Evolution and mesoscale structure of a polar low outbreak
Abstract An observational study of an unusual ‘polar low outbreak’ is described in which four lows formed in succession near south‐east Iceland. Because all the lows tracked south‐east, close to Scotland, an unusually dense network of surface observations was available for analysis, including radar....
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crwiley:10.1002/qj.49712656411 2024-06-02T08:09:20+00:00 Evolution and mesoscale structure of a polar low outbreak Hewson, T. D. Craig, G. C. Claud, C. 2000 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/qj.49712656411 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fqj.49712656411 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/qj.49712656411 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society volume 126, issue 564, page 1031-1063 ISSN 0035-9009 1477-870X journal-article 2000 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.49712656411 2024-05-03T10:55:02Z Abstract An observational study of an unusual ‘polar low outbreak’ is described in which four lows formed in succession near south‐east Iceland. Because all the lows tracked south‐east, close to Scotland, an unusually dense network of surface observations was available for analysis, including radar. This complemented the geostationary and polar‐orbiting satellite data that are more commonly used in polar low studies. Each of the four polar lows displayed a different structure and evolution. The first was a circular convective low, the second a relatively weak surface signature of an upper‐level feature, while the final two cyclones appeared as a wave train, with one cyclone decaying and the other developing into an intense disturbance. Because of the high resolution of the surface data, it was possible to identify, unambiguously, mesoscale frontal features within the polar lows. These are described in detail. A close examination was made of the final intense low, which showed that its evolution and frontal structure closely matched those found in standard conceptual models of rapidly developing maritime cyclones. This polar low also showed evidence of a warm core, and symmetric instability within an extensive ‘cloud head’. Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland Wiley Online Library Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 126 564 1031 1063 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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language |
English |
description |
Abstract An observational study of an unusual ‘polar low outbreak’ is described in which four lows formed in succession near south‐east Iceland. Because all the lows tracked south‐east, close to Scotland, an unusually dense network of surface observations was available for analysis, including radar. This complemented the geostationary and polar‐orbiting satellite data that are more commonly used in polar low studies. Each of the four polar lows displayed a different structure and evolution. The first was a circular convective low, the second a relatively weak surface signature of an upper‐level feature, while the final two cyclones appeared as a wave train, with one cyclone decaying and the other developing into an intense disturbance. Because of the high resolution of the surface data, it was possible to identify, unambiguously, mesoscale frontal features within the polar lows. These are described in detail. A close examination was made of the final intense low, which showed that its evolution and frontal structure closely matched those found in standard conceptual models of rapidly developing maritime cyclones. This polar low also showed evidence of a warm core, and symmetric instability within an extensive ‘cloud head’. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hewson, T. D. Craig, G. C. Claud, C. |
spellingShingle |
Hewson, T. D. Craig, G. C. Claud, C. Evolution and mesoscale structure of a polar low outbreak |
author_facet |
Hewson, T. D. Craig, G. C. Claud, C. |
author_sort |
Hewson, T. D. |
title |
Evolution and mesoscale structure of a polar low outbreak |
title_short |
Evolution and mesoscale structure of a polar low outbreak |
title_full |
Evolution and mesoscale structure of a polar low outbreak |
title_fullStr |
Evolution and mesoscale structure of a polar low outbreak |
title_full_unstemmed |
Evolution and mesoscale structure of a polar low outbreak |
title_sort |
evolution and mesoscale structure of a polar low outbreak |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2000 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/qj.49712656411 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fqj.49712656411 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/qj.49712656411 |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_source |
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society volume 126, issue 564, page 1031-1063 ISSN 0035-9009 1477-870X |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.49712656411 |
container_title |
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society |
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126 |
container_issue |
564 |
container_start_page |
1031 |
op_container_end_page |
1063 |
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1800755024445308928 |