Equilibrium level

In meteorology, the equilibrium level (EL), or level of neutral buoyancy (LNB), is the height at which a rising parcel of air is at a temperature of equal warmth to it. This means that unstable air is now stable when it reaches the equilibrium level and convection stops. This level is often near the tropopause and can be indicated as the anvil of a thunderstorm due to the fact that it is where the thunderstorm updraft is usually cut off, except in the case of overshooting tops.

See also

• Atmospheric thermodynamics