A Brief Report of Graphic Explanations for Generalized Potential Temperature in the Non-Uniformly Saturated Atmosphere

Abstract

Compared to potential temperature () in the dry atmosphere and equivalent potential temperature ( e ) in the saturated atmosphere, generalized potential temperature ( * ) has already proven a better thermodynamic parameter in describing the non-uniformly saturated real atmosphere. To add otherwise absent graphic explanations, this paper first presents the physical definition of  * through a tephigram. Then, the utility of the measurement in identifying and forecasting the locations of precipitation maxima and heat wave areas with diagnostic comparison studies and traditionally used thermodynamic parameters is shown.  Keywords: generalized potential temperature, physical graph, thermodynamic parameters Citation: Cao, J., Y.-S. Zhou, and S.-T. Gao, 2011: A brief report of graphic explanations for generalized potential temperature in the non-uniformly saturated atmosphere, Atmos. Oceanic Sci. Lett., 4, 162-167.

Mechanisms accounting for the repeated occurrence of torrential rainfall over South Thailand in early January 2017

“…As shown by Figure 2(e,f), the South China Sea was an important moisture source for the torrential rainfall in this event. From Figure 3, it is obvious that a mesoscale vortex (Orlanski 1975;Cao, Zhou, and Gao 2011;Zhou, Li, and Sun 2014;Fu, Li, and Ling 2015) maintained strong intensity southwest of the Indochina Peninsula, with torrential rainfall mainly occurring around its northeastern section. Within the northeastern section of the vortex, a strong easterly wind (wind speed maxima were above 15 m s −1 ) appeared (Figure 3), which transported abundant moisture to this region (Figure 2(e,f)).…”