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lapse rate The rate of decrease of temperature in the atmosphere with height, or sometimes, the rate of change of any meteorological element with height. The lapse rate of the "standard atmosphere" is 3.55° F per 1,000 feet of elevation. The adiabatic lapse rate is the rate of cooling with elevation due to the expansion of the air (at the lower pressures aloft) without the gain or loss of heat between the rising air and the surrounding air. The unsaturated or dry rate is about 5.5° F per 1,000 feet; the saturated or moist rate is about 2.6° F per 1,000 feet. (called the dry adiabatic).

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