A comparison between the Hoskins-Bretherton model of frontogenesis and an intense surface frontal zone.

Abstract

The Hoskins-Bretherton model of frontogenesis employed here represents the counterpart of the two-dimensional Eady problem expressed in geostrophic coordinate space. The fundamental characteristics of the model solution are shown to be derivable from the properties of the nonlinear one-dimensional advection equation and the linearized Eady problem. Detailed comparisons are made between the predictions of this model and the analysis of an intense frontal zone presented by Sanders. Qualitative agreement is found in details of the horizontal wind field and potential temperature distributions. The major discrepancy occurs in the vertical velocity field. -from Author