Upper-Air Analysis over Ocean Areas¹

1 Part of the research reported in this document has been sponsered by the Geophysics Rerearch Directorate of the Air Force Cambridge Research Center, Air Research and Development Command, United States Air Force, under contract No, AF 61 (514)- 648- C, through the European Office ARDC.

Abstract

From the results of a test of numerical analyses of 500-mb charts over an ocean area it is concluded that the number of ocean station vessels is a minimum and that supplementary upper air data is required to ensure continuously reliable upper air analyses. A method of determining the mean lapse rate by interpolation is presented by means of which heights of upper pressure surfaces can be extrapolated from observed values of surface pressure and temperature. An attempt is made to determine statistically the true mean error in the numerical analysis of upper-air charts.

Notes

1 Part of the research reported in this document has been sponsered by the Geophysics Rerearch Directorate of the Air Force Cambridge Research Center, Air Research and Development Command, United States Air Force, under contract No, AF 61 (514)- 648- C, through the European Office ARDC.