Abstract
A simple technique exists for documenting the strength and orientation of mean monthly mid-tropospheric flow. The technique involves finding the differences in the 500-mb heights between stations along selected north-south and east-west transects. Each difference is a measure of the pressure gradient along the transect. Differences along northsouth transects give a measure of the strength of the west to east flow between the two sites. Differences between the east and west sites give an indication of the strength of the meridional (i.e., northerly or southerly) flow component between these particular sites. By using multiple transects, the monthly flow characteristics across the entire coterminous United States may be documented. This technique has been used in the investigation of the relationship between mid-tropospheric flow variations and January temperature trends and patterns across the coterminous United States (2). 500-mb transect analysis has also been used to measure fluctuations in the strength of the westerlies in the Southern Hemisphere (1,3,4). The purpose of this study is to provide a thirty year climatology of mean monthly midtropospheric flow patterns across the coterminous United States for each month of the year based upon a number of 500-mb transect differences.
Recommended Citation
Skeeter, Brent R.
(1987)
"United States Mid Tropospheric Flow Patterns: A Monthly Climatology Based on Transect Difference Analysis,"
The Geographical Bulletin: Vol. 29:
Iss.
2, Article 4.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/thegeographicalbulletin/vol29/iss2/4