THICKNESS RIDGE CLOUDINESS - METEOROLOGICAL PHYSICAL BACKGROUND

by ZAMG


Generally Thickness Ridge Cloudiness is situated within a rising warm conveyor belt and is generally found within a ridge or a closed maximum of equivalent thickness.

Relative streams provide a good explanation of the physical processes of Thickness Ridge Cloudiness formation:

20 June 2000/06.00 UTC - Meteosat IR image, blue: thermal front parameter 500/850 hPa, green: equivalent thickness 500/850 hPa, position of vertical cross section indicated
20 June 2000/06.00 UTC - Vertical cross section; black: isentropes (ThetaE), orange thin: IR pixel values, orange thick: WV pixel values
The left image above shows the Thickness Ridge Cloudiness over the Baltic Sea. The position of the Thickness Ridge Cloudiness within the thickness ridge and the frontal system is indicated by the TFP. The line of the cross section is superimposed. The selection of the isentropic surfaces from the vertical cross sections was made following an analysis of the vertical distribution of the isentropes. The surfaces of 318K and 324K represent the relative streams within and above the superadiabatic stratification.
20 June 2000/06.00 UTC - Meteosat IR image; magenta: relative streams 318K - system velocity: 284° 8 m/s, yellow: isobars 318K, position of vertical cross section indicated
20 June 2000/06.00 UTC - Meteosat IR image; magenta: relative streams 324K - system velocity: 284° 8 m/s, yellow: isobars 324K, position of vertical cross section indicated
In both of the above images the distribution of relative streams shows a dominating rising warm conveyor belt at all levels. In the left image the warm conveyor belt at the 318K isentropic surface can be observed, rising from about 500 hPa up to about 450 hPa over the area of Thickness Ridge Cloudiness. In the higher isentropic surfaces of 324K the warm conveyor belt continues to rise from 400 hPa to about 350 hPa.

Another case showing a similar mechanism:

23 October 2000/12.00 UTC - Meteosat IR image, blue: thermal front parameter 500/850 hPa, green: equivalent thickness 500/850 hPa, position of vertical cross section indicated
23 October 2000/12.00 UTC - Vertical cross section; black: isentropes (THETAE), orange thin: IR pixel values, orange thick: WV pixel values
The left image above shows the position of the Thickness Ridge Cloudiness within the thickness ridge. The thermal front parameter indicating the frontal system is rather weak in this case. The vertical cross section is indicated by a white line. The isentropic surfaces have been chosen to show the distribution of relative streams in lower and higher levels.
23 October 2000/12.00 UTC - Meteosat IR image; magenta: relative streams 308K - system velocity: 240° 10 m/s, yellow: isobars 308K, position of vertical cross section indicated
23 October 2000/12.00 UTC - Meteosat IR image; magenta: relative streams 318K - system velocity: 240° 10 m/s, yellow: isobars 318K, position of vertical cross section indicated
Both pictures above show a dominating rising warm conveyor belt at all levels. In the left image the warm conveyor belt at the 308K isentropic surface is rising from about 900 hPa up to about 750 hPa. In the right image the warm conveyor belt at the higher level of 318K isentropic surface rises from 400 hPa to 350 hPa.

The tongue of warm air transported in the warm conveyor belt is also indicated by distinct warm temperature advection and a maximum in the ridge of equivalent potential temperature.
The rising warm conveyor belt stream causes condensation.
The embedded convective cloudiness is a bit of a contradiction.
The Thickness Ridge Cloudiness is mostly consisting of fibrous cloudiness and is seldom associated with precipitation.
During the summer season there can be strong convective activity within the thickness ridge (compare Convective cloud features in typical synoptic environments - The warm sector ). Furthermore, because of the thermal energy and the high relative humidity within the thickness ridge this convective activity can be very strong.


SUB-MENU OF THICKNESS RIDGE CLOUDINESS
CLOUD STRUCTURE IN SATELLITE IMAGES
KEY PARAMETERS