Atmospheric Sciences 502
Introduction to Synoptic Meteorology
Fall 2004

Suggested Readings


This will be updated by Friday of every week
Last updated 8 December 2004

Introduction
  • Mean Structure of the Atmosphere
  • Mean upper and lower circulation and temperatures
  • Observations, rawinsondes

  • Bluestein Sections 1.2.5 and 1.4.4

Balanced Flow
  • Geostrophic and Gradient winds
  • Thickness, thermal wind

  • Wallace and Hobbs 1st edition Section 2.2, 8.6
    Wallace and Hobbs 2nd edition Section 3.2 and Section 8.2 (especially subsections 8.2.4 - 8.2.7)
    (Go to the online draft version of the new addition and click on 'text and figures' for chapter 3 or chapter 8) see: Wallace and Hobbs 2nd edition
    Holton 3rd edition Section 3.2, 3.4

Cyclone Structure  
  • Upper level patterns
  • Surface patterns
  • Frontal Analysis

  • Wallace and Hobbs 1st edition Chapter 3
    Wallace and Hobbs 2nd edition Chapter 9
    see: Wallace and Hobbs 2nd edition Note that this chapter is not complete and some figures are missing.
    Bluestein Section 2.4
Cloud and Precipitation structure in cyclones
  • Cloud distributions in cyclones
  • Satellite applications to cyclones

  • Reading 1 Section 1
Quasi-Geostrophic Dynamics
  • Height Tendency, and application to weather maps
  • Diagnosis of Omega

  • Holton Chapter 6 (either edition)
    Bluestein Sections 1.3 and 1.4
Cyclogenesis
  • Norwegian Cyclone Model
  • Palmen Symposium Chapter 3, Section 3.2

  • QG approach to cyclogenesis
  • Holton Chapter 6

  • Potential Vorticity Approach to Cyclogenesis
  • Holton 4th Edition, Chapter 6, sections 6.3.2,.6.3.3, and 6.3.4.
    Bluestein Section 1.9 (breeze through the equations)
Frontogenesis and alternative frontal structure
  • Kinematic frontogenesis
  • Holton 3rd Edition section 9.2.1

  • 2-D frontogenesis
  • Bluestein Section 2.3.1

  • Upper Level Fronts
  • Bluestein Section 2.4.2
    Keyser and Shapiro 1986 February Monthly Weather Review

  • T-bone Structure
  • Palmen Symposium Chapter 10
3-D structure
  • Streamlines
  • Trajectories, airstreams
  • Palmen Symposium Chapter 8, by Browning 129-154
    The Life Cycles of Extratropical Cyclones Browning, pages 265-285.
Pacific Northwest Weather
  • Effects of terrain
  • Bluestein Section 2.5.6

  • Puget Sound Convergence Zone
  • Chien, F.-C., and Mass, C. F., 1997, Interaction of a warm-season frontal system with the coastal mountains of the western United States. Part II: Evolution of a Puget Sound convergence zone. Monthly Weather Review, 125, 1730-1752.

  • Marine Push
  • Mass, C.F., M.D. Albright, and D.J. Brees, 1986: Onshore surge of marine air into the Pacific Northwest: a coastal region of complex terrain. Monthly Weather Review, 114, 2602-2627.
  • Snowstorms
  • Ferber, G.K., C.F. Mass, G.M. Lackmann, and M.W. Patnoe, 1993: Snowstorms over the Puget Sound lowlands. Weather and Forecasting, 8, 481-504.