adiabatic lapse rate

adiabatic lapse rate

[¦ad·ē·ə¦bad·ik ′laps ‚rāt] (meteorology) dry-adiabatic lapse rate

adiabatic lapse rate

Dry adiabatic lapse rate.The rate at which the temperature changes as the air rises or falls without the heat being taken away from or given to the air mass. The standard adiabatic lapse rate is 3°C/1000 ft, 5.4°F/1000 ft, or 9.8°C/km when air is dry (dry adiabatic lapse rate) and 1.6°C/1000 ft, 2.7°F/1000 ft, or 5.8°C/km when air is saturated (saturated adiabatic lapse rate). See also dry adiabatic lapse rate and saturated adiabatic lapse rate.