Objective cross-sectional analysis of diabatic circulations and vertical motions using ALPEX data

Summary Frontal propagation and development in the presence of orography and moisture are examined using the objective cross-section analysis method of Shapiro and Hastings (1973). The method is applied to a real data case on 4–5 March 1982 during the Alpine Experiment (ALPEX). Surface data are added to the analysis method to improve the lowlevel depiction of the frontal zone.The ageostrophic winds are computed from the isentropic representation of =dp/dt and the horizontal momentum equations. Diabatic contributions to the circulation, computed from the isentropic form of the continuity equation, are compared with observed moisture fields. Cross-sections of observed data and computed vertical motions are compared with similar fields computed from analyses on pressure surfaces. It is shown that the Shapiro and Hastings scheme provides a relatively clear depiction of the small-scale frontal features in the thermal and wind field but the analysis also exhibits more noise, which can have an adverse effect on the accurarcy of derived fields.With 8 Figures