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Introduction to Meteorological Analysis

This article provides an introduction to meteorological analysis, focusing on the pressure levels above and below 300 hPa, the North Pacific Geostrophic Flow (PGF), and the components of PGF. It also discusses the effect of slope changes on wind speed, as well as the relationship between cold and warm air masses and fronts. The article concludes with an overview of jet streams and their identification.

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Introduction to Meteorological Analysis

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  1. LAB 8 NOTES Dr. Sam Miller Intro. to Meteorological Analysis – MT 2230 Plymouth State University

  2. PRESSURE < 300 hPa 300 hPa PRESSURE > 300 hPa North

  3. PGF 300 hPa PGF PERPENDICULAR TO 300 hPa SURFACE – TOWARD LOWER PRESSURE North

  4. PGF North

  5. Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal

  6. HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL COMPONENTS OF PGF Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal

  7. Vertical component of PGF is balanced by gravity Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal

  8. Horizontal component of PGF is balanced by CoF and CeF Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal

  9. Horizontal component of PGF, along with CoF and CeF, combine to define the wind above the atmospheric boundary layer Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal

  10. Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal

  11. Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal INCREASE SLOPE OF 300 hPa SURFACE

  12. Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal HORIZONTAL PGF GETS STRONGER

  13. Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal WIND SPEED INCREASES

  14. Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal

  15. Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal DECREASE SLOPE OF 300 hPa SURFACE

  16. Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal HORIZONTAL PGF GETS WEAKER

  17. Vertical 300 hPa Horizontal WIND SPEED DECREASES

  18. 300 hPa SURFACE COLD WARM North

  19. BRINGING AIR WITH DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES CLOSER TOGETHER INCREASES THE SLOPE 300 hPa COLD WARM North

  20. IN OTHER WORDS, BRINGING TOGETHER A POLAR AND A TROPICAL AIRMASS INCREASES THE SLOPE 300 hPa cP AIRMASS mT AIRMASS North

  21. THIS IS ALSO A REGION OF VERY STRONG HORIZONTAL TEMPERATURE GRADIENT 300 hPa cP AIRMASS mT AIRMASS North

  22. Fronts are regions of very strong horizontal temperature gradients FRONT cP mT

  23. 300 hPa cP AIRMASS mT AIRMASS North

  24. FRONTS ARE REGIONS OF STRONG 300 hPA SLOPE THE STRONGEST UPPER-LEVEL WINDS ARE USUALLY ABOVE FRONTS THIS IS THE POLAR JET STREAM 300 hPa FRONT North

  25. POLAR JET STREAM Clearest manifestation of the Prevailing Westerlies between 30 and 60 degrees N On Earth’s surface, corresponds to the “Polar Front” Separates cold polar airmasses from warm tropical airmasses Both front and jet are located near 50 degrees N Farther north in Summer Farther south in Winter

  26. POLAR JET STREAM

  27. POLAR JET STREAM North SURFACE POLAR FRONT

  28. POLAR JET STREAM North TRANSITION ZONE

  29. POLAR JET STREAM North JET CORE

  30. POLAR JET STREAM North NOTE “STACKING”

  31. POLAR JET STREAM The Polar Jet Stream is 4 – 6 ° of latitude north of the surface Polar Front

  32. JET STREAMS • Regions of air that flows much faster than surrounding air • Defined as speeds of 50 kts or greater • As high as 250 knots • Semi-permanent jets near the tropopause • Polar Jet • Subtropical Jet • Arctic Jet (winter months only) • Transitory jets form around 850 hPa • Called low-level jets

  33. JET STREAMS • “Winding tubes of air” • Dimensions of semi-permanent jets: • 1,000s of km long (E-W) • 100s of km wide (N-S) • a few km deep (top-bottom)

  34. JET STREAMS

  35. TIME EVOLUTION: JET REMAINS IN REGION OF STEEP SLOPE

  36. TIME EVOLUTION: JET REMAINS IN REGION OF STEEP SLOPE

  37. TIME EVOLUTION: JET REMAINS IN REGION OF STEEP SLOPE

  38. TIME EVOLUTION: JET REMAINS IN REGION OF STEEP SLOPE

  39. TIME EVOLUTION: JET REMAINS IN REGION OF STEEP SLOPE

  40. TIME EVOLUTION: JET REMAINS IN REGION OF STEEP SLOPE

  41. TIME EVOLUTION: JET REMAINS IN REGION OF STEEP SLOPE

  42. TIME EVOLUTION: JET REMAINS IN REGION OF STEEP SLOPE

  43. TIME EVOLUTION: JET REMAINS IN REGION OF STEEP SLOPE

  44. POLAR JET AND LONGWAVES

  45. IDENTIFYING JET STREAMS • Arctic Jet core near 400/300 hPa • Closest to pole • Usually associated with -30 °C at 500 hPa • Winter months only • Associated with Arctic Front on surface

  46. IDENTIFYING JET STREAMS • Polar Jet core near 300/250 hPa • Usually associated with -22 °C at 500 hPa • Farther north and weaker in summer • Farther south and stronger in winter • Associated with Polar Front on surface

  47. IDENTIFYING JET STREAMS • Subtropical Jet core near 250/200 hPa • Closest to equator • Usually associated with -11 °C at 500 hPa • Often associated with severe convective weather

  48. POLAR JET AND HEIGHT FIELD TROUGH (TROF) RIDGE RIDGE

  49. CeF CeF PGF PGF L CoF CoF H H PGF CoF CeF

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