Definition
A thermodynamic process is called adiabatic if there is no heat exchange between the considered air or fluid parcel and its surroundings. Consequently, temperature changes are induced by a change in pressure. This process is a key point to determine the temperature gradient of planetary atmospheres and also of oceans.
In planetary atmospheres, an air parcel drifted upward cools and expands due to the decrease in atmospheric pressure. The rate at which the temperature falls is quantified by the adiabatic lapse rate(Pierrehumbert 2010; Wallace and Hobbs 2006). If the partial pressure of the condensable gas is below the saturation pressure, the process is called dry adiabatic, and its lapse rate is −dT/dz. = g/cp where g is gravity acceleration and cp the heat capacity of the gas. Indicative lapse rate values of different planets are given in Table 1.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Limaye SS, Grassi D, Mahieux A et al (2018) Venus atmospheric thermal structure and radiative balance. Space Sci Rev 214:102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-018-0525-2
McKay CP, Martin SC, Griffith CA et al (1997) Temperature lapse rate and methane in Titan’s troposphere. Icarus 129:498–505. https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1997.5751
Pierrehumbert RT (2010) Principles of planetary climate. Cambridge University Press, New-York, pp 81–133
Stewart RH (2008) Introduction to physical oceanography. A & M University College, Texas, pp 83–88
Wallace JM, Hobbs PV (2006) Atmospheric science: an introductory survey, 2nd edn. Academic Press, pp 63–111
Zurek R (2017) Understanding Mars and its atmosphere. In: Haberle R, Clancy R, Forget F et al (eds) The atmosphere and climate of Mars. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139060172.002
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Chaverot, G. (2021). Adiabatic Processes. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5504-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5504-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics