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Relevance of conditional symmetric instability in the interpretation of wide cold frontal rainbands. A case study: 20 May 1976
Author(s) -
Lemaitre Y.,
Testud J.
Publication year - 1988
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.49711447913
Subject(s) - mesoscale meteorology , instability , geology , meteorology , interpretation (philosophy) , climatology , physics , geophysics , atmospheric sciences , mechanics , computer science , programming language
Comparisons are made between the characteristics of rainbands observed in a frontal system using a C‐band Doppler radar and dynamical mechanisms relevant on the mesoscale (∼100 km). The orientation of these rainbands, nearly aligned with the thermal wind, suggests that symmetric instability may play a role in their formation. This possible explanation of the precipitation is discussed.