Polar Lows Over the Northeast Greenland Sea

• Main Authors: Rasmussen, Erik A., Pedersen, Torben S.
• Other Authors: COPENHAGEN UNIV (DENMARK) GEOPHYSICAL INST
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1991
• Subjects: Meteorology; *GREENLAND SEA; METEOROLOGICAL CHARTS; DETECTION; VALIDATION; DYNAMICS; THEORY; WIND; FORECASTING; ACCURACY; REGIONS; CASE STUDIES; MATHEMATICAL PREDICTION; STORMS; DIAGNOSIS(GENERAL); NUMERICAL METHODS AND PROCEDURES; HIGH LATITUDES; NORWEGIAN SEA; CYCLONES; GREENLAND; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; POLAR REGIONS; *CYCLOGENESIS; *ARCTIC REGIONS; *POLAR LOWS; SATELLITE METEOROLOGY; Arctic; Bear Island; Greenland; Norwegian Sea; Greenland Sea
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA245360; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA245360

The purpose of the project reported on in this report has been to increase our knowledge of polar low occurrence, structure and dynamics in the Greenland region. To achieve this different methods have been applied including the use of diagnostic studies, theoretical analysis, and numerical modelling studies. Polar lows are small scale cyclonic storms with gale or storm winds which occur in high latitudes. These storms are still not regularly depicted on the traditional meteorological charts and are often too small for detection by operational numerical weather analysis models, and therefore, rarely predicted. Improved satellite observational capability combined with advanced numerical mesoscale weather analysis and prediction models will provide the basis for better detection and more accurate forecasting of these storms. Detailed case studies of polar lows development are relatively few because of lack of data. One relatively well documented development from December 1982 in the region around Bear Island in the Northeastern part of the Norwegian Sea has been used for validation purposes for the numerical experiments carried out as part of the project.