Vertical Motions Estimated Using Data from a Single Station and a Form of the Adiabatic Method

Abstract

The so-called adiabatic method for estimating vertical air motions under isentropic flow conditions can be used with wind and temperature data from a single station. With the advent of radio acoustic sounding systems, wind and temperature measurements will be available with the necessary frequency to employ this form of the adiabatic method on a routine basis. In an effort to test this method, data from series of Cross-chain Loran Atmospheric Sounding System balloons launched at high frequency from Champaign, Illinois, have been used to compute vertical motions. The results are compared with the synoptic setting of each campaign and with estimates made using the kinematic method. It appears that smoothing over layers about 100 hPa deep is necessary to remove features not associated with the large-scale flow. The vertical-motion results show that the adiabatic method usually compares as favorably as the kinematic method with proxy indicators of vertical motion such as clouds and moisture. The adiabatic method does not appear as reliable at the edge of cloud decks, apparently due to radiative flux divergence.