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Interaction of North Atlantic baroclinic wave packets and the Mediterranean storm track
Author(s) -
AhmadiGivi F.,
NasrEsfahany M.,
Mohebalhojeh A. R.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.2171
Subject(s) - storm track , rossby wave , baroclinity , storm , climatology , wave packet , geology , winter storm , middle latitudes , extratropical cyclone , meteorology , environmental science , oceanography , geography , physics , quantum mechanics
Observational studies show that the main energy source for developing cyclones is due to downstream radiation from existing upstream disturbances. This process is involved in the propagation of coherent wave packets linking the North Atlantic and Mediterranean storm tracks in winter. To understand the link, the Rossby wave packets have been analyzed for the winter season 2004/05 by means of wave envelope, energetic, and wave‐activity diagnostics. Two specifically selected cases are presented: one with clear propagation of the wave packet to the Mediterranean region from the North Atlantic storm track, and the other with zonal propagation of the wave packets along the central latitude of the North Atlantic storm track. The dynamical effects leading to the distinct propagation characteristics of the two cases are discussed. It is shown that the two cases make clear impacts on the horizontal flux of wave activity across a domain surrounding the Mediterranean storm track.