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The saturated adiabatic lapse rate (SALR), or moist adiabatic lapse rate (MALR), is the decrease in temperature of a parcel of water-saturated air that rises in the atmosphere. It varies with the temperature and pressure of the parcel and is often in the range 3.6 to 9.2 °C/km (2 to 5 °F/1000 ft ), as obtained from the International Civil ...
Graph of different thermoclines (depth versus temperature) based on seasons and latitude Two moon jellyfish disturbing a thermocline in the top water layer of Gullmarn fjord, Sweden For the use of ocean thermoclines to generate energy, see Ocean thermal energy conversion .
Global surface temperature (GST) is the average temperature of Earth's surface. More precisely, it is the weighted average of the temperatures over the ocean and land. The former is also called sea surface temperature and the latter is called surface air temperature. Temperature data comes mainly from weather stations and satellites.
The concept of potential temperature applies to any stratified fluid. It is most frequently used in the atmospheric sciences and oceanography. [2] The reason that it is used in both fields is that changes in pressure can result in warmer fluid residing under colder fluid – examples being dropping air temperature with altitude and increasing water temperature with depth in very deep ocean ...
Graph showing ocean temperature versus depth on the vertical axis. The graph shows several thermoclines (or thermal layers) based on seasons and latitude. The temperature at zero depth is the sea surface temperature. The ocean temperature plays a crucial role in the global climate system, ocean currents and for marine habitats.
The rising temperature contributes to a rise in sea levels due to the expansion of water as it warms and the melting of ice sheets on land. Other effects on oceans include sea ice decline, reducing pH values and oxygen levels, as well as increased ocean stratification.
Scientists warn that if carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at their current rates, Earth’s temperatures could increase dramatically in future decades, leading to catastrophic and irreversible climate change. The 10 largest emitters produced about 26.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide in 2013.
So cool air lying on top of warm air can be stable, as long as the temperature decrease with height is less than the adiabatic lapse rate; the dynamically important quantity is not the temperature, but the potential temperature—the temperature the air would have if it were brought adiabatically to a reference pressure. The air around the ...