Forecasters' Guide to Tropical Meteorology

by Atkinson, Gary D.

• ISBN13: 9781410201935
• ISBN10: 1410201937
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-08-01
• Publisher: Lightning Source Inc

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
Primary Physical Controls of the Tropical Circulation
General	1	(1)
The Earth's Heat-Energy Balance	1	(3)
Tropical General Circulation	4	(2)
Primary Physical Factors	6	(1)
General	6	(2)
Distribution of land and water	8	(1)
Sea-surface temperature	9	(1)
Interactions with mid-latitude flow	10	(1)
Small-scale controls	10	(1)
Summary	10
The Observational Basis
Present Data Sources	1	(11)
Surface data	1	(1)
Upper-air data	2	(2)
Oceanographic data	4	(4)
Meteorological satellite data	8	(2)
Weather radar data	10	(2)
Probable Future Data Sources	12	(1)
Meteorological satellite data	12	(1)
Automatic meteorological stations	12	(1)
Upper-air observations from mobile ships	13	(1)
Constant-level balloons	13	(1)
Summary	13
Pressure and Winds
General	1	(1)
Pressure	1	(4)
Mean sea-level pressure	1	(1)
Diurnal pressure variations	1	(4)
Large-scale pressure changes	5	(1)
Wind	5	(1)
General	5	(1)
Resultant gradient-level wind	6	(10)
Resultant 200-mb wind	16	(5)
Mean-wind cross-sections	21	(1)
Tropical jet streams	21	(3)
Tropical stratospheric winds	24	(2)
Diurnal and local-wind effects	26
Temperature and Water Vapor
General	1	(1)
Surface Temperature and Water Vapor	1	(4)
Means	1	(1)
Diurnal variations	2	(1)
Elevation effects	3	(2)
Upper-Air Temperature and Water Vapor	5	(1)
Means and seasonal changes	5	(1)
Mean precipitable water	6	(2)
Mean vertical soundings	8	(2)
Diurnal variations	10	(2)
Equivalent-potential temperature	12
Cloudiness and Rainfall
General	1	(1)
Cloudiness	1	(17)
Mean cloud cover	1	(5)
Inter-annual cloud-cover variations	6	(1)
Zonal cloud-cover averages	6	(1)
Large-scale organization of tropical cloud systems	7	(4)
Tropical cloud types	11	(4)
Diurnal cloudiness variation	15	(3)
Rainfall	18	(1)
Mean annual precipitation	18	(1)
Annual rainfall variability	18	(1)
Monthly rainfall distribution	19	(4)
Monthly rainfall variability	23	(1)
Daily rainfall distribution	23	(3)
Diurnal rainfall distribution	26	(5)
Rainfall variation with elevation	31	(1)
Mesoscale rainfall distribution	32	(4)
Extreme rainfall amounts	36	(2)
Rainfall associated with tropical cyclones	38	(1)
Beginning and ending of rainy seasons	39
Tropical Synoptic Models
General	1	(1)
Waves	1	(3)
Easterly waves	1	(3)
Equatorial waves	4	(1)
Vortices	4	(31)
General	4	(1)
Low-tropospheric cyclones	5	(6)
Low-tropospheric anticyclones	11	(5)
Mid-tropospheric cyclones	16	(8)
Upper-tropospheric cyclones	24	(11)
Linear Disturbances	35	(1)
General	35	(1)
Shear lines	35	(3)
Asymptotes	38
Tropical Cyclones
General	1	(1)
Classification and Definition of Tropical Disturbances	1	(1)
United States	1	(1)
Other countries	1	(1)
Global Climatology of Tropical Cyclones	2	(9)
Tropical Storm Formation	11	(4)
Tropical Storm Movement	15	(1)
Tropical Storm Forecasting	16	(9)
General	16	(1)
Techniques	17	(1)
Accuracy of forecasts	18	(3)
Use of satellite data	21	(4)
Tropical Storm Characteristics	25	(1)
General	25	(1)
Wind field	26	(1)
Temperature field	27	(1)
Cloud systems	27
Severe Weather in the Tropics
General	1	(1)
Thunderstorms	1	(9)
Frequency	1	(8)
Diurnal variation	9	(1)
Duration	9	(1)
Heights	10	(1)
Tornadoes and Waterspouts	10	(5)
Hail	15	(4)
Extreme Winds	19	(9)
General	19	(1)
Thunderstorm winds	19	(2)
Tropical-storm winds	21	(1)
Extreme wind analysis	21	(7)
Turbulence	28	(6)
General	28	(1)
Clear-air turbulence	28	(2)
Clear-air turbulence frequency	30	(4)
Icing	34	(2)
General	34	(1)
Climatological frequency	35	(1)
Ocean-Wave Phenomena	36	(1)
Storm surges	36	(3)
Tsunamis	39
Tropical Analysis
General	1	(1)
Data Collection and Evaluation	1	(12)
General	1	(1)
Surface observations	2	(6)
Upper-air observations	8	(5)
Manual Analysis Techniques	13	(23)
General	13	(1)
Recommended analysis levels	13	(2)
Frequency and scale of analysis	15	(1)
Manual analysis procedures	15	(3)
Streamline/isotach analysis procedures	18	(7)
Use of aircraft reports	25	(3)
Use of climatology	28	(4)
Use of satellite data	32	(1)
Post-analysis programs	32	(1)
Examples of streamline/isotach analyses	32	(4)
Automated Analysis Techniques	36	(3)
General	36	(1)
Objective wind-analysis	36	(3)
Future outlook	39	(1)
Auxiliary Aids	39	(3)
Vertical time cross-sections	42	(1)
Vertical space cross-sections	43	(1)
Thermodynamic diagrams	43	(1)
Checkerboard diagrams	44	(1)
Pressure-change charts	45	(1)
Wind-shear charts	46	(1)
Rainfall analyses	46
Tropical Forecasting
General	1	(1)
Short-Range Forecasting Techniques	2	(34)
General	2	(1)
Circulation and cloud prognostic charts	2	(4)
Climatological aids	6	(6)
Local forecast studies	12	(7)
Use of stability indexes	19	(6)
Use of radar	25	(11)
Medium- and Long-Range Forecasting	36	(3)
Tropical Numerical Weather Prediction	39	(5)
Summary	44
References	1	(1)
Acronyms	1