What is the potential temperature?

Potential temperature is the theoretical value used in meteorology or weather forecasts and oceanography or ocean study. This value called Theta in meteorology is the temperature that the air mass should be if it was put to a standard pressure. The importance of using the standard temperature is that air cooling at higher altitudes and oceans at greater depths, making it difficult to compare different air or water. In the calculation, a standard pressure of 29.97 inches of mercury (1000 Milbars) is used to convert the actual temperature. This equation is named for Simeon Denis Poisson, a French mathematician and physics who developed it. The calculation assumes that no temperatures or weights are added during pressure conversion, which is a prerequisite called a change in the pressure of adiabatic pressure.

Meteorologists look at air mass when they move on the ground and try to determium, what effects occur over time. The air is cooled,As it grows and warms up as it decreases, so comparing the actual temperatures at different points can lead to errors in the weather forecast. The potential temperature assumes that all air masss are unchanged at the same pressure and the character or composition of the air mass.

This effect is also important for the view of one air mass. Once the air mass circulates, they can meet the mountains or change the terrain. If the air mass rises and cools, the actual air temperature will be lower. The potential temperature ignores this and looks at the air mass at standard pressure to determine whether the properties of the air mass change.

penetration rate is a term for a change in the temperature that occurs with an increase in altitude. The standard stable air delay rate can be estimated at approximately 3.5 ° F (about 2 degrees C) per 1000 feet (300 meters) altitude. UnstableAir, such as low -pressure areas with storms or cold and warm queues, create atmospheric conditions where the delay rate cannot be used for temperature estimates. The potential temperature can be used to standardize these air masses for a single pressure, allowing a comparison.

One of the important considerations when using this calculation is the dew point of the air mass. The air tile considered must be unsaturated air or air that is not at its dew point. This is important because the calculation assumes that no mass or energy enters the air sample. The air that is saturated can create rain, which is a loss of mass that will make this calculation unusable.