Open AccessA potential vorticity view of synoptic development
Author(s) -
Hoskins Brian
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
meteorological applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1469-8080
pISSN - 1350-4827
DOI - 10.1017/s1350482797000716
Subject(s) - potential vorticity , geostrophic wind , diabatic , vorticity , positive vorticity advection , climatology , meteorology , inversion (geology) , environmental science , geology , physics , vortex , thermodynamics , adiabatic process , seismology , tectonics
Abstract A physical discussion of vorticity and its change by stretching and tilting is presented. The discussion naturally leads on to the conservation of quasi‐geostrophic potential vorticity, q, and the flow associated with anomalies in q. The extension to full potential vorticity (PV) and the associated conservation and inversion properties is made. The use for illustrating and understanding synoptic developments of maps of PV on isentropic surfaces and potential temperature (θ) on PV surfaces is shown by considering two recent examples in the North Atlantic–Europe regions. The first is a summer situation and the second is the major blocking in January 1996. Concluding comments about the role of diabatic processes and other possible uses of these diagnostics are made. Copyright © 1997 Royal Meteorological Society