A physical oceanographic term for the temperature that a water sample gathered at depth would have if brought adiabatically (i.e. without thermal contact with the surrounding water) to the surface, i.e. the effective temperature of a water parcel after removing the heat of the parcel associated solely with compression. A sample brought from depth to the surface will, due to the slight compressibility of sea water, expand and therefore tend to cool, and as such potential temperatures at great depths are always less than measured temperatures.
The potential temperature is the temperature a parcel of water would have if it was at the surface. The potential temperature takes into account the temperature change that occurs whenever the pressure of the water changes. The potential temperature is always less than the in situ temperature.
The temperature a parcel of dry air would have if brought adiabatically (i.e., without transfer of heat or mass) to a standard pressure level of 1000 mb.
The temperature that a dry air parcel would have if transported adiabatically from its ambient temperature and pressure to a pressure of 1000 mb (millibars).
Temperature assumed by an unsaturated air parcel when brought adiabatically to a standard pressure (1,000 mb).
The temperature of a parcel of dry air brought adiabatically from its initial state to 1000hPa (an arbitrary pressure).
A measure of heat. It is the temperature air would be if brought dry adiabatically to 1000 mb.
The temperature air would have if it were moved along a dry adiabatic until the pressure reached 1,000 mbar. For example, if air at 10°C descended 5,000 feet to the 1,000 mbar level, the temperature would rise to 25°C. Precipitation: Generating precipitation that falls from a cloud and reaches the ground. This occurs with altostratus, nimbostratus, stratocumulus, stratus, cumulus, and cumulonimbus.
The potential temperature of a parcel of air at pressure P is the temperature that the parcel would acquire if adiabatically brought to a standard reference pressure P_{0}, usually 1 bar.