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Teaching Week 2

Dynamical Meteorology 2

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Teaching Week 2 - Dynamical Meteorology 2


Just as the wind flow has been described for part of the atmosphere below the friction or boundary
layer, now the wind flow for the region above the boundary layer is outlined. There are thee cases and
they are for straight line, cyclonic and anticyclonic wind flows.
2.1

Straight Line Wind Flow

When the pressure gradient force (PGF) and the Coriolis Force (CF) are in balance straight line flow
occurs and this means wind doesn't flow toward low or high pressure.
PGF = CF No flow towards HIGH or LOW pressure.
When you look at a weather map you will find these high
and low pressures systems and more often than not they
have curved isobars around them. Generally the
pressure gradient force is greater than the Coriolis force
around low pressure systems whereas for high pressure
systems the Coriolis force is greater than the pressure
gradient force. The combination of these forces leads to
cyclonic (clockwise) and anticyclonic (anticlockwise)
flow. These are described below.
2.2

Curved, Cyclonic Flow

When the PGF > CF, the wind flow follows a curved path
around LOW pressure.
2.3

Curved, Anticyclonic Flow

When the CF > PGF the curved flow is around HIGH


pressure.
The diagrams (left) refer to straight-line flow, cyclonic
and anticyclonic flow respectively.
(Source: Manual of Aviation Meteorology,
Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology, 2003, Wind pg
51)
Because the Coriolis force is negligible in equatorial
regions of the Earth these relationships break down. The
CF is zero at the Equator and negligible from there to
about 15 degrees south. (Manual of Aviation Meteorology,
Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology, 2003).
Streamline charts showing wind direction are depicted in
tropical parts of the globe rather than pressure pattern
charts and this is due to the fact the relationship between
pressure gradient and wind speed in equatorial regions
as well (and isobaric charts are not used to depict the
current weather pattern).
2.4

Variations in Wind

2.4.1

Backing and Veering

Changes in the wind direction can be described using the


terms backing and veering. The diagram below
describes these terms. When the wind direction changes in an anticlockwise direction it is backing,

Teaching Week 2

Dynamical Meteorology 2

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for example from NW to SW. A veering wind is one in which the wind direction changes in a clockwise
fashion, namely winds which go from SW to NW for example. When it is said the prevailing wind is
SW for example, this means the wind is blowing from this direction.

2.4.2

Squalls

These are strong winds that rise suddenly, lasting for some time and then rapidly decrease. By
definition, from Manual of Aviation Meteorology, Commonwealth of Meteorology, 2003, Glossary of
Weather Terms, pg 194, a squall is "a sudden onset of strong winds with speeds increasing to at
least 16 knots and sustained at 22 knots or more knots for at least one minute." The intensity and
duration is longer than that of a gust. The aviation abbreviation is SQ.
2.4.3

Gusts

These are variations from the mean wind speed of lesser duration than a squall. Gustiness is
indicative of instability and turbulence in the boundary or friction layer. (Manual of Meteorology Part 2,
Aviation Meteorology, Bureau of Meteorology, 1992, pg 29)

The diagram above also shows what is meant by the "mean" wind speed as well as "lulls" in the wind
speed. It also shows the general variability of wind direction and speed over time.

Teaching Week 2
2.5

Dynamical Meteorology 2

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Thermal Wind

High level pressure distribution is usually represented by pressure height contours, rather than
isobars. Pressure height contours are drawn for a constant pressure surface, in the case below 500
hectopascals (hPa)or at a height of around 18 500 feet, so that the lines on this map show how the
height of the 500 hPa surface varies. Just like the isobaric charts, the orientation and spacing of the
contours provides wind speed and directional information. In many ways it is similar to the weather
map you see in the newspaper.

Upper winds are related to the contour gradient just as low level winds are related to the pressure
gradient. The variation of wind with height (above a given location) is caused by the horizontal
distribution of temperature. The vector difference between the winds at two levels is known as the
vertical wind shear (see Teaching Week 12) and is also known as the thermal wind. The thermal wind
flow in the chart above would follow the white contour lines (which are temperature related) flowing
west to east with cold air to the right (coloured blue and green in high latitude regions) and warm air to
the left (coloured orange and red in low latitude regions). Strong thermal winds are a feature of frontal
regions and jet streams (see Teaching Week 4) where temperature gradients are particularly great.
The speed of the thermal wind is proportional to the thermal gradient, the closer the contour spacing
the stronger the thermal wind - just as the closer the isobars on the pressure chart the stronger is the
wind and the pressure gradient.
The thermal wind is parallel to the isotherms on an upper air constant pressure chart with colder air to
the right in the southern hemisphere (and to the left in the northern hemisphere). Please do not think
the thermal wind is an actual wind - it is simply a name given to the vertical wind shear of the actual
wind (prevailing between two levels). (Manual of Meteorology Part 2, Aviation Meteorology, Bureau
of Meteorology, 1992, pg 42)

Teaching Week 2
2.6

Dynamical Meteorology 2

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Temperature Advection

There are two types of temperature advection, cold and warm. CAA (Cold Air Advection) occurs
when cold air flows towards warmer air. WAA (Warm Air Advection) occurs when warm air is moved
towards colder air. In the southern hemisphere, CAA usually occurs on the eastern flank of a high
pressure system and on the left flank of a low pressure system while WAA usually occurs on the
western flank of a high pressure system and on the eastern flank of a low pressure system.
Since we have established the two main pressure systems, high pressure and low pressure and the
direction of wind around each, this mean sea level pressure analysis clearly demonstrates cold and
warm air advection.

2.7

A baroclinic or a barotropic atmosphere

The diagram below depicts a map of isobars (the solid lines) and associated low pressure system.
The dotted lines represent isotherms or lines of equal temperature. When isotherms are parallel to
the isobars - no temperature advection occurs and this is known as a barotropic atmosphere. When
the isotherms are at an angle to the isobars - either CAA or WAA can occur and this is described as an
atmosphere which is baroclinic.

Teaching Week 2

Dynamical Meteorology 2

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A baroclinic atmosphere is the type of atmosphere that will lead to the formation of cloud and
precipitation.
2.8

Useful URLs

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/af/adv/cadv.rxml
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/fw/grad.rxml
http://www.auf.asn.au/meteorology/section1b.html then click on Module content 1.15 Thermal
gradients and the thermal wind

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