SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY                   METEOROLOGY 403                                  DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES                                    Fall 2004

 

Homework No. 5

BluesteinDue Friday, October 7

BluesteinB:  pp. 120-123; pp. 247-271; pp. 282-284

Djuric:  50-61 Appendices H, I

 

Instructions:  Work with other students if you like.  However, please do not ask other faculty members to help you with this.   I want to see what you come up with on your own.

 

Thermal Wind

 

1.    Explain why           

(a)              In any given season, the polar jet stream is stronger in the S.

Hemisphere;

(b)              There is less of a variation in the strength of the S. Hemisphere jet              from winter to summer in the strength of the N. Hemisphere jet.

 

       Please remember that this question involves you applying thermal wind arguments.

 

Total Derivative of ÒfÓ

 

2.    Expand df/dt COMPLETELY.  (Careful, this is an exercise in applying the definition fo the total derivative, making simplifications to the resulting equation and in simple calculus,  and will answer the question Òhow does the value of the Coriolis Parameter ÒexperiencedÓ by an air parcel change in time?Ó and the final answer is df/dt = v R cos ¿.  Make sure you show all steps.)

 

DineÕs Compensation

 

3.    On a given day, a trough in the westerlies is progressing across the United States.  At the inflection point on the eastern side of the trough, the net divergence in the layer from the LND to the tropopause was 2.78 X 10 –5 s -1.  The LND was at the 500 mb level an, on this day, the Tropopause was approximately located at the 300 mb level.  Also, at the inflection point, the 500 mb height was 546 dm and the 300 mb height was 943 dm.   

 

Determine the vertical velocity at the LND in cm s-1.