Department of Meteorology,
University of Reading,
PO Box 243,
Earley Gate,
Reading, RG6 6BB, UK

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DYNAMICAL PROCESSES
GROUP HOME PAGE !
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Summary of the groups research interests.

The aim of the group is to enhance the understanding of phenomena that occur in the atmosphere on meso to global scales and that are important in weather and climate. This aim is pursued using a combination of theory, diagnostics of observations and the design, execution and diagnosis of experiments using a range of numerical models.

One area of continued research is that of mid-latitude cyclones, including their initiation, structure and organisation into storm-tracks. Another active area of research is the organisation and global impact of tropical heating. Rossby wave propagation and potential vorticity have played an important part in the diagnostic work of the group.

Who are we ? / members of the group.

Prof. Brian Hoskins CBE (Professor, Head of Group) (B.J.Hoskins@reading.ac.uk)

Dr. Paul Berrisford (Post-Doc) (P.Berrisford@reading.ac.uk)

Dr. John Methven (Post-Doc) (J.Methven@reading.ac.uk)

Dr. Maarten Ambaum (Post-Doc) (M.H.P.Ambaum@reading.ac.uk)

Dr. Guiying Yang (Post-Doc) (swsyangg@reading.ac.uk)

Dr. Richard Neale (Post-Doc) (R.B.Neale@reading.ac.uk)

Jo Pelly (Ph.D. Student) (J.L.Pelly@reading.ac.uk)

Mariane Coutinho (Ph.D. Student) (swr99mmc@met.reading.ac.uk)

Christine Johnson (Ph.D. Student) (swr00cm@met.reading.ac.uk)

A brief description of individual projects.

A more detailed background to the projects can be obtained by clicking on the project titles.

GLOBAL TROPOPAUSE PROPERTIES: The geographical and temporal variation of tropopause properties are investigated using observational analyses and models.
MID-LATITUDE WEATHER SYSTEM TRACK DIAGNOSTICS: Extrema in various meteorological fields (with the largest scales removed) are tracked and diagnostics are provided to give different perspectives on mid-latitude storm-tracks and associated phenomena.
SUMMER SUB-TROPICAL ANTICYCLONES AND MONSOONS: The extent to which the various summer sub-tropical anticyclones may be associated with the monsoon heating to their east is being studied using models.
ASPECTS OF THE INTRA-SEASONAL OSCILLATION: A possible mechanism for its initiation and the relationship of observed features to the oscillation are being investigated.
STATISTICS OF TRAJECTORIES IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC STORM TRACK: The origins of air arriving over three regions of the North Atlantic storm track are determined using ECMWF analyses. Statistics of back trajectories are used to compare the transport properties of GCMs to the atmosphere.
FINE-SCALE STRUCTURES IN ACTIVE AND PASSIVE TRACERS: Advection by atmospheric flow results in the rapid generation of fine-scale tracer features. Two aspects of tracer structure have been studied: the structure and stability of spiral-shaped PV filaments formed during extratropical cyclogenesis and the accuracy of Lagrangian simulations of tracers using coarse-grained winds.
THE TROPICAL INTRASEASONAL OSCILLATION (ISO): An investigation of the role of the coupling between the atmosphere and the ocean in determining the nature of the ISO, by examining the role the atmosphere plays in forcing sea surface temperatures and the sensitivity of the organisation of the tropical convection to a simple interactive ocean surface in the UKMO Unified Model.
CYCLONE DEVELOPMENT AND STORM TRACKS: Understanding storm tracks using an intermediate general circulation model and linear mechanisms for mid-latitude cyclogenesis.
ISENTROPIC TROPOPAUSE FORMATION, CONTOUR DYNAMICS AND SEMI-LAGRANGIAN NUMERICAL ALGORITHMS
PV ADVECTION AND THE OMEGA EQUATION: An examination and application of the PV-advection omega equation in idealised and real cases.
THE ITCZ AND TROPIC-WIDE CLIMATE VARIABILITY: Understanding the role of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in the position and strength of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in particular determing whether local SST maxima or larger-scale SST gradients have the greatest impact. Studying the effects that localised tropical climate forcing has on the climate in other regions of the globe. In particular the mechanisms by which localised sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) can influence tropic-wide rainfall distribution. Both these studies are facilited using an aqua-planet version of the Unified Model (UM).
A SIMPLE MODEL OF THE TROPICS AND SUB-TROPICS: This project involves a detailed analysis of the structure of the "active" and "break" periods of the Asian Monsoon between 1979 and 1993. Heating fields based on this analysis will be used to drive a simple numerical model and the results compared with real data.
FORECASTING CHANGES IN WEATHER REGIMES: Weather regime changes, such as the onset of an atmospheric block, are investigated using potential vorticity and potential temperature diagnostics in conjuction with the ECMWF Ensemble Prediction System.

Presentations by group members

CONFERENCES

Several members of the group will be attending the IUGG conference from 19th-30th July 1999.

The atmospheric signature of the North Atlantic Oscillation

Idealized midlatitude cyclone development: Sensitivity to surface parameters

The influence of SST perturbations on intraseasonal variability of tropical convection

An aqua-planet test-bed for AGCMS

Assessment of the diabatic heating distribution and global teleconnection errors in the UKMO Unified Model during ENSO

An intercomparison of ERA and Unified Model tracking statistic climatology

TALKS

No talks at present

PAST CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS

The relationship between convection and surface fluxes on intraseasonal timescales
Steve Woolnough, Julia Slingo and Brian Hoskins.
COARE98, Boulder, Colorado, 7th-14th July 1998

Publications by members of the group since 1995.

Ambrizzi, T., Hoskins, B.J. and Hsu, H.-H., 1995: Rossby wave propagation and teleconnection patterns in the Austral Winter. J. Atmos. Sci., 52, 3661-3672.

Hoskins, B. J. and M. J. Rodwell, 1995: A model of the Asian Summer Monsoon, Part I: The Global Scale. J. Atmos. Sci., 52, 1329-1340.

Jin, F.-F. and B. J. Hoskins, 1995: The direct response to tropical heating in a baroclinic atmosphere. J. Atmos. Sci., 52, 307-319.

Rodwell, M.J. and B.J. Hoskins, 1995: A model of the Asian Summer Monsoon, Part II: Cross-equatorial flow and PV behaviour. J. Atmos. Sci., 52, 1341-1356.

Hoskins B.J., 1996: On the existence and intensity of summer subtropical anticyclones. Bull. Am. Met. Soc., 77, 1287-1291.

Matthews A.J., B.J. Hoskins, J.M. Slingo and M. Blackburn, 1996: Development of convection along the SPCZ in a Madden-Julian Oscillation. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 122, 669-688.

Rodwell M.J. and B.J. Hoskins, 1996: Monsoons and the dynamics of deserts. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 122,1385-1404.

Ward, M.N. and Hoskins, B.J., 1996: Near-surface wind over the global ocean 1949-1988. J. Climate, 9,1877-1895.

Yang, G. -Y. and Hoskins, B.J., 1996: Propogation of Rossby waves of non-zero frequency. J. Atmos. Sci., 53,2365-2378.

Ambrizzi, T. and Hoskins, B.J., 1997: Stationary Rossby wave propagation in a baroclinic atmosphere. Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc., 123,919-928.

Farranti, L., Slingo, J.M., Palmer, T.N. and Hoskins, B.J., 1997: Relations between interannual and intraseasonal monsoon variability as diagnosed from AMIP integrations. Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc., 123,1323-1357.

Lander, J. and Hoskins, B.J., 1997: Believable scales and parameterizations in a spectral transform model. Mon. Weath. Rev., 125,292-303.

Methven, J and Hoskins, B.J., 1998: Spirals in potential vorticity. Part I: Measures of structure. J. Atmos. Sci., 55, 2053-2066

Methven, J 1998: Spirals in potential vorticity. Part II: Stability. J. Atmos. Sci., 55, 2067-2079

Highwood, E.J. and Hoskins B.J. 1998: The tropical tropopause Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc., 124, 1579-1604

Hoskins B.J., Neale R.B., Rodwell M. and Yang, G.-Y. 1999: Aspects of the large-scale tropical atmospheric circulation Tellus, 51 A, 33-44

Methven, J. and Hoskins, B., 1999: The advection of high resolution tracers by low resolution winds. J.Atmos.Sci., 56, 3262-3285

Links with other organisations.

The group works closely with a number of national and international organisations in addition to groups based in the Department.

International Association of Meteorology and Amospheric Sciences (IAMAS)

World Climate Research Program (WRCP) / Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR)

Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science (CAS)

European Geophysical Society (EGS)

European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)

U.K. Meteorological Office (UKMO)

Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research (part of UKMO)

Environmental Systems Science Centre (ESSC)

Joint Centre for Mesoscale Meteorology (JCMM)

U.K. Universities Global Atmospheric Modelling Programme (UGAMP)

British Atmospheric Data Centre (BADC)

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Last Updated 9th December 1999.

This page is maintained by R.B.Neale@reading.ac.uk