Consider the following atmospheric conditions: the surface air temperature is 18 degrees C, and the air temperature at 1000m is 10 Degrees C.

If a parcel of dry air is lifted from the surface to a height of 1000 m, will it continue upward or be pushed back down? Why? What if the parcel is initially saturated with moisture?

To determine whether a parcel of dry air will continue to rise or be pushed back down when lifted to a height of 1000 m, you need to compare the temperature of the parcel with the surrounding air temperature at that height.

In this case, the surface air temperature is 18 degrees C, and the air temperature at 1000 m is 10 degrees C. If the parcel of dry air is lifted to 1000 m, it will encounter cooler air. Since the parcel is initially warmer than the surrounding air, it will be less dense and will continue to rise until it reaches an altitude where its temperature matches the temperature of the surrounding air. Therefore, the parcel of dry air will continue upward.

Now let's consider the scenario where the parcel is initially saturated with moisture. When a parcel of moist air rises, it cools at a slower rate than dry air due to the release of latent heat during condensation. As the parcel rises, it will cool, and some of the water vapor may condense into liquid water or even solid ice, forming clouds. This condensation process releases heat, which slows down the cooling rate of the parcel. As a result, the parcel's temperature will decrease less rapidly compared to the surrounding air temperature as it ascends.

In this case, if the parcel of moist air is lifted to 1000 m, it will still be cooler than the surrounding air at that height, but its temperature decrease will be slower due to the release of latent heat. As a result, the parcel may not be significantly less dense than the surrounding air and may not continue to rise. It might stop ascending or even be pushed back down due to the relatively similar densities.

So, in summary, a parcel of dry air will continue to rise when lifted to a height of 1000 m because it is warmer than the surrounding air. However, a parcel initially saturated with moisture may not continue to rise or could be pushed back down due to the slower cooling rate caused by the release of latent heat during condensation.