Synoptic Meteorology
Synoptic meteorology is the science of the daily weather map, reading the migrating highs and lows, fronts, and jet streams that bring the changeable weather of the middle latitudes.
Definition
Synoptic meteorology is the study of weather systems on the synoptic scale, of order a thousand kilometers and a few days, through the simultaneous analysis of observations across a region to depict and forecast the state of the atmosphere.
Scope
This area covers the synoptic-scale weather systems of the extratropics, including air masses and the fronts between them, the structure and life cycle of midlatitude cyclones, the upper-level waves and jet streams that steer them, and the analysis of observations onto weather maps.
Sub-topics
Core questions
- What are air masses and how do the fronts between them produce weather?
- How do midlatitude cyclones form, mature, and decay?
- How do upper-level waves and jet streams organize surface weather?
- How are dispersed observations combined into a coherent weather analysis?
Key theories
- Norwegian cyclone model
- The Bergen School described the midlatitude cyclone as a wave on the polar front, developing warm and cold fronts and a characteristic life cycle, a picture that organized weather analysis for the twentieth century.
- Upper-level control of surface development
- Surface cyclones intensify beneath regions of upper-level divergence associated with troughs and jet-streak circulations, linking the evolution of weather systems to the waves in the jet stream aloft.
Mechanisms
Large bodies of air acquire uniform temperature and humidity over source regions and become air masses; where contrasting air masses meet, sharp fronts form. Waves growing on these fronts, organized and intensified by upper-level troughs and jet streaks, become midlatitude cyclones with their attendant cloud and precipitation patterns. Synoptic analysis assembles surface and upper-air observations into maps that reveal these systems and their movement.
Clinical relevance
Synoptic meteorology is the operational core of day-to-day weather forecasting, providing the conceptual models forecasters use to anticipate the passage of fronts, the development of storms, and the sequence of weather that the public, aviation, agriculture, and emergency services depend upon.
History
Modern synoptic meteorology grew from the Bergen School in Norway after World War I, where Vilhelm and Jacob Bjerknes and Tor Bergeron developed the polar-front and cyclone-wave models; the spread of upper-air observations and, later, satellites and numerical models extended these ideas into the three-dimensional, dynamically grounded discipline of today.
Key figures
- Vilhelm Bjerknes
- Jacob Bjerknes
- Tor Bergeron
Related topics
Seminal works
- carlson1991
- bluestein1993
Frequently asked questions
- What does synoptic mean in meteorology?
- Synoptic refers to seeing weather at one moment over a wide area; synoptic meteorology analyzes simultaneous observations across a region to depict large-scale systems such as fronts and cyclones on a weather map.
- How is synoptic meteorology different from forecasting?
- Synoptic meteorology provides the analysis and conceptual models of weather systems, while forecasting uses that understanding, together with numerical models, to predict how those systems will evolve.