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Mesoscale meteorology
Mesoscale meteorology is the study of weather systems and processes at horizontal scales of approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) to several hundred kilometres. It is smaller than synoptic-scale systems (1,000 km or larger) but larger than microscale (less than 1 km). At the small end, it includes storm-scale phenomena (the size of an individual thunderstorm). Examples of mesoscale weather systems are sea breezes, squall lines, and mesoscale convective complexes.
Vertical velocity often equals or exceeds horizontal velocities in mesoscale meteorological systems due to nonhydrostatic processes such as buoyant acceleration of a rising thermal or acceleration through a narrow mountain pass.
The earliest networks of weather observations in the late 1800s and early 1900s could detect the movement and evolution of larger, synoptic-scale systems like high and low-pressure areas. However, smaller and potentially hazardous meteorological phenomena were not well-captured by the sparse observation networks. The emergence of weather radar in the mid-1900s and an improved understanding of thunderstorm behavior led to an increased recognition of a need to study phenomena between the scales studied in the extant disciplines of microscale and synoptic-scale meteorology. The term "mesoscale" originated from M. G. H. Ligda at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who suggested a need to study phenomena at such scales in 1951:
It is anticipated that radar will provide useful information concerning the structure and behavior of that portion of the atmosphere which is not covered by either micro- or synoptic-meteorological studies. We have already observed with radar that precipitation formulations which are undoubtedly of significance occur on a scale too gross to be observed from a single station, yet too small to appear even on sectional synoptic charts. Phenomena of this size might well be designated as mesometeorological.
— M. G. H. Ligda, "Radar Storm Observation", Compendium of Meteorology (1951)
Mesoscale meteorology broadly concerns meteorological phenomena larger than a few kilometres across but smaller than could be resolved by the observation networks used in the earliest standardized weather maps. The mesoscale regime is often divided into these subclasses based on the size of associated weather systems:
As a note, tropical and subtropical cyclones are classified by National Hurricane Center as synoptic scale rather than mesoscale.
Features the size of an individual thunderstorm are also known somewhat informally as "storm-scale", typically meso-gamma but sometimes meso-beta or microscale.
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Mesoscale meteorology AI simulator
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Mesoscale meteorology
Mesoscale meteorology is the study of weather systems and processes at horizontal scales of approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) to several hundred kilometres. It is smaller than synoptic-scale systems (1,000 km or larger) but larger than microscale (less than 1 km). At the small end, it includes storm-scale phenomena (the size of an individual thunderstorm). Examples of mesoscale weather systems are sea breezes, squall lines, and mesoscale convective complexes.
Vertical velocity often equals or exceeds horizontal velocities in mesoscale meteorological systems due to nonhydrostatic processes such as buoyant acceleration of a rising thermal or acceleration through a narrow mountain pass.
The earliest networks of weather observations in the late 1800s and early 1900s could detect the movement and evolution of larger, synoptic-scale systems like high and low-pressure areas. However, smaller and potentially hazardous meteorological phenomena were not well-captured by the sparse observation networks. The emergence of weather radar in the mid-1900s and an improved understanding of thunderstorm behavior led to an increased recognition of a need to study phenomena between the scales studied in the extant disciplines of microscale and synoptic-scale meteorology. The term "mesoscale" originated from M. G. H. Ligda at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who suggested a need to study phenomena at such scales in 1951:
It is anticipated that radar will provide useful information concerning the structure and behavior of that portion of the atmosphere which is not covered by either micro- or synoptic-meteorological studies. We have already observed with radar that precipitation formulations which are undoubtedly of significance occur on a scale too gross to be observed from a single station, yet too small to appear even on sectional synoptic charts. Phenomena of this size might well be designated as mesometeorological.
— M. G. H. Ligda, "Radar Storm Observation", Compendium of Meteorology (1951)
Mesoscale meteorology broadly concerns meteorological phenomena larger than a few kilometres across but smaller than could be resolved by the observation networks used in the earliest standardized weather maps. The mesoscale regime is often divided into these subclasses based on the size of associated weather systems:
As a note, tropical and subtropical cyclones are classified by National Hurricane Center as synoptic scale rather than mesoscale.
Features the size of an individual thunderstorm are also known somewhat informally as "storm-scale", typically meso-gamma but sometimes meso-beta or microscale.