Experiments in Objective Frontal Contour Analysis

Abstract

Following the methods of Clarke and Renard, experiments were made in the objective analysis of upper level fronts, using wet-bulb potential temperature, layer thickness and geostrophic horizontal wind shear as parameters. The objective fronts show significant differences from classical models which assume an identity between fronts and quasi-substantial air-mass boundaries. Frequency distributions in constant pressure surfaces suggest that the wet-bulb potential temperature is not entirely satisfactory as a frontal tracer.