Evidence of Jet Streak Vertical Circulations

Abstract

A Man Computer Interactive Data Access System (McIDAS) has been used to great advantage in the monitoring and processing of weather data on a real-time basis. In particular, McIDAS facilitated the timely acquisition of data for the study of a Midwest cyclone which was characterized by a well-defined jet streak aloft. Moreover, study of this jet streak revealed patterns of ageostrophic motion and divergence which agree well with the theory of jet streak vertical circulations. Previously, there had been only limited documentation of these patterns using an actual case study. The most striking results of this study were as follows: 1).Machine computation of synoptic-scale ageostrophic motions and divergence patterns can beaccomplished with a high degree of reliability and consistency. 2)The weather over large areas of the United States can be affected by a single, well-definedjet streak. 3)Significant research can now be accomplished on a near real-time basis. Systems such as McIDAS hold the promise of generating frequent and exhaustive diagnostic studies of the real atmosphere ina very short time frame. 4)Comparisons with independent data show obvious connections between the jet streak verticalcirculations and synoptic-scale cloud and weather patterns.