University of Utah Group TCSP and NAMMA

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University of Utah Group- TCSP and NAMMA
Ed Zipser (PI), Zhaoxia Pu (co-PI) and Chuntao
Liu, Brandon Kerns, Kantave Greene
Big Question What is the essential difference
between developing and non-developing African
waves? Is it sufficient to have strong
enough synoptic-scale vorticity maxima in the
waves? Mid-level or low level? Is it
sufficient to have a few strong convective bursts
to concentrate the vorticity on smaller
scales? Given both, is development
inevitable? Challenge in NAMMA Synoptic
scale, mesoscale, and convective scale data for
analysis and numerical experimentation for these
questions.
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All non-developing vorticity maxima,
Jun-Oct.1998-2001, mid-levels (700/600
hPa) (Colors represent relative vorticity (x
10-6s-1) ERA40, 1.125
X
All non-developing vorticity maxima,
Jun-Oct.1998-2001, low-levels (925/850
hPa) (Colors represent relative vorticity (x
10-6s-1) ERA40, 1.125
X
Message No shortage of waves with substantial
vorticity passing north and south of Cape Verdes
at both low and mid-levels (mid-level centers
are often farther north)
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All developing vorticity maxima,
Jun-Oct.1998-2001, mid-levels (700/600
hPa) (Colors represent relative vorticity (x
10-6s-1) ERA40, 1.125
X
All developing vorticity maxima,
Jun-Oct.1998-2001, low-levels (925/850
hPa) (Colors represent relative vorticity (x
10-6s-1) ERA40, 1.125
X
Message Almost all developing systems will pass
south of Cape Verdes, even at mid-levels. (This
is not conventional wisdom-- is ERA40 getting it
right?)
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All non-developing vorticity maxima,
Jun-Oct.1998-2001, low-levels (925/850
hPa) (Colors represent relative vorticity (x
10-6s-1) ERA40, 1.125
X
All developing vorticity maxima,
Jun-Oct.1998-2001, low-levels (925/850
hPa) (Colors represent relative vorticity (x
10-6s-1) ERA40, 1.125
X
Message Most systems weaken in longitude of Cape
Verdes, except for a small fraction of systems
passing to the south. What distinguishes the
successful ones?
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