Boundary Layer and Frontal Structure Over the East China Sea.
Abstract
To analyze features of maritime cold fronts, measurements of many meteorological variables were made at six levels from the NCAR Electra aircraft flying through a cold front moving southeast from Okinawa during AMTEX. The front was relatively weak and atypical in that it was double and no middle or high clouds existed above a stratocumulus shield at 2 km. The history of the fronts is given and the structure described. Characteristics of several frontal air masses are determined from flight and radiosonde data. Mixing, primarily vertical by cumulus convection, between the various air masses is demonstrated. Regions of upward motion ahead of the fronts located by aircraft inertial navigation system measurements and from divergence of winds agreed well and confirmed the double structure of the front. Local areas of frontogenesis are found ahead of each front. Averaged over the entire system, weak frontolysis was occurring primarily as a consequence of the warming of air behind the fronts. (MM)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA296727
Entities
People
- Andrew F. Bunker
Organizations
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution