Open AccessMultiple bands near fronts in VHF wind‐profiling radar and radiosonde data
Author(s) -
Lawson John,
Schultz David M.,
Vaughan Geraint,
Kirshbaum Daniel J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
atmospheric science letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 45
ISSN - 1530-261X
DOI - 10.1002/asl2.431
Subject(s) - radiosonde , cold front , troposphere , stratosphere , wind shear , radar , atmospheric sciences , warm front , meteorology , humidity , thunderstorm , environmental science , front (military) , geology , wind speed , geography , telecommunications , computer science
Fronts passing over the Mesosphere–Stratosphere–Troposphere radar near Aberystwyth, Wales, UK , possessed multiple bands in returned power and vertical shear of the horizontal wind. Warm fronts tended to have more bands than cold fronts. Of 82 bands in power with an associated band in the radiosonde data, 45% were associated with a decrease in specific humidity and an increase in stability (drying stable bands) and 21% were associated with an increase in humidity and a decrease in stability (moistening unstable bands). The radar detects airstream boundaries near fronts, some of which are not part of the front.