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Upper-Level Frontogenesis

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Upper-Level Frontogenesis Cliff Mass University of Washington * Remotely Sensed Ozone During an Upper Level Front Simulated PV Structure at Same Time Good correlation ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Upper-Level Frontogenesis


1
Upper-Level Frontogenesis
  • Cliff Mass
  • University of Washington

2
Early Days
  • In the first half of the 20th century there was
    no concept of upper-level fronts.
  • Most studies described a polar front that
    extended from the surface to the tropopause.
  • The tropopause was considered an extensive and
    impenetrable barrier between the troposphere and
    stratosphere.

3
1920s-1950 Polar Front
Bjerknes and Palmen 1937
4
Conceptual Models of the Tropopause
5
During the 50s and 60s Some Nations Conducted
Upper-Ground Testing of Nuclear Weapons
6
Radioactivity
  • It was thought the above ground tests were not a
    problem
  • Radioactivity injected into the stratosphere
    would stay there.
  • Radioactivity injected into troposphere (in
    remote areas!!) would fall out rapidly or would
    be removed by precipitation.
  • But that did not prove to be the case. High
    concentrations of radioactivity showed up in the
    U.S. and other locations. High levels of
    strontium-90 were found in milk, for example.

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9
Somehow radiation from Pacific tests were getting
into the troposphere over the U.S. and then
either dry deposited or were scavenged out by
rain.
10
How did the radioactive material get into the
midlatitude troposphere if the tropopause was
like a plastic sheath??
11
Connection to Upper Level Fronts
12
Upper- level fronts and stratosphere-troposphere
transport
  • To answer this question, a number of synoptic
    studies and field experiments took place in the
    1950s and 1960s.
  • They described new meteorological animals
  • the upper level front
  • Tropopause folding and gaps
  • Stratosphere-troposphere exchange

13
The First Study of Upper Level Fonts Reed 1957
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18
Vertical Cross Section
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20
A Series of Aircraft-Based Field Experiments
Described the Structure of Upper Level Fronts for
A First Time
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22
Radioactivity
  • Measurements of radioactivity showed that high
    levels of radioactivity in the stratosphere were
    entering the troposphere through upper level
    fronts.

23
Potential Vorticity As a Tracer of Air Parcel
Origin
  • Potential vorticity is high in the stratosphere
    because of the large stability there. Ertel
    Potential Vorticity (PV)
  • The aircraft studies found stratospheric values
    of potential vorticity transported into the
    troposphere through upper level fronts.

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25
Additional Aircraft Data Showed the Details of
Upper-Level Fronts/Trop Fold
26
Official Definition
27
Upper Level Front Characteristics
  • Usually associated with midlatitude jet.
  • Can extend down to 900-800 mb
  • Close association with upper-level troughs.
  • Often associate with substantial clear air
    turbulence.
  • Associated with a folding or extrusion of the
    tropopause.
  • Can also be associated with high ozone values,
    particularly in mountain stations.

28
Schmatic of upper level trop folding
29
Tropopause Folding
30
Stratospheric Air Injected into the Troposphere
31
Ozone and Upper Level Fronts
  • Ozone levels are generally higher in the
    stratosphere than the troposphere.
  • Ozone can be injected into the troposphere
    through upper level fronts
  • The enhanced upper-level fronts can frequently be
    observed at the surface, particularly at mountain
    and higher-elevation observation sites.

32
Ozone Measured By Aircraft
33
Many studies have document such stratospheric
ozone in the troposphere
34
Remotely Sensed Ozone During an Upper Level Front
35
Simulated PV Structure at Same Time
36
Good correlation between Ozone and PV not a
surprise!
37
Trop Pressure A Good Toolhttp//www.atmos.washing
ton.edu/hakim/tropo/
38
Clear-Air Turbulence (CAT) Associated with
Upper-Level Fronts
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Can be damaging and cause injuries and even death
(unbelted)
41
CAT Associated With Upper Level Front and the
Lower Stratosphere
42
Richardson Number (small less stable)
43
Turbulence
44
And why is highest PV near the jet core?
45
Turbulence is Maximum Above and Below the Jet Due
to Large Shear
Large Shear
Jet Core Level
Large Shear
Impact on PV insert
46
Upper Level Frontogenesis for the December 14-16,
1987 Storm
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48
400 hPa
1000 hPa
49
Current Case
50
Why Upper Level Fronts?
  • What is the relative importance of tilting and
    confluence/deformation?
  • Upper level short waves/jet streaks are key
    players.
  • As we shall see, three dimensional motions are
    essential.

51
Upper Level Frontal Frontogenesis
  • Tilting frontogenesis associated with
    differential vertical motion is often dominant,
    particularly for shortwaves in NW flow
  • Horizontal confluent frontogenesis is also
    important, but usually secondary.

52
Frontogenesis
53
Tilting Frontogenesis
54
Tilting Frontogenesis
55
Keyser et al (1986) 2-D Primitive Equation
Simulation
Clear differential Vertical motion Across upper
front
56
Subsidence is centered at the warm side of the
front under the jetWHY?Several mechanisms
discussed1. Modified Sawyer-Eliassen
ageostrophic circulations2. Large scale
convergence/divergence argument
57
Theoretical Studies Have Shown That A Jet
Streak/Shortwave Associated with Cold Advection
Shows the Appropriate Vertical Motion Pattern
(Sinking on the Warm Air Side)
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60
Did we see this in the fully 3D simulations of
the 1987 Event?
61
Yes
62
Tilting Appears to Be Dominant for Upper Fronts
Associated with Upper-Level Short Waves in NW Flow
Schultz and Doswell 2008
63
Conceptual Model Tilting first and then
confluence
64
Under Southwesterly Flow, Upper Frontogenesis Can
Be Produced by Confluence
65
The End
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