absolute instability

The state of a column of air in the atmosphere when it has a superadiabatic lapse rate of temperature, that is, greater than the dry-adiabatic lapse rate. Also known as autoconvective instability; mechanical instability.

Related terms:

• conditional instability
• absolute stability
• convective instability
• neutral stability
• latent instability
• dry adiabatic lapse rate
• baroclinic instability
• superadiabatic lapse rate
• saturation-adiabatic lapse rate
• instability line