Model experiments relating to thermals with increasing buoyancy

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Abstract
It is pointed out that previous laboratory experiments which have been used to obtain information about atmospheric thermals have not dealt with the important case of an element whose total buoyancy is increasing. A new technique (based on the chemical release of small gas bubbles) is described here, which allows one to simulate in a liquid the increase of buoyancy due to the release of latent heat in clouds. It has been found possible to achieve experimentally two simple kinds of motion, namely, constant velocity or constant upward acceleration. These elements spread linearly with height in agreement with the predictions of a dimensional theory, at nearly the same angle as thermals in neutral surroundings.

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