Objective Cross Section Analysis

Abstract

The distribution of wind and of temperature in a vertical cross section through the atmosphere is derived from radiosonde and rawinsonde data by an objective analysis procedure suitable for automatic computers. The method of interpolation takes advantage of the fact that soundings in the plane of the gross section provide data along vertical lines rather than at randomly distributed points. The thermal wind equation is used to modify the interpolated distribution through a partial differential equation derived from the calculus of variations. Results indicate that the technique is capable of delineating not only the gross vertical structure of the atmosphere but also some significant layers of high stability and/or potential vorticity which are inadequately defined by analyses in quasi-horizontal planes at the standard pressure levels.