The lapse rate () is defined as the rate at which the temperature of an air parcel changes with respect to a change in altitude. The lapse rate is a crucial parameter in atmospheric science, meteorology, and aviation, as it influences the stability of the atmosphere and plays a role in various weather phenomena. The negative sign indicates that, in the troposphere, temperature generally decreases with an increase in altitude. Mathematically, it is expressed as:
Where:
- is the temperature at altitudeÂ
- is the temperature at sea level (or another reference altitude â„Ž0),
- is the higher altitude,
- is the reference altitude