Guide to...... Temperature/Pressure gradients (Mathematical)

[SP1986]

At the arrival of a front you often get a temperature increase or a temperature decrease. You can use the decrease/increase of these temperatures to predict the pressure gradient in a frontal system.

The cold front (average cold front gradient = 45°) As we know behind a cold fron the temperature drops so there is a way of predicting the gradient of these fronts.

(y=gradient, -T2M(°C) = the drop in ground level in degrees centigrade temperature, TM = time in minutes)

y = -T2M(°C)

TM = 100%

for example: y = 4°C, TM = 5 (5 = 100% therefore 4 = 80°)

y = 80°

if 5 is 100% then:

1 = 20%

2 = 40%

3 = 60%

4 = 80%

5 = 100%

It is therefore the ratio between 4:5 out of 5.

This will work with A severe Thunderstorm.

Average drop in temperature = 3°C in 5 minutes

5 = 100% so 3 = 60% = this is then known as 60° pressure gradient

For a warm front.

y=+T2M(°C)

TM = 100%

y = 1°C

TM = 10

if 10 is 100% then:

1 = 10%

2 = 20%

3 = 30%

4 = 40%

5 = 50%

6 = 60%

7 = 70%

8 = 80%

9 = 90%

10 = 100%

So therfore the pressure gradient = 10°

I can then back this up because warm fronts have lower gradients than cold fronts.