Warm Conveyor Belt

• Table of Contents
• Short Version

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Middle and high level cloud in a rising warm, moist air stream relative to its system velocity.

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Common Remarks

There are a lot of investigations of Occlusions explaining this conceptual model from different points of view:

• the development process and the stage within the development
• relevant parameters on isobaric as well as isentropic surfaces
• typical cloud configuration in satellite imagery
• typical weather phenomena

It seems that there is no general agreement concerning Occlusions; for the purpose of this satellite meteorology manual the main viewpoint is the appearance in satellite imagery as well as the difference in the development stages. As Occlusions are long-lived phenomena this development phase might be shorter than the stage of a well-developed cloud spiral where no important differences in the cloud configuration can be recognized any longer.

Nevertheless, sub-types of the Occlusion which do not manifest in the satellite cloud structure but in other parameters, and which are the outcome of experiences of weather services, will be mentioned in the relevant chapters.

The cloud band of the Occlusion described in this chapter is the result of a classical Wave development (see Wave) represented by a growing multi-layered cloud spiral. Investigations over several years, which were made at ZAMG, have shown that the development stage of the Warm Conveyor Belt Type of Occlusion - a classical wave stage - could less often be observed in the satellite image than the development stage of an Occlusion of the Cold Conveyor Belt Type (see Occlusion: Cold Conveyor Belt Type). In the mature stage it generally is not possible to discriminate between the Warm Conveyor Belt Occlusion and the Cold Conveyor Belt Occlusion. Both types show a multi-layered cyclonically curved cloud spiral in the satellite image.

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