Typical Appearance In Vertical Cross Sections

  • Isentropes
    • A shallow frontal zone in the lower troposphere
    • The tropopause often unclear
  • Temperature advection
    Cold advection within and behind the frontal zone
  • Divergence
    Convergence within the frontal zone and divergence above it
  • Vertical Motion (Omega)
    Ascending motion ahead of the frontal zone and descending motion behind it
23 March 2009/11.29 UTC NOAA 18 VIS0.6; VIS0.9; IR10.9 RGB image; position of vertical cross section indicated

 

Temperature advection

23 March 2009/12 UTC - Vertical cross section; black: isentropes (θe), red thick: temperature advection - WA, red thin: temperature advection - CA