Lecture notes are provided to help with this assignment. See the lecture notes titled "SkewT Examples".

On the SkewT chart provided in class, plot the sounding given by the table of sounding data (see below). For each data record (each line), the first value is the pressure in mb, the 2nd value is the temperature in °C, and the 3rd value is the dewpoint in °C.

The computer plot of the sounding is provided, so you can get a sense of how it is supposed to look. Plot the temperature line as a bold red line, and the dewpoint line as a bold green line.

Do the following things using the SkewT and the sounding you have plotted. In each case, provide the answer on a seperate sheet of paper, unless the task specifically says to show your work on the SkewT chart. Turn in both your SkewT chart and the sheet of paper with your problem answers.

1) List the pressure level boundaries for all the inversions on the chart that are between the 1000mb level and the 200mb level. It is useful to use the actual data points from the table below to identify the exact lower and upper bound of each inversion.

2) Give the approximate pressure level of the tropopause.

3) Determine the saturation mixing ratio, the actual mixing ratio, and the relative humidity for the air parcels at the following levels:
The surface, 808mb, and 500mb.

4) Determine the potential temperature θ at 850mb, 700mb, and 500mb.

5) Give the pressure level and temperature of the LCL for the parcel at the 600mb level (if necessary, draw on your chart, but use very light pencil lines).

6) Carefully and precisely show on your SkewT chart, by drawing light lines, the lifting of the surface parcel from the surface to the top of the chart. Give (on your seperate sheet) the pressure level and temperature of the LCL for this surface parcel.

7) On your chart, for the surface parcel, label the following: the LCL, the LFC, and the EL.

8) On your SkewT chart, carefully and lightly shade the positive energy area -- the CAPE.

9) Determine the Lifted Index value for the surface-based parcel (give the value on your seperate sheet of answers).

10) Determine the equivalent potential temperature θ_e ("theta - e") for the surface parcel.

The sounding data is below:

979 28.2 18.2
944 25 16
920 23.4 15.4
855 17.2 15.7
850 16.8 15.3
808 13.6 12.7
734 9.4 7.5
700 6.6 4.4
667 3.4 2.1
663 3.4 1.3
656 5 -6
648 5.4 -11.6
608 1.6 -15.4
597 1.8 -19.2
541 -5.5 -24.5
505 -9.7 -28.7
500 -10.3 -29.3
485 -11.5 -31.5
427 -19.7 -38.7
407 -22.1 -37.1
400 -22.9 -38.9
386 -25.1 -40.1
376 -25.9 -39.9
354 -29.7 -35.7
335 -32.3 -38.3
327 -33.5 -42.5
322 -34.3 -43.3
315 -35.1 -40.1
300 -37.1 -41.4
297 -37.5 -41.8
250 -47.1 -53.1
237 -50.3 -56.3
200 -58.7 -64.7
195 -59.9 -65.9
179 -63.1 -68.1
174 -63.1 -68.1
159 -67.5 -72.5
154 -67.7 -72.7
150 -68.9 -73.9
145 -70.5 -75.5
139 -70.7 -75.7
137 -68.3 -73.3
136 -67.7 -72.7
131 -68.1 -73.1
125 -70.3 -75.3
122 -67.7 -72.7
119 -67.3 -72.3
110 -70.1 -75.1
100 -73.1 -78.1