Numerical Study of Moist Baroclinic Cyclones: Environment and Development Characteristics

A mean state of the atmosphere (wind and thermal structure) designed to maximize diabatic heating feedback on synoptic scale circulations is studied numerically with respect to stability to baroclinic perturbations. Simulations are presented that follow the evolution of cyclonic vortices at finite amplitude. Results include a faster evolution and a spatial structure modified at all levels, and the appearance of mesoscale features within the synoptic cyclone. The meridional eddy fluxes associated with the moist baroclinic cyclone are able to regenerate a baroclinically unstable belt, to the North of the original one, which is newly unstable to short scale perturbations. The initial mean state is designed by imposing zero equivalent potential vorticity, and can be generated by short scale instabilities in a saturated environment.