The diagnosis of a pre-blocking explosively-developing extratropical cyclone system

Mary A. Uhl; Phillip J. Smith; Anthony R. Lupo; Peter Zwack

doi:10.3402/tellusa.v44i3.14956

The diagnosis of a pre-blocking explosively-developing extratropical cyclone system

Tellus

Volume 44 (1992): Issue 3

By: Mary A. Uhl, Phillip J. Smith, Anthony R. Lupo and Peter Zwack

Open Access

|Jan 1992

Abstract

This paper presents the diagnosis of an extratropical cyclone that developed explosively from 18 to 19 January 1979 over the North Atlantic Ocean. The diagnosis applies data obtained from the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres FGGE SOP-1 level III-b global analyses on a 4° latitude by 5° longitude grid to the extended height tendency and the Zwack-Okossi development equations. The cyclone developed initially in response to cyclonic vorticity advection downstream from an upper air trough, warm air advection in a strongly baroclinic region, and latent heat release in the cyclone domain. As development continued, thermal advection and latent heat release increased their role in forcing height falls in the cyclone domain, while the influence of vorticity advection decreased. Finally, development ceased when anticyclonic vorticity advection below 700 mb and adiabatic cooling in the ascending air combined to neutralize the influence of warm air advection and latent heat release.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v44i3.14956 | Journal eISSN: 3035-9554

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Language: English

Page range: 236 - 251

Submitted on: Apr 17, 1991

Accepted on: Nov 5, 1991

Published on: Jan 1, 1992

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

© 1992 Mary A. Uhl, Phillip J. Smith, Anthony R. Lupo, Peter Zwack, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 44 (1992): Issue 3