This project seeks to better understand the structure, persistence and variability of the tropospheric polar front and subtropical jet streams, investigating their separate driving mechanisms using time-averaged data. A hypothesis is put forward to describe the dynamical relationship between these jet streams and their influence on the structure of storm tracks and the formation of low-frequency anomalies in atmospheric flow. A series of modeling studies will be undertaken for both dry and moist atmospheric conditions, and the results used to formulate an analytical (or semi-analytical) theory for predicting jet regimes.
This project is expected to benefit the scientific community by improving its understanding of the different mechanisms driving atmospheric jet streams, enabling the prediction of their influence on large-scale climate variability. The project will also involve student participation, including attendance at professional meetings, and dissemination of its results in classroom teaching.
