Tracking Pressure Features

By Alexander Jacques

MesoWest/SynopticLabs and Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah

Center for High Performance Computing resources were used to model the progression of a mesoscale gravity wave generated by a large storm system on April 26–27, 2011.

A mesoscale gravity wave, generated by a large storm system in the southern United States, moved northward through the central United States causing short-term changes in surface wind speed and direction. This animation shows efforts to detect and evaluate the negative mesoscale surface pressure perturbation generated by this wave. Detected positive (red contours) and negative (blue contours) perturbations are determined from perturbation analysis grids, generated every 5 minutes, using USArray Transportable Array surface pressure observations (circle markers). Best-track paths for the perturbations are shown via the dotted trajectories. To identify physical phenomena associated with the perturbations, conventional radar imagery was also leveraged. It can be seen here that the detected feature migrates north away from the majority of the precipitation, which is often seen with mesoscale gravity wave features.

System Status

Cluster Utilization