The dynamics of polar jet streams as depicted by the METEOSAT WV channel radiance field.

Abstract

A polar jet stream flowing over northern Europe is investigated using both the radiosounding network and the METEOSAT water vapor (WV) channel imagery. An analytic approximation of the radiative transfer equation is established for the METEOSAT WV channel and leads to the conclusion that the radiance field, away from the polar frontal zones, is representative of the temperature field on a water vapor isosteric surface.-from Authors