In
meteorology
Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth's atmosphere and short-term atmospheric phenomena (i.e. weather), with a focus on weather forecasting. It has applications in the military, aviation, energy production, transport, agricultur ...
, the equilibrium level (EL), or level of neutral buoyancy (LNB), or limit of convection (LOC), is the height at which a rising
parcel of
air
An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...
is at the same
temperature
Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making ...
as its environment.

This means that unstable air is now stable when it reaches the equilibrium level and
convection
Convection is single or Multiphase flow, multiphase fluid flow that occurs Spontaneous process, spontaneously through the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoy ...
stops. This level is often near the
tropopause
The tropopause is the atmospheric boundary that demarcates the lowest two layers of the atmosphere of Earth – the troposphere and stratosphere – which occurs approximately above the equatorial regions, and approximately above the polar regi ...
and can be indicated as near where the
anvil
An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually Forging, forged or Steel casting, cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked").
Anvils are massive because the hi ...
of a
thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...
because it is where the thunderstorm
updraft
In meteorology, an updraft (British English: ''up-draught'') is a small-scale air current, current of rising air, often within a cloud.
Overview
Vertical drafts, known as updrafts or downdrafts, are localized regions of warm or cool air that mov ...
is finally cut off, except in the case of
overshooting tops where it continues rising to the
maximum parcel level (MPL) due to momentum. More precisely, the cumulonimbus will stop rising around a few kilometres prior to reaching the level of neutral buoyancy and on average anvil glaciation occurs at a higher altitude over land than over sea (despite little difference in LNB from land to sea).
See also
*
Atmospheric thermodynamics Atmospheric thermodynamics is the study of heat-to-Work (physics), work transformations (and their reverse) that take place in the Earth's atmosphere and manifest as weather or climate. Atmospheric thermodynamics use the laws of classical thermodyn ...
*
Convective instability
In meteorology, convective instability or stability of an air mass refers to its ability to resist vertical motion. A ''stable'' atmosphere makes vertical movement difficult, and small vertical disturbances dampen out and disappear. In an ''uns ...
*
Level of free convection
The level of free convection (LFC) is the altitude in the atmosphere where an air parcel lifted adiabatically until saturation becomes warmer than the environment at the same level, so that positive buoyancy can initiate self-sustained convection. ...
*
Lifted condensation level
The lifting condensation level or lifted condensation level (LCL) is the height at which the relative humidity (RH) of an air parcel will reach 100% with respect to liquid water when it is cooled by dry adiabatic lifting. The RH of air increases ...
References
External links
The Difference Between the Equilibrium Level and Maximum Parcel Level
{{Meteorological variables
Severe weather and convection
Atmospheric thermodynamics
Buoyancy