Further Comparison of Two Synoptic Surface Wind and Pressure Analysis Methods

Abstract

The geostrophic stream and potential functions of Sangster and the derived flat pressure field of Pielke and Cram are further compared. A simple numerical experiment with an idealized mountain-atmosphere system compares the two methods and their sensitivity to lateral boundary conditions. The flat pressure field of Pielke and Cram is essentially equivalent to the streamfunction of Sangster, although the two methods have different boundary condition formulations and resulting different sensitivities to these boundary conditions.