SIO 209 Special Topics: Cloud Dynamics and Climate
Winter 2013
Homework #5
Due February 20 via email
In this assignment you will identify features associated with extratropical cyclones in
satellite imagery and match them with features in weather maps. Keep in mind that wellorganized cyclones do not occur every day in a particular region and it is not easy to find
an archive of satellite images and weather maps, so keep an eye out for good candidates
and don’t wait to save the images and maps.
1. Find a window IR satellite image showing the cloud associated with the “warm
conveyor belt” of an extratropical cyclone. For the same time and region, find a water
vapor IR satellite image showing the “dry tongue” of an extratropical cyclone.
a) What is the region, date, and time (UTC) of the satellite images?
b) Indicate where the “warm conveyor belt” cloud occurs in the image.
c) Does the “warm conveyor belt” cloud have a high top or a low top?
d) Indicate where the “dry tongue” occurs in the image.
e) Is the “dry tongue” directly to the west of a “warm conveyor belt” cloud?
2. Find a map showing the height of the 500-hPa surface that most closely matches the
region, date, and time of the satellite images in the preceding question.
a) What is the region, date, and time (UTC) of the map?
b) Indicate the locations of the ridge axis and trough axis.
c) Is the “warm conveyor belt” cloud east of the trough and west of the ridge?
3. Find a VIS satellite image showing cumulus or stratocumulus clouds in the cold
sector behind a cold front of an extratropical cyclone. For the same time and region,
find a window IR satellite image.
a) What is the region, date, and time (UTC) of the satellite images?
b) Indicate where the cumulus or stratocumulus clouds occur in the image.
c) Do the cumulus or stratocumulus clouds have high tops or a low tops?
4. Find a map showing the height of the 500-hPa surface that most closely matches the
region, date, and time of the satellite images in the preceding question.
a) What is the region, date, and time (UTC) of the map?
b) Indicate the locations of the ridge axis and trough axis.
c) Are the cumulus or stratocumulus clouds west of the trough and east of the ridge?
The following websites provide satellite data for the eastern Pacific, the U.S., Europe,
and East Asia. You are free to obtain satellite imagery from other sources if you wish.
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/sat-bin/epac_westcoast.cgi
http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/satellite/
http://oiswww.eumetsat.org/IPPS/html/latestImages.html
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/gms/
The following website provides 500 hPa and other weather maps for North America,
Europe, and East Asia. You are free to obtain weather maps from other sources if you
wish.
http://wxmaps.org/pix/analyses.html