A parcel of air will change its temperature as it ascends based on what?

The temperature change of an ascending parcel of air is influenced by both the dry and saturated adiabatic lapse rates. As air rises, it expands due to lower atmospheric pressure at higher altitudes, leading to a drop in temperature. The rate at which this temperature drop occurs depends on the moisture content of the air.

When the air is dry, it cools at the dry adiabatic lapse rate, approximately 10 degrees Celsius per kilometer. However, when the air contains significant moisture and reaches its dew point, it becomes saturated. In this scenario, the temperature drops at a slower rate, known as the saturated adiabatic lapse rate, which is around 5 to 9 degrees Celsius per kilometer.

Understanding these two rates is crucial because they reflect how the humidity within the air parcel determines the temperature change as it ascends. This interplay between humidity and temperature change is fundamental to meteorological phenomena, such as cloud formation and precipitation.