Met171A – Fall 2009 - Final - Topics and Review Questions
1. Geostrophic Wind
a) Recall geostrophic balance.
b) State in terms of constant pressure surfaces.
c) Intro to QG theory: wind is broken into geostrophic and ageostrophic components.
2. Thermal Wind
a) Relationship between thickness and thermal wind (calculate thermal wind)
b) Understand qualitative picture (Thermal wind vector)
c) Temperature advection and thermal wind (veering and backing)
3. Geostrophic and Thermal Wind
a) diagnose temperature advection from relationship of geostrophic wind at different
levels
4. Continuity Equation
a) Bowstring model…be able to draw and explain.
b) What is the level of non divergence?
5. Vorticity
a) explain/understand this expression for vorticity in physical terms
b) calculate vorticity advection by method of solenoids
g 2
 Z
fo
g 
6. Vorticity Equation
a) understand the signs/contributions of the terms and how they increase or decrease
vorticity
b) How does the equation simplify at surface and 500 mb for example?
c) Why does divergence (convergence) decrease (increase) vorticity?
 2
2 
R
fo 
 σ + f 2 2 ω =   2  vg  T  
 vg  ς g + f 
p 
p
g p

a) know/identify terms in this form of the omega equation
b) understand the contribution of each term to rising or sinking motion
c) understand the signs associated with each variable in the equation
7. Omega Equation

8. Height Tendency and Surface Pressure Tendency
a) under what conditions do heights rise and fall
b) understand qualitative fixed boundary model
c) under what conditions to surface pressures rise and fall
9. Barotopic Midlatitude Waves
a) conservation of absolute vorticity
i) at what level of the atmosphere is this valid
ii) how does conservation of absolute vorticity relate to “apparent
strengthening” and “apparent weakening”?
b) “Beta Effect” and the “Beta Wind”

i) What is Beta
ii) What is the “Beta Effect”?
iii) What is the “Beta Wind”
c) Short Waves vs. Long Waves
i) In which is the Beta effect lessor or greater and why?
ii) How does this effect their relative phase speeds
d) Pattern Characterization
i) What do the terms stationary, progressive and regressive imply about the
pattern? What does wavenumber 5 mean?
ii) What does zonal and meridional flow look like and how does it relate to
high or low index?
e) Steering – “lifting” vs. “digging”
10. Blocking
a) be able recognize three main kinds of blocking patterns
b) Where and when does blocking typicall occur?
c) What is the relationship between temperature and blocking?
11. Baroclinic Devlopement (from lecture on 12/8/09)
a) What is the motivation for the baroclinic viewpoint?
b) What are the main differences between the barotropic and baroclinic viewpoint?
c) What is the role of temperature/thickness advection in baroclinic development?
d) What is the typical baroclinic lifecycle?
d) What is a “baroclinic zone”, what is “baroclinic instability”?
e) Where/when are surface cyclones most likely to form?
12. GEMPAK Skills
a) Plot omega, relative or absolute vorticity, thickness, temperature advection
b) Plot a cross section of some combination of theta, wind, RH, and omega between
two locations
c) Plot a hemispheric map of some combination of heights, vorticity, and temperature
at 500 and 850 mb.