ISSN 1006-9895

CN 11-1768/O4

Major Advances in Research on Mesoscale Atmospheric Dynamics in Recent Years
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    Abstract:

    Mesoscale meteorology has been a subject of intense research activities in recent years because of its important role in daily weather forecasting and significant contribution to the predictions of meteorological disasters. Mesoscale meteorology explores the occurrence, development, and forecasting of mesoscale weather systems and the accompanying severe weather such as heavy rainfall, hail, and tornado wind. Recent observational, theoretical, and numerical studies have advanced our understanding of mesoscale weather dynamics. The present review mainly focuses on achievements since 2007, which consist of waves, vortices, fronts, stability, Q-vectors, and conservative quantities. In the field of waves, progress includes the study of formation and propagation of gravity waves; research of typhoon waves including vortex Rossby waves, mixed low-frequency vortex Rossby waves, and high-frequency inertial gravity waves; and the study of the wave-activity relationships that consider the water vapor effect. Recent studies have also expanded our understanding of the vortex, particularly the Tibetan Plateau Vortex (TPV), and tropical cyclones, which is of great importance in weather forecasting. The front is another key weather system in China. Advances in front research include an experimental study of the generation and maintenance mechanism of the β mesoscale double rainbands in the Meiyu front and a proposal of the scalar frontogenesis function based on the generalized potential temperature, which makes the description of the front genesis process more closely related to the actual atmosphere. To address instability, we introduce a pseudo-momentum function based on the Energy-Casimir method and instability of transverse waves when the basic flow has linear or nonlinear shear. Moreover, the development of the Q-vector—from the geostrophic Q-vector to the ageostrophic moist Q-vector—and a new divergence function deduced by coupling of the geostrophic moist Q-vector and the vertical wind shear are introduced. Finally, we discuss the latest advances in two conservative quantities: potential temperature and potential vorticity.

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History
  • Received:September 18,2012
  • Revised:November 09,2012
  • Adopted:
  • Online: March 08,2013
  • Published: