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Rossby wave interactions with Mediterranean and subtropical latitudes

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Abstract

The downstream influence of a Rossby wave on weather conditions in the Mediterranean and North Africa is studied. The objective is to gain a better understanding of the atmospheric processes in these regions and to improve their quantification. The emphasis is placed on high-impact weather events to improve numerical forecasts and warnings about these hazardous weather phenomena. For this purpose, 4 days from 5 to 8 February 1997 are used to investigate both a Mediterranean low and a subtropical African convective situation. Sensitivity studies, using a potential vorticity inversion tool associated with the French atmospheric model ARPEGE, are presented. The Mediterranean surface low under study is shown to be associated with the mid-latitude upper level potential vorticity anomaly, itself associated with a Rossby wave. A subtropical convective cell is shown to be related to upward vertical motions associated with a cut-off low; this cut-off low coming from a mid-latitude Rossby wave.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’Aérologie, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 14 av. Edouard Belin, 31400, Toulouse, France

    Dominique Lambert & Jean-Pierre Cammas

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  1. Dominique Lambert
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  2. Jean-Pierre Cammas
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Correspondence to Dominique Lambert.

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Lambert, D., Cammas, JP. Rossby wave interactions with Mediterranean and subtropical latitudes. Meteorol Atmos Phys 108, 83–94 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-010-0081-0

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