Deformation Zone Flavours

#1828 "Just Another November Sunset"

What can the shape of the deformation zone reveal? How are these different shapes created? Deformation zones come in three flavours and they are all very different but all equally tasty. 

It is helpful to examine each confluent asymptote separately. If the confluent asymptote is curved cyclonically, the vorticity maximum or cyclonic swirl is the stronger of the paired swirls on either side of that confluent asymptote. 

Cyclonic Asymptote - The Red X Swirl Stronger 
in the Paired Swirls across the Asymptote
Let's Call this Asymptote Pattern "Big X"

If the confluent asymptote is curved anticyclonically, the vorticity minimum or anticyclonic swirl must be the stronger of the paired swirls on either side of that confluent asymptote. It is really that simple but it was a challenge to explain this stuff back in the nineties. 

Anticyclonic Asymptote - The Blue N Swirl Stronger
in the Paired Swirls across the Asymptote
Let's Call this Asymptote Pattern "Big N"

Now let's put a  "Big X" Asymptote Pattern together with a "Big N". Aside from my clumsy graphics, this pattern is the same as the paddle swirl in the duck weed from Sunrise or Sunset - Gravity Waves and the Deformation Zone. This deformation zone pattern is typically called a "bow" as in "bow and arrow".  

"Big X" Asymptote Pattern together with a "Big N"
The Bowed Deformation Zone

Now let's put a  "Big X" Asymptote Pattern together with another  "Big X".

"Big X" Asymptote Pattern together with another  "Big X"
The Double Cyclonic DZ

Now let's put a   "Big N" Asymptote Pattern together with another   "Big N". You guessed it already! This isn't so hard... 

"Big N" Asymptote Pattern together with another  "Big N"
The Double Anticyclonic DZ

One more thing, the Coriolis force that helps to create the swirls, is strongest at the poles and zero at the equator. You can easily prove this to yourself. 

Imagine yourself standing at the equator with your arms outstretched - one arm pointing north and the other pointing south. In a full day of earth’s rotation, you will experience no rotation at all. 

Now do the same thing at say the North Pole. You will note that both of your outstretched arms must point south. You will rotate with the full measure of the Earth’s rotation. It is certainly no coincidence that when you direct the fingers of your Coriolis Hand in the direction of the Earth's rotation while at either the South or North Pole, that your Coriolis Thumb points upward. Nature always makes sense if we take the time to understand. 

The swirls that shape the confluent asymptotes are much stronger at higher latitudes than they are at the equator as a result of the Coriolis force. The shapes of those swirls reveal much about the weather but we will save that for the next day. It is enough to taste the three different favours of the deformation zone conceptual model in one sitting. This might explain why I really enjoy the weather and meteorology of the high latitudes. The cloud and moisture patterns are full of stories just waiting to be read. 

Keep you paddle in the water and warmest regards... 

Phil the Forecaster Chadwick