On a purely academic point, way beyond the question (i.e. students - don't worry about thew ponderings of instructors, unless you find these things as interesting as we do!) Pugzi - would it not depend on the amount of mixing , and therefore the stability? In a well-mixed section of the atmosphere the adiabatic warming and cooling would have significant effect on the ELR. Or is such mixing only significant in the lower areas of the atmosphere?