From which measurement can stability of the atmosphere be assessed?

The stability of the atmosphere is primarily assessed using the ambient lapse rate, which measures how temperature changes with altitude in the atmosphere. When the ambient lapse rate is known, it can indicate whether the atmosphere is stable, unstable, or neutral.

In a stable atmosphere, the temperature decreases slowly with altitude, which tends to suppress vertical motion. Conversely, an unstable atmosphere shows a steep drop in temperature with altitude, encouraging rising air and convection, which can lead to the development of clouds and storms. Therefore, understanding the ambient lapse rate is crucial for assessing atmospheric stability.

While the dew point temperature, surface temperature, and wind speed at altitude provide useful information about other atmospheric conditions, they do not directly indicate stability in the same way that the ambient lapse rate does. The dew point temperature relates more to moisture content and potential for precipitation, whereas surface temperature is more concerned with heating effects at the ground level, and wind speed at altitude pertains to the wind patterns rather than the temperature profile necessary to evaluate stability.