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Structure of a cold front over the ocean

1985; Wiley; Volume: 111; Issue: 469 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/qj.49711146905

1477-870X

Nicholas A. Bond, Robert G. Fleagle,

Geological formations and processes

Abstract The kinematic and thermodynamic structure of a strong cold front over the Gulf of Alaska has been determined using aircraft, dropsonde, and radiosonde data obtained during the Storm Transfer and Response Experiment. Synoptic‐scale analysis using the Sawyer‐Eliassen secondary circulation equation shows that friction and diabatic heating, as well as the geostrophic forcing, are important in accounting for the secondary circulation at the front. A fine‐scale analysis, with horizontal resolution of 700m and vertical resolution of 100 m, shows strong relative inflow of warm boundary layer air toward the front from the east and a weaker inflow of cold air from the west. Updraught velocities of greater than 6 m s −1 over a 2 km width were measured at 875 mb near the leading edge of the front. the frontogenetical effects of confluence, turbulent mixing, and tilting of isentropic surfaces are evaluated in the region of the front and compared with the results of previous studies. the high resolution of the thermodynamic fields provides new data for comparison with high resolution numerical models.