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A study of mesoscale convective bands behind cold fronts. Part II: Cloud and microphysical structure
Author(s) -
Bennetts D. A.,
Ryder P.
Publication year - 1984
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.49711046410
Subject(s) - mesoscale meteorology , convection , cold front , atmospheric sciences , front (military) , meteorology , geology , climatology , cloud physics , warm front , environmental science , cloud computing , physics , computer science , operating system
This paper reports observations made over the North Atlantic of a system of convective cloud bands found within the cold air behind an occluded front. The observations were made from an instrumented aircraft which also released a pattern of dropsondes, measuring temperature, humidity and wind as functions of pressure. The microphysical observations are interpreted by use of a three‐dimensional numerical model of deep convection with particular emphasis on the ice budget. The observations cannot be reconciled with a straightforward application of the theory of droplet freezing due to the activation of ice nuclei. Alternative freezing mechanisms involving the ingestion of the remnants of previously glaciated cloud and ice multiplication by the Hallett‐Mossop effect are considered.