P10 Tephigrams

In this practical you will:

a) plot a tephigram
b) discuss what tephigrams (and additional evidence you are given) tell you
about the synoptic situation for this case study, in particular looking for
evidence of fronts and airmasses.
c) Estimate the slope of any fronts you see in the ascent data
d) use simple constructions to suggest what the cloud height might be at one of
the stations

This practical will be coarse marked (out of 5) but will count towards the
assessment for this module.

P10. 1 Plotting data on tephigrams

Conventionally the drybulb temperature (TT) values are plotted as points and the curve
drawn as a solid line. The dewpoints (TdTd) are plotted as crosses and the curve drawn as
a dashed line. Join the points with straight lines (i.e. do not draw smooth curves through
the points). Wind data are plotted as wind barbs (remember from last term) at the
appropriate elevation on the right hand side of the tephigram.

Q1. Plot the tabulated data for Cambourne on a tephigrams, including the wind
arrows (remembering to convert into knots)

P10.2 Airmasses and fronts

The map summarises the surface synoptic features at the approximate time of the ascents
and the location of the upper air stations.
 The tephigram can tell us about the type of airmass the balloon ascended through and
whether it passed through any fronts (see notes for S7 for more details).

Q2 Compare your tephigram to the other plots you have been given for Trappes and
Lerwick (Note these are skew-t plots but are physically little different in terms of
analysis). Using the synoptic map, what characteristics do you expect of the
airmasses present at Camborne? Tabulating the drybulb and wetbulb temperatures
at 700mb in each of the ascents, explain how your tephigram confirms your
estimates.

Q3 Do any of the plotted tephigrams show evidence of the fronts which are shown on
the surface chart? If so, estimate the approximate location in the vertical of any
fronts on the tephigrams and describe how the wind changes in going from below to
above the frontal surface.

Q4 Estimate the slope of any fronts you see in your ascents. You will need to work out
the height of the front and the distance of your station from the surface front from the
map.

P10.3 Cloud base on a tephigram

Normands construction (which we will talk about in lecture T4) allows us to determine
the cloud base from an ascent. At this point you will just practise using it.

“The line of constant rs passing through the dewpoint temperature, the line of
constant θ w passing through the wet bulb temperature and the line of constant θ
passing through the dry bulb temperature all meet at the lifting condensation
level.”

Q5. What is the height of the likely cloud base and cloud top suggested by the ascent
at Cambourne?
 Ascent at Camborne 03808 50.22N, 5.32W, 13th January 2003, 00Z

Pressure (hPa) Temperature TT Dew point Wind Speed Wind direction

(deg C) temperature (bearing in
TdTd (deg C) degrees)
1025.5 6.6 3.7 4.0 250
1018.0 8.0 3.3 5.5 254
1000.0 7.0 2.5 9.0 265
989.0 6.1 2.3 11.5 270
950.0 3.0 1.7 11.5 270
930.0 1.6 0.1 9.5 283
902.0 -0.0 -3.0 7.5 295
891.0 -0.7 -3.6 7.5 300
856.0 -3.3 -3.7 7 317
838.0 -4.5 -4.9 6.5 324
817.0 0.4 -14.6 6.0 338
786.0 -0.7 -32.7 5 0
750.0 -2.3 -31.3 3.5 338
728.0 -3.9 -10.9 4.5 337
700.0 -5.1 -9.4 5.5 340
654.0 -7.2 -14.6 10.5 350
606.0 -10.5 -17.5 11.5 4
544.0 -16.1 -29.1 12 5
500.0 -21.3 -31.3 15.5 5
452.0 -25.7 -31.7 16.5 15
400.0 -32.3 -37.0 13 355
333.0 -42.0 -47.8 15.5 15
300.0 -48.9 -54.9 13 10
250.0 -59.9 -65.9 14.5 15
Skew-t plots for:

Lerwick, 03005, 60.13N, 1.17W, 13 Jan 2003 00Z

Trappes, 07145, 48.75N, 2.0E, 13 Jan 2003 00Z