tephigram elements like temperature, pressure, lapse rates, and dew point. Examples are provided of idealized and actual atmospheric soundings on tephigrams. The document works through a sample problem to determine how high a thermal will rise using a tephigram. It also explains concepts such as stable, unstable, and conditionally unstable air and how slopes on a tephigram indicate these conditions.

Uploaded by

moipedras
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPS, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tephigrams for Dummies

An introduction

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Don Puttock 1

Introduction to Tephigrams
Te phi gram

T is the symbol used for Temperature Phi is the symbol used for pressure

gram means graph (Invented by Napier Shaw in 1915)


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Don Puttock 2

Introduction to Tephigrams
Temperature normally reduces with height.

Pressure

But not always

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Don Puttock

Temperature

Introduction to Tephigrams
Lower pressure Air Pressure REDUCES with altitude

Pressure

Higher Pressure

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Don Puttock

Temperature

Introduction to Tephigrams
Lower pressure

Pressure

ALTITUDE

Higher pressure

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Don Puttock

Temperature

Introduction to Tephigrams
Bronze C question The surface temperature is 20C, The Environmental Lapse Rate (ELR) is 2C/1000ft. Trigger temperature is 24C. The Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate (DALR) is 3/1000ft. How High will the thermals go?
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Don Puttock 6

Introduction to Tephigrams
ENVIRONMENTAL LAPSE RATE 2C/1000ft

7000ft 6000ft 5000ft 4000ft 3000ft 2000ft 1000ft


Don Puttock

But this is idealised---In reality the ELR is never a steady reduction like this

ALTITUDE

TEMPERATURE NEXT
7

10C

20C

Introduction to Tephigrams
ACTUAL or FORECAST SOUNDING

7000ft 6000ft 5000ft 4000ft OR THIS 3000ft 2000ft 1000ft


Don Puttock

It is far more usual to see it like this.

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8

10C

20C

Introduction to Tephigrams
Adiabatic Heating and Cooling of a parcel of air

As air is As air expands it Warmer compressed it cooler also cools gets warmer

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Don Puttock 9

Introduction to Tephigrams

Air pressure decreases with Altitude If a parcel rises, it expands in the lower pressure above It cools adiabatically

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Don Puttock 10

Introduction to Tephigrams
In this context, if air has not cooled to its Dew point, it is considered to be dry. The Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate (DALR) is 3C/1000ft Air below its Dew Point temperature is saturated. The Saturated Adiabatic Lapse rate (SALR) is approximately 1.5C/1000ft.
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Don Puttock 11

Introduction to Tephigrams
7000ft 6000ft 5000ft 4000ft 3000ft 2000ft 1000ft
Don Puttock

When shown on our graph these lines look like this DALR 3/1000ft

SALR 1.5C/1000ft

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12

10C

20C

Introduction to Tephigrams
Remember our question? The surface temperature is 20C, The Environmental Lapse Rate (ELR) is 2C/1000ft. Trigger temperature is 24C. The Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate (DALR) is 3/1000ft. How High will the thermals go?
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Don Puttock 13

Introduction to Tephigrams
Environmental air temp 7000ft 6000ft 5000ft 4000ft 3000ft 2000ft 1000ft
Don Puttock
24C

6C 8C 10C 12C 14C 18C 16C

The Sun heats Surface temperature is 20C the ground The environmental Lapse rate is 2C/1000ft

Local Hotspot Warms to Trigger surface The localTemp warms the air NEXT
14

Introduction to Tephigrams
Environmental air temp 7000ft 6000ft 5000ft 4000ft 3000ft 2000ft 1000ft
Don Puttock

6C 8C 10C 12C 14C 16C 18C 20C 12C 15C 18C 21C 24C

BUT What if the dew point happened to be 15C ? Well Cloud would form from 3000ft The packet of air stopped rising because it is the same temperature as the environment. The answer to the Bronze C question is 4000ft The parcel of air is cooling at the DALR, 3C/1000ft NEXT
15

Introduction to Tephigrams
Environmental air temp 7000ft 6000ft 5000ft 4000ft 3000ft 2000ft 1000ft
Don Puttock

6C Well Cloud would form from 3000ft 8C Dewpoint Temp 10C 12C 14C 16C 18C 20C 12C 15C If it does, Cloud will form 18C 21C 24C As it rises and cools, it might reach its dewpoint The dewpoint of the air near the surface is (say)15C 16 NEXT Cloudbase

Introduction to Tephigrams
Environmental air temp 7000ft 6000ft 5000ft 4000ft 3000ft 2000ft 1000ft
Don Puttock

SO if the dew point happened to be 15C 9C 10.5C 12C 13.5C 15C 18C 21C 24C The air has now become unstable

6C 8C 10C 12C 14C 16C 18C 20C

Once saturated, the parcel cools at the SALR

The parcel of air is cooling at the DALR, 3C/1000ft NEXT NEXT


17

Introduction to Tephigrams
7000ft 6000ft 5000ft 4000ft 3000ft 2000ft 1000ft
Don Puttock

SALR 1.5C/1000ft DALR 3/1000ft

Remember this?

If the slope of the ELR falls here The airmass is Conditionally Unstable Stable Unstable

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18

10C

20C

Introduction to Tephigrams
UDCSS
7000ft 6000ft 5000ft 4000ft 3000ft 2000ft 1000ft
Don Puttock

=Urban District Council Shovels Snow

Conditionally Unstable SALR 1.5C/1000ft DALR 3/1000ft

Stable

Unstable NEXT
19

10C

20C

Introduction to Tephigrams
Location, N 52.00 W 2.00 The minus figure indicates West of the prime meridian Valid for Date 30th January 2008 Valid time 12.00hrs Zulu Prediction 0 hours ahead NEXT
Don Puttock 20

Introduction to Tephigrams
A forecast tephigram. The National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA)

Pressures not Altitudes

About 30,000ft About 10,000ft About sea level

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Don Puttock 21

Introduction to Tephigrams
Temperatures, lines skewed at 45

About 30,000ft

About 10,000ft About sea level NEXT


Don Puttock 22

Introduction to Tephigrams
2C temperature divisions

An aid to working out the temperature -6C

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Don Puttock 23

Introduction to Tephigrams
Wind strength and direction

Northwest 60 knots

Northwest 35 knots

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Don Puttock 24

Introduction to Tephigrams
Dry Adiabatic Lapse lines Approx 3C/1000ft For your convenience

Saturated Adiabatic lapse lines Approx 1.6C/ 1000ft

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Don Puttock 25

Introduction to Tephigrams
Moisture content lines The amount water the air can hold at that temperature in grammes per Kg

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Don Puttock 26

Introduction to Tephigrams
So far we have only described the graph paper The two traces on it are Red line is the predicted temperature as we climb through the atmosphere. The Green line is the dew point

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Don Puttock 27

Introduction to Tephigrams

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Don Puttock 28

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