What Is CAPE?
A measure of how much energy is available to power rising air in a thunderstorm. Higher numbers mean updrafts can get stronger. In technical terms: Convective Available Potential Energy: the vertically integrated positive buoyancy of a lifted parcel between the level of free convection and the equilibrium level, in J/kg; theoretical maximum updraft is about the square root of 2 times CAPE.
Also called: Convective Available Potential Energy, SBCAPE, MLCAPE, MUCAPE
CAPE In Plain English
A measure of how much energy is available to power rising air in a thunderstorm. Higher numbers mean updrafts can get stronger.
The Technical Definition
Convective Available Potential Energy: the vertically integrated positive buoyancy of a lifted parcel between the level of free convection and the equilibrium level, in J/kg; theoretical maximum updraft is about the square root of 2 times CAPE. Values over 1000 J/kg are moderate, over 2500 large, over 4000 extreme. Variants include surface-based, mixed-layer and most-unstable CAPE.
Lessons That Use CAPE
- Humidity, Dew Point And Saturation Unit 1: The Atmosphere
- CAPE, CIN And The Lifted Index Unit 6: Stability And Soundings
- How To Read A Skew-T Sounding Unit 6: Stability And Soundings
- Wind Shear And Hodographs Unit 6: Stability And Soundings
- Supercells: The Rotating Thunderstorm Unit 7: Thunderstorms And Lightning
- How Hail Grows Unit 9: Hail And Flooding
