Inmeteorology, theequilibrium level (EL), orlevel of neutral buoyancy (LNB), orlimit of convection (LOC), is the height at which a risingparcel ofair is at the sametemperature as its environment.
This means that unstable air is now stable when it reaches the equilibrium level andconvection stops. This level is often near thetropopause and can be indicated as near where theanvil of athunderstorm because it is where the thunderstormupdraft is finally cut off, except in the case ofovershooting tops where it continues rising to themaximum parcel level (MPL) due to momentum. More precisely, the cumulonimbus will stop rising around a few kilometres prior to reaching the level of neutral buoyancy and on average anvil glaciation occurs at a higher altitude over land than over sea (despite little difference in LNB from land to sea).[1]