1. What is TEI? TEI (THETA-E INDEX) assesses the potential for elevated convection. 2. How is TEI determined? THETA-E is plotted for each pressure level on the sounding. The greatest decrease in Theta-E in a layer is the value for the TEI. A high TEI will be associated with a rapid cooling with height and drying with height. If a layer has rapid cooling and drying with height, lifting at the base of the layer will allow that rising parcel to stay warmer and more moist than the surrounding environment. This will produce elevated convection when lifting occurs at the base of this layer. The units of TEI are degrees Celsius change. 3. Operational significance of TEI:
4. Pitfalls: a. Lift is needed to set the elevated convection into motion. |