Review Questions for Chapter 13
- Mid Latitude Cyclones
- Who developed the Polar Front Theory for mid latitude
cyclones and when did they publish it?
- What are the different stages of a mid latitude wave
cyclone according to the polar front theory?
- What is the importance of mid latitude wave cyclones in
terms of atmospheric energetics and stability?
- Where are preferred cyclogenesis regions?
- What is a "bomb" and how are they defined?
- Why will vertically stacked cyclones/anticyclones not
intensify?
- Why will the low tilt to the NW for the surface low to
intensify?
- Why will the high tilt to the SW for the surface high to
intensify?
- Is surface convergence < or > upper level
divergence for the storm to intensify?
- Is surface divergence < or > upper level
convergence for the surface H to intensify?
- What are long and short waves? How do they move? How many
are there typically?
- What is the steering level?
- At what level(s) are short waves seen?
- How can one predict cyclone and anticyclone motion and
speed?
- How do short waves generate baroclinic instability?
- What is baroclinic instability?
- What is cold/warm-air advection? How do they create
vertical motions?
- What is a barotropic atmosphere?
- How do the warm and cold conveyor belts relate to
cold/warm-air advection?
- How is the dry slot formed?
- What is the role of the jet stream/jet streaks in
mid-latitude cyclone evolution and development?
- How does the jet streak create areas of convergence and
divergence in the jet stream?
- What is the 3-D relationship between:
- the surface L and H
- the short wave at mid/upper levels
- the jet stream and jet streaks in the jet stream
- What is vorticity?
- What is planetary vorticity?
- What is relative vorticitiy? How is it generated?
- How does the vorticity pattern aloft associated with a
short wave relate to vertical motions?
- How do lee-side lows form?