Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

On the orographic influence and lee cyclogenesis in the Andes, the Rockies and the East Asian Mountains

Über den orographischen Einfluß und Lee-Zyklogenese in den Anden, den Rocky Mountains und den ostasiatischen Gebirgen

  • Published:
Archiv für Meteorologie, Geophysik und Bioklimatologie, Serie A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A comparative study of cyclogenesis in the lee of the Andes, the Rockies and the East Asian Mountains, is presented. Using the data of 1958 (the International Geophysical Year) and 1973, it was found that the initial formation of most lee cyclones occurred with the onset of peculiar airflows over the mountains. The lee cyclones usually commenced under the leading (eastern) edge of a diffluent cross-barrier flow in the mid-troposphere superimposed on a zone of low-level convergence and orographic descent. The barrier effects of large-scale mountains were observed to be of great importance to lee cyclogenesis.

It was observed that cyclogenesis in South America occurred most frequently in the lee of the Oliva, Calalaste and Patagonia Cordilleras. Many of the Oliva and Calalaste cyclones were weak and short-lived, while the Patagonia lows were usually migratory with a considerable intensity. Lee cyclones in three continents occurred initially either on a surface front or in a localized baroclinic zone (pseudo front) induced by major mountain ranges.

Zusammenfassung

Eine vergleichende Studie der Zyklogenese im Lee der Anden, der Rocky Mountains und der ostasiatischen Gebirge wird vorgeführt. An Hand der Daten von 1958 (Internationales geophysikalisches Jahr) und 1973 konnte gezeigt werden, daß die Bildung der meisten Lee-Zyklonen mit dem Auftreten gewisser Strömungsbedingungen über den Gebirgen zusammenhängt. Leezyklogenese tritt für gewöhnlich dann auf, wenn der vordere (östliche) Rand einer quer zum Gebirge gerichteten divergierenden Strömung in der mittleren Troposphäre einer Zone von niedertroposphärischer Konvergenz und orographischer Abgleitbewegung überlagert ist. Der Barriereneffekt großer Gebirge ist von bedeutendem Einfluß auf die Leezyklogenese.

Es wurde beobachtet, daß die Leezyklogenese in Südamerika am häufigsten im Lee der Cordilleren von Oliva, Calalaste und Patagonien auftritt. Viele der Oliva- und Calalaste-Zyklonen waren schwach und kurzlebig, während die Patagonien-Zyklonen für gewöhnlich wanderten und beachtliche Intensitäten aufwiesen. Lee-Zyklogenese in den drei Kontinenten trat entweder an einer Bodenfront oder an einer lokalisierten baroklinen Zone (Pseudofront), hervorgerufen durch einen größeren Gebirgszug, auf.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bjerknes, J.: On the Structure of Moving Cyclones. Geofys. Publ.,1, No. 2. 8 pp. (1918).

  2. Bjerknes, J.: Theorie der außertropischen Zyklonenbildung. Meteor. Z.,54, 462–466 (1937).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bolin, B.: On the Influence of the Earth's Orography on the General Character of the Westerlies. Tellus,2, 184–195 (1950).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Chung, Y.-S.: On the Behaviour of Upper Airflows in Large-Scale Mountains. Presented at the Symposium 18-GARP First Objective: Weather Predictability, 16th Gen. Ass. IUGG, Grenoble, 1975, 26 pp.

  5. Chung, Y.-S., K. D. Hage and E. R. Reinelt: On Lee Cyclogenesis and Airflow in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the East Asian Mountains. Mon. Wea. Rev.,104, 879–891 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Chung, Y.-S., and E. R. Reinelt: On Cyclogenesis in the Lee of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Arch. Met. Geoph. Biokl., Ser. A,22, 205–226 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Egger, J.: Numerical Experiments on Lee Cyclogenesis. Mon. Wea. Rev.,102, 847–860 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kawata, Y.: The Influence of the Rocky Mountains on Nonsteady Isobaric Height Patterns. J. Meteor. Soc. Japan,35, 174–183 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Margules, M.: Über die Beziehung zwischen Barometerschwankung und Kontinuitäts-gleichung. Boltzmann-Festschrift Leipzig, 585–589 (1904).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Manabe, S., and T. B. Terpstra: The Effects of Mountains on the General Circulation of the Atmosphere as Identified by Numerical Experiments. J. Atmos. Sci.,31, 3–42 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Meteorological Institute. Eurasia Historical Weather Maps for Jan. – Oct. 1958 and Nov.–Dec. 1959. Central Weather Bureau, Peking, 1964.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Newton, C. W. (editor), H. van Loon, J. J. Taljaard, T. Sasamori, J. London, D. V. Hoyt and K. Labitzke: Meteorology of the Southern Hemisphere. Meteor. Monogr.,13, No. 35, 263 pp. (1972).

  13. Palmén, E., and C. W. Newton: Atmospheric circulation systems. Their structure and physical interpretation. Intern. Geophys. Ser. 13, Academic Press, 603 pp., 1969.

  14. Petterssen, S.: Weather analysis and forecasting. Vol. 1, 2nd ed., McGraw-Hill Book Co., N. Y., 428 pp. 1956.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Scherhag, R.: Bemerkungen über die Bedeutung der Konvergenzen und Divergenzen des Geschwindigkeitsfeldes für die Druckänderungen. Beitr. Physik Atmosphäre,24, 122–129 (1938).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Yong-Seung Chung (Atmospheric Research Directorate)

    Present address: Atmospheric Environment Service, 4905 Dufferin Street, Downsview, M3H 5T4, Toronto, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

    Authors
    1. Yong-Seung Chung
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    Additional information

    With 3 Figures

    Rights and permissions

    Reprints and permissions

    About this article

    Cite this article

    Chung, YS. On the orographic influence and lee cyclogenesis in the Andes, the Rockies and the East Asian Mountains. Arch. Met. Geoph. Biokl. A. 26, 1–12 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02246530

    Download citation

    • Received:

    • Issue Date:

    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02246530

    Keywords

    Search

    Navigation