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

Other Considerations

• With both patterns, the anticomma tail is associated with the warm conveyor belt. Vorticity advection will be minimal in this region. The anticomma tail begins at the upstream long wave trough.
• It is very important to remember that all satellite features are generated by system relative motions. The anticomma pattern is identified by a general lack of clouds. Moisture patterns evident on the water vapour imagery may be the best, if not the only, means of locating them.
• If moisture elements on the equatorial side of the anticyclonic circulation are stationary or moving westward with respect to the earth's surface, the vorticity minimum is actually a closed upper high.