Mesoscale Meteorology refers to weather systems smaller than synoptic scale systems but larger than storm-scale cumulus systems. Horizontal dimensions generally range from around 50 miles to several hundred miles. Squall lines, Mesoscale Convective Complexes, and Mesoscale Convective Systems are examples of mesoscale weather systems. Weather is a term that encompasses phenomena in the atmosphere of a planet. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Synoptic scale meteorology. ... The term storm-scale refers to weather systems with sizes on the order of individual thunderstorms. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... A squall or squall line is a line of thunderstorms with a common leading convection line, or mesocyclone, which tends to create a powerful gust front. ... A Mesoscale Convective Complex (MCC) is a large Mesoscale Convective System, generally round or oval-shaped, which normally reaches peak intensity at night. ... A Mesoscale Convective Systen (MCS) is a complex of thunderstorms which becomes organized on a scale larger than the individual thunderstorms, and normally persists for several hours or more. ...

Mesoscale, is sub-Synoptic scale (that is larger than the Microscale). The synoptic scale in meteorology (also known as large scale or cyclonic scale) is a horizontal length scale of the order of 1000 kilometres (about 620 miles) or more [1]. This corresponds to a horizontal scale typical of mid-latitude depressions. ...

Subclasses

Mesoscale Meteorology is divided into these subclasses (Orlanski, 1975):

• Meso-gamma 2-20 km, deals with phenomena like thunderstorm convection, complex terrain flows (at the edge to micro-scale, also known as storm-scale)

• Meso-beta 20-200 km deals with phenomena like sea breezes, lake effect snow storms

• Meso-alpha 200-2000 km fronts, deals with phenomena like squall lines, mesoscale convective systems (MCS), tropical cyclones at the edge of synoptic scale

Vertical velocity often matches or exceeds horizontal velocities in Mesoscale Meteorological systems due to nonhydrostatic processes. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Synoptic scale meteorology. ...

Mesoscale boundaries

Just like in synoptic frontal analysis, literature concerning mesoscale analysis uses cold, warm, and occluded fronts on the mesoscale to help describe what is currently occurring. They differ from the synoptic variety by having twice as many bumps or spikes, which are depicted smaller as well. In the United States, there has been opposition to the use of the mesoscale versions of fronts on weather analyses, so an overarching symbol (a trough symbol) with a label of outflow boundary is used instead of the frontal notation.^[1] ethan has a z-400 and its freekin sweet and he can ride a wheelie for blocks and Donny T has a go cart that has no brakes A surface weather analysis for the United States on October 21, 2006. ...

See also

• Scale (spatial)
• Surface weather analysis
• wave cloud, actinoform cloud

Spatial scale provides a shorthand form for discussing relative lengths, areas, distances and sizes. ... ethan has a z-400 and its freekin sweet and he can ride a wheelie for blocks and Donny T has a go cart that has no brakes A surface weather analysis for the United States on October 21, 2006. ... This wave cloud pattern formed off of the ÃŽle Amsterdam in the far southern Indian Ocean. ... Actinoform over the tropical central Pacific. ...

References

World Wide Web

1. ^ David Roth. Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. Unified Surface Analysis Manual. Retrieved on 2006-10-24.

Books and Publications

Orlanski, I., 1975: A rational subdivision of scales for atmospheric processes. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 56(5), 527-530.

Fujita, T. T., 1986. Mesoscale classifications: their history and their application to forecasting, in Ray, P. S., ed., Mesoscale Meteorology and Forecasting: American Meteorological Society, Boston, p. 18-35. [presented 1984; published 1986]

External links

• http://meted.ucar.edu/mesoprim/mesodefn/print.htm