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The significance of dynamic instability in atmospheric motions
Author(s) -
Sawyer J. S.
Publication year - 1949
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.49707532604
Subject(s) - extratropical cyclone , instability , wind shear , thermal wind , meteorology , jet (fluid) , environmental science , tropical cyclone , jet stream , atmospheric sciences , geology , mechanics , climatology , wind speed , physics
A discussion is given of the criterion for a special type of dynamic instability first derived by H. Solberg, viz. :—that the anti‐cyclonic wind shear along an isentropic surface should exceed the coriolis parameter. It is concluded that this criterion has no direct bearing on the formation of extratropical cyclones but it may be important in respect of the limit which it imposes on the wind shear to the south of the “jet stream”. Dynamic instability of this type may also be important in connection with the formation of tropical cyclones and certain features of frontal structure.