Recognition and Impact of Vorticity Maxima and Minima in Satellite Imagery

• Introduction
  • What is Vorticity
• Vorticity Maxima
  • Overview
  • Physical Background
    • Development of a Comma Pattern
    • Morphology of a Comma Pattern
    • Other Considerations
  • Analysis
  • Interpretation
  • Implication
  • Exercise
• Vorticity Minima
  • Overview
  • Physical Background
    • Development of a Anticomma Pattern
    • Morphology of a Anticomma Pattern
    • Other Considerations
  • Analysis
  • Interpretation
  • Implication
  • Exercise

Cyclonic Vorticity and Comma Patterns

Season: Every day
Phenomena: Moist Circulations, Vorticity Maxima and Vorticity Advection
Tools: Meteosat Second Generation: WV6.2 and Airmass RGB

Forecast Challenges:

• Identify and predict the vorticity maxima in order to predict areas of positive vorticity advection
• Identify the related axes of maximum winds, deformation zones and air masses
• Isolate what impact of the vorticity maxima will have on your forecast

Vorticity maxima signatures are very common and indicate areas of ascending circulation and atmospheric forcing. The correct placement of the maximum of cyclonic vorticity is vital to the placement of related dynamic features such as the axis of maximum winds and deformation zones.

Note: All examples and conceptual models in this module are set in the northern hemisphere. All graphics are oriented north to south with north on top.