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Metsfan

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    Difference between MLCAPE and MUCAPE

    in Meteorology 101

    Posted

    MUCAPE is Most Unstable CAPE. It is most commonly used to assess elevated instability and is useful in forecasting nocturnal thunderstorms when a low level inversion may be present. It can also be useful in forecasting thunderstorms that may occur out ahead of a warm front where low level inversions also tend to be present. Although there are different algorithms to calculate it, MUCAPE typically is found by lifting every layer in the lowest 300 mb of the troposphere and finding the CAPE for each. The layer that produces the highest CAPE value is the MUCAPE.

     

    Here's a good tutorial on MUCAPE: http://theweatherprediction.com/habyhints2/634/

     

    MLCAPE is Mixed Layer CAPE. It is most commonly used to assess instability during the part of the day when the atmosphere is well mixed (i.e. the afternoon) and may provide a more realistic picture of daytime instability than surface based CAPE as it will typically look at the temperature and moisture conditions in the lowest 100 mb of the troposphere. MLCAPE is calculated by averaging temperature and moisture variables in the lowest 100 mb and lifting that layer.

    Nice explanation.

     

    I have a few more questions

     

    1) Can we use MUCAPE during the afternoon with no inversion?

     

    For this example this meteorologist mentioned MUCAPE with the morning sounding 

     

    http://ryanhanrahan....xed-layer-cape/

     

    but then went on to MLCAPE. 

     

     

     

    2) Does the remnant MUCAPE(elevated instability) become MLCAPE when the cap breaks? 

     

    3) Shouldn't MLCAPE be the most unstable because of the accessibility for a parcel to reach the available energy, because of the steep low and mid level lapse rates?

     

    4) What makes MUCAPE more unstable then MLCAPE?

     

    Thanks for answering these additional questions. 

    Difference between MLCAPE and MUCAPE

    in Meteorology 101

    Posted

    Hey all, 

     

    I need help with the difference with these parameters and there difference in significance. The SPC description is not helping. 

     

    MUCAPE the way I understand it is the instability of a parcel needed to get to it's Level of Free Convection

     

    MLCAPE  the way I understand it is the instability a parcel has when it has reached it's Level of Free Convection. 

     

    Thanks guys. 

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