The Structure and Evolution of Cyclones

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The goal of this project is to establish a detailed three- dimensional description of the evolution of a typical extratropical cyclone, particularly the occlusion process. Within the scientific community there exist many different ideas about the nature of the occlusion process, a number of which stem from the original "Norwegian cyclone" model, a conceptual model developed in the early part of this century by Norwegian meteorologists. Previous analyses have had to rely on sparse (and often inadequate) data from the conventional upper air observing network for diagnostic studies. The results, while useful, have left open many questions. In this study, the principal investigator will employ state-of-the-art mesoscale numerical models to analyze the three-dimensional structure of several simulated cyclone events. The models provide high temporal and spatial resolution which will allow a much more comprehensive view of the cyclone evolution. The principal investigator intends to look at the evolution of cyclones over both the ocean and the continent.