Mesoscale Studies of Explosive Cyclogenesis.

Abstract : During the past four years, extensive analyses of the convective and frontal structure within rapidly deepening cyclones over the Atlantic Ocean has been documented. Intense warm fronts that have undergone a scale contraction were observed for the first time. In addition, mesoscale vortices, approximately 25-40 km wide, were shown to develop along these warm fronts. When these vortices come into a proper phasing with a baroclinic wave aloft, rapid deepening of the central low pressure appears to occur. The kinematic and thermodynamic structure of these fronts and vortices have been published in the literature.