Sentences with phrase «hydrostatic balance»

Depending on the details of the initial condition of the gas, it might relax to a vertical thermal profile almost anywhere between the DALR negative gradient and the infinity of zero to positive thermal gradient profiles that are all hydrostatically stable (bulk hydrostatic balance of buoyancy and gravity) and convectively stable (both static and dynamic viscosity that resist and damp out bulk motion perturbations so that they can not grow).
In order to maintain hydrostatic balance the necessary kinetic energy can not be radiated away to space hence that «additional» energy must be held at the surface over and above that which is required (by the surface and atmosphere combined) solely to radiate enough energy to space to match energy being received from space.
Kinetic energy at the surface acting via conduction and convection supplies the upward pressure gradient force which offsets the downward force of gravity in order to constantly hold the mass of an atmosphere off the surface in hydrostatic balance.
This means that it generates its energy by nuclear fusion of hydrogen nuclei into helium and is in a state of hydrostatic balance — neither contracting nor expanding over time.
So, we are now ready to pull all that together in order to show how a planetary atmosphere uses convective overturning to neutralise the effect of radiatively active materials of any type so that hydrostatic balance can be maintained whatever fate throws at it.
Taking an atmosphere in hydrostatic balance (as they all must be), the raised areas are, on average, over time, equal in volume to the lowered areas.
People who know about this scratch their heads here, because it is a principle which can be important in stars, but applied to Earth just describes the hydrostatic balance of the atmosphere.
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