ATSC 5160, Synoptic and Mesoscale Meteorology

Spring 2006

Syllabus

Lecture material

Listed below are a number of ppt files and external links. This material is not comprehensive, rather, it supplements the course. Please do not download the files that are marked under construction () yet. I will make an effort to finalize a topic a few hours before the lecture where that topic is discussed.

1) QG thinking (Holton, Chapter 6)

a)       observed structure of the planetary-scale extratropical circulation

i. survey (ppt)

ii. also read this introductory, descriptive overview of the atmospheric general circulation (Word file), if you are not familiar with this topic

iii. lab (meted module): Should synopticians worry about climate?

b)       the QG approximation

i. the QG equations in pressure coordinates

ii. the QG vorticity equation

c)       QG prediction

i. height tendency equation

ii. QG potential vorticity equation

iii. invertibility principle

iv. vertical coupling through potential vorticity

d)       Diagnosis of QG vertical motion

i. the omega equation

ii. Q vectors

iii. ageostrophic circulation

iv. jet streaks [ppt file] [lab: meted module, by J. Moore]

e)       Conceptual model of a baroclinic disturbance from a QG perspective

i. QG "forcings" in a developing midlatitude cyclone

ii. lifecycle of a classical midlatitude cyclone, including observed trajectories, cloud and precipitation patterns (ppt)

iii. coastal cyclogenesis (ppt)

iv. lee cyclogenesis (ppt)

v. polar cyclogenesis (ppt) MetEd module on polar lows

2) IPV thinking [ppt file]

a) Isentropic analysis [lab: meted module, by J. Moore][real-time analysis charts]

b) IPV conservation: Holton Chapter 4.6

c) Definitions, approximations, and typical distributions ((Bluestein, Chapter 1.9, sections 1.9.1-1.9.2)

d) Surface PVAs and upper-level PVAs (Bluestein 1.9.3-1.9.4)

e) Large-scale vertical motion and baroclinic instability from an IPV perspective (Bluestein 1.9.5)

f) Motion of PVAs aloft and near the surface (Bluestein 1.9.7-1.9.8)

g) Formation of PVAs aloft and near the surface (Bluestein 1.9.10-1.9.11)

h) Applications: PV in bombs and lee cyclones

3) Mesoscale circulations (Holton, Chapter 9)

a) mesoscale energy sources [lab: meted module: definition of 'mesoscale'] [ppt]

b) geostrophic adjustment [Holton, 7.6] [lab: meted module]

c) fronts and frontogenesis

i. a front as a temperature & temp gradient discontuity (Bluestein 2.2)

ii. frontogenesis: definition and 2D frontogenesis processes (Bluestein 2.3.1)

iii. frontogenesis by horizontal flow (Bluestein 2.3.1)

iv. cross-frontal frontogenetic circulation (Holton 9.2.1, Bluestein 2.5.1)

v. semi-geostrophic theory (Holton 9.2.2)

vi. cross-frontal frontogenetic circulation in SG coordinates (Holton 9.2.3)

vii. mesoscale structure of fronts [ppt file]

viii. cold fronts aloft [lab: meted module, by Mark Stoelinga]

ix. density current dynamics (solitary waves, undular bores) [ppt file] [density current animations, from OU] - skipped

d) symmetric instability

i. ppt file

ii. lab: slantwise convection (K. Johnson)

iii. lab: CSI pitfalls (D. Schultz)

iv. lab: heavy banded snow (J. Moore)   

e) orographically modified flow

i. cold-air damming [meted module] and barrier jets [meted module: Colorado barrier jet] [ppt file: LLJ survey]

ii. terrain-driven convergence and orographic precip mechanisms [section 3 of Jim Steenburgh’s meted module]

iii. coastal jet [lab: meted module] and coastally-trapped wind reversals [ppt file] [lab: meted module] [Bluestein 2.5.7]

iv. mountain waves and downslope windstorms [Holton 9.4]

4) Cumulus Convection  (Holton, Chapter 9.5; Houze, Chapters 7 and 8; Bluestein, Chapter 3.4)

a)       Cumulus dynamics [ppt file]

b)       Effect of buoyancy and shear on convective storm structure [lab: meted module: convective storms matrix]

c)       Supercell dynamics [ppt file] [meted module on supercell motion]

d)       Dynamics of mesoscale convective systems

i. MCS survey [ppt file] [hear & watch the meted module]

ii. cold pool/ shear interactions [lab: meted module: MCS matrix]

iii. convectively-induced mesoscale vortices (MCVs)

f)        (optional) tornado structure and dynamics, supercell tornadogenesis

5) (optional) Synoptic-scale forcing in the Tropics (Holton, Chapter 11)

a)       observations of large-scale tropical circulations

b)       scale analysis for tropical circulations: importance of latent heating

c)       equatorial wave theory: (a)symmetric coherent tropical modes

d)       steady forced equatorial motions

e)       tropical cyclones

i. genesis: CISK and air-sea interaction theory

ii. intensification, environmental influences

iii. anatomy of a mature hurricane (IPV perspective)

iv. hurricane track forecasting

Homework assignments

Homework 1	Homework 3	Homework 5	Extra homework
Homework 2	Homework 4	Homework 6

Projects

COMET case studies list

Getting started with WS ETA

Exam archive

Midterms: 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 (answers) | 06 (answers)

Finals: 02 | 03 | 04 | 05

Some useful weather links

region  sfc obs (lp) conus RAP surface	LAR obs last 24 hrs LAR wunderground	CYS NWS radar conus RAP radar	Oolman weather Oolman comp analysis
region VIS (lp) IR (lp) conus IR VIS (msfc)	US/Canada sfc data conus sfc anal + IR	conus 24 hr radar lp conus water vapor	SPC severe (meso-anal) lightning (US)
Operational models: WXP ETA (AVN 60 hr) PSU e-wall  - NCEP - Oolman - AVN Europe		Mesoscale models: global MM5 LAPS (10 km COWY) – RUC (10 km conus)
prog soundings (RUC)	prog soundings (ETA)	WS_ETA (Larry's notes)	WWW- links
ensemble forecasts: CDC PSU	model comparisons (PSU)	conus: 24 hr precip	Jon Wolfe Den
Climate: Precip anomaly Temp anomaly Snow depth    CPC Climate prediction