A new definition of the virtual temperature, valid for the atmosphere and the CO2-rich air of the vadose zone

Abstract

In speleological environments, partial pressures of carbon dioxide (CO2) are often large enough to affect overall air density. Excluding this gas when defining the gas constant for air, a new definition is proposed for the virtual temperature Tv that remains valid for the atmosphere in general but furthermore serves to examine the buoyancy of CO2-rich air in caves and other subterranean airspaces. © 2010 American Meteorological Society.