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Low-level wind response to mesoscale pressure systems

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Abstract

Observations are presented which show a strong correlation between low-level wind behaviour (e.g., rotation near the surface) and the passage of mesoscale pressure systems. The latter are associated with frontal transition zones, are dominated by a pressure-jump line and a mesoscale high pressure area, and produce locally large horizontal pressure gradients.

The wind observations are simulated by specifying a time sequence of perturbation pressure gradient and subsequently solving the vertically-integrated momentum equations with appropriate initial conditions. Very good agreement is found between observed and calculated winds; in particular, (i) a 360 ° rotation in wind on passage of the mesoscale high; (ii) wind-shift lines produced dynamically by the pressure-jump line; (iii) rapid linear increase in wind speed on passage of the pressure jump.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research, 3195, Aspendale, Victoria, Australia

    J. R. Garratt & W. L. Physick

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  1. J. R. Garratt
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  2. W. L. Physick
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Garratt, J.R., Physick, W.L. Low-level wind response to mesoscale pressure systems. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 27, 69–87 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00119972

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