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Forecas(ngMidla(tudeWeather
2:CycloneStructureandLife‐Cycle
HorizontalStructure
Thehorizontalstructureofthecycloneconsistsofapressurestructureandathermalstructure:
h?p://www.eoearth.org/upload/thumb/3/30/Midla(tude_cyclones.gif/260px‐Midla(tude_cyclones.gif
HorizontalStructure
Thehorizontalstructureofthecycloneconsistsofapressurestructureandathermalstructure:
ThePressureStructureconsistsofapressureminimumatthecenterofthecyclone,withwindsthatblowcounter‐clockwise. h?p://www.eoearth.org/upload/thumb/3/30/Midla(tude_cyclones.gif/260px‐Midla(tude_cyclones.gif
HorizontalStructure
Thehorizontalstructureofthecycloneconsistsofapressurestructureandathermalstructure:
ThePressureStructureconsistsofapressureminimumatthecenterofthecyclone,withwindsthatblowcounter‐clockwise.
TheThermalStructureconsistsofathinbandofquicklychangingtemperaturesthatseparatesthecoldairfromthewarmair.Thisbandiscalledabarocliniczone,andformsthecyclone’sfronts.
h?p://www.eoearth.org/upload/thumb/3/30/Midla(tude_cyclones.gif/260px‐Midla(tude_cyclones.gif
HorizontalStructure
HorizontalStructure
HorizontalStructure
HorizontalStructure
L
ColdFronts
Becausecoldairisdenserthanwarmair,itpushesitswayintotheregioninhabitedbywarmair(infrontofthecoldfront)
Thewarmairrisesupoverthedomeofcoldairpushinginatasteepangle
WarmFronts
Intheregionofthewarmfront,warmairisslowlypushingcoldnorthward
Thiscreatesashallowrampofcoldairthatwarmairrisesontopofasitpushesthecoldairoutoftheway
OccludedFronts
• Coldfrontscanmovemorequicklythanwarmfronts
• Whenacoldfrontcatchesupwithawarmfront,thewarmairissqueezedoutoftheway,leadingtoanoccludedfront
• Thisisthe“lastgasp”forthefront,andocclusionoccursasthestormreachespeakintensity,thenweakensanddies
OccludedFronts
Ver(calStructure
h?p://www.atmos.uiuc.edu/~snodgrss/Midla(tude_cyclone_files/image018.jpg
Thever?calstructureofthecycloneismorecomplicated:
Thever(calstructureofthecycloneistypifiedbya?ltofthelowpressureatupperlevels.Thelowpressureatupperlevelsisnotjuststackedontopofthelowpressureatthesurface.
Thelowpressureatupperlevelsisusuallyfoundslightlywestofthelowatthesurface.
Ver(calStructure
L
Ver(calStructure
LL
Ver(calStructure
• Thiswestward(ltwithheightisactuallyadvantageousforthecyclone:
Atupperlevels,theregionbetweenalowpressure“trough”andahighpressure“ridge”toitseastistheperfectloca(onforthesurfacecyclone. L H
L H
Ver(calStructure
• Thiswestward(ltwithheightisactuallyadvantageousforthecyclone:
Inthisregion,theairisdiverging–moreairismovingawayfromacentralpointthaniscomingin.
Ver(calStructure
h?p://www.atmos.uiuc.edu/~snodgrss/Midla(tude_cyclone_files/image018.jpg
Thedivergenceatupperlevelshelpstoevacuateairfromtheaircolumn.
Thiscreatesazoneoflowpressureatlowerlevels.Aslongastheuppertroughstayswestofthesurfacecyclone,thedivergencewillpumpairoutofthecolumnandmakethecyclonestronger.
CycloneLifecycle
Next,we’regoingtolookatthecyclonelifecycle,andseehowthehorizontalandver(calstructureofthecyclonechangesasitgrows,reachesmaximumstrength,andfinallydecays.
CycloneLifecycle
• Cyclonestypicallylastfrom5‐7days,duringwhichthecyclonepassesthroughdis(nctphasesofdevelopment:– IncipientStage– MatureStage– OccludedStage– DecayingStage
IncipientStage
Westartwitha“sta?onaryfront”,whichisjustaregionofstrongtemperaturecontrastbetweencoldpolarairandwarmtropicalair
IncipientStage
Westartwitha“sta?onaryfront”,whichisjustaregionofstrongtemperaturecontrastbetweencoldpolarairandwarmtropicalair
Asmalllow‐pressuredisturbancestartstocirculateair,crea(ngwarmfrontsandcoldfronts
MatureStage
Cyclonestrengthenstomaturestage:• Sealevelpressuredrops• PressuregradientandWindsincrease• Morecloudsandprecipita(on• Be?erdefinedfronts• “Comma”appearance
h?p://www.ems.psu.edu/~nese/ap3014vi.gif
OccludedStage
Frontalocclusionbeginsasthecoldfrontcatchesuptothewarmfront
Stormisatitsstrongest–lowestsea‐levelpressure,strongestwinds,strongprecipita(on
“Deathknell”–cyclonecenterisdetachedfromwarmair,frontsandcyclonewillstarttoweaken
h?p://improve.atmos.washington.edu/improve2/IOP/wx_images/011222‐011223images/sat2001122212.gif
DecayingStageCyclonecenternowcompletelyseparatedfromwarmair
Sea‐levelpressurerises
Pressure‐gradientandwindsdiedown
Precipita(onandcloudscease
Thisstormhasusedallofitsavailableenergy
h?p://improve.atmos.washington.edu/improve2/IOP/wx_images/011222‐011223images/sat2001122212.gif
CycloneLifecycle
Thelifecycleofthecycloneisapparentinitshorizontalstructure:– Strengthandloca(onofwarmandcoldfronts– Developmentofoccludedfront– Minimumsea‐levelpressure
Howcanweseethisprocessinthever?calstructure?
CycloneLifecycle
• Recallthatthepoten?alforacyclonetogrowisdependentupontheupperlevellowpressuresystem(the“lowpressuretrough”)beingslightlywestofthesurfacecyclone.
• Asthecyclonematures,thenoccludesanddecays,thisver?calstructurechangesfrombeingfavorabletothecyclonetobeingunfavorable.
CycloneLifecycle
• Whilethecycloneisgainingstrength(incipientmaturestages),theuppertroughiswestofthesurfacecyclone(favorablever(calstructure)
• Oncethecyclonereachesmaximumstrength(occlusion),theuppertroughisrightontopofthesurfacecyclone(unfavorablever(calstructure)“ver?callystacked”
CycloneLifecycle
Incipient Mature OccludedL L L
L L L
CycloneLifecycle
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CycloneLifecycle