Tropopause-level Wave-guides

Jet-streams located on the dynamical tropopause are accompanied by co-aligned bands of enhanced potential vorticity (PV) gradients, and the bands can serve as space-time evolving wave-guides for the large-scale flow.

A two-part study is undertaken of the nature of the interaction between such jets (sic. wave-guides). A simple theoretical model points to the nature of the dynamics and the extent of the linkage of wave perturbations on co-aligned jets.

Complementary diagnostic analysis of two observed events is undertaken based upon inspection of jet-intersecting isentropic and PV iso-surfaces. The analysis helps identify the dynamical evolution of jets, and points to the conditions favorable for, and illustrates the nature of, realized inter wave-guide transfer from the extratropical wave-guide onto respectively a subtropical and a polar wave-guide.