Climatology for airline pilots

298 Pages·2001·14.74 MB·English

by  H. R. Quantick

Climatology
for Airline Pilots
H.R. Quantick FRAeS, FRMetS

b
Blackwell
Science

Climatology
for Airline Pilots
Books on the JAR syllabus
Ground Studies for Pilots Climatology for Airline Pilots
Radio Aids Roy Quantick
Sixth Edition 0-632-05295-3
Roy Underdown & David Cockburn
0-632-05573-1 Human Performance and Limitations in
Aviation
Ground Studies for Pilots Second Edition
Navigation R.D. Campbell & M. Bagshaw
Sixth Edition 0-632-04986-3
Roy Underdown & Tony Palmer
0-632-05333-X Aircraft Performance Theory for Pilots
P.J. Swatton
Ground Studies for Pilots 0-632-05569-3
Plotting and Flight Planning
Sixth Edition Aviation Law for Pilots
Roy Underdown & Anthony Stevens Tenth Edition
0-632-05939-7 Roy Underdown & Tony Palmer
0-632-05335-6
Ground Studies for Pilots
Meteorology
Third Edition
Roy Underdown & Anthony Stevens
0-632-03751-2
Climatology
for Airline Pilots
H.R. Quantick FRAeS, FRMetS

b
Blackwell
Science
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Contents
Preface X
Acknowledgements xii
Introduction 1
Part 1: Global Weather
1 Global Air Circulation 7
1.1 Idealised circulation 7
2 The Global Overview - Notes 16
2.1 Introduction 16
2.2 Atmospheric heat exchange processes 18
2.3 Long waves (Rossby waves) 20
2.4 Ocean currents 26
2.5 Arid climates 28
2.6 Deserts 29
2.7 ‘Trade w inds’ and ‘trade-wind inversions’ 30
,
2.8 Thunderstorms 34
2.9 Polar lows 36
2.10 Temperate maritime climates 39
References 40
3 Upper Winds and Jet Streams 41
3.1 Upper winds 41
3.2 Jet streams 48
References 57
4 Easterly Waves 58
4.1 Wave disturbances 58
Reference 60
5 The Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) 61
5.1 Introduction 61
V
vi Contents
6 Tropical Storms 67
6.1 Classification of tropical cyclones 76
References 78
7 Upper Air Temperature and Tropospheric Heights 79
7.1 Height of the 0°C isotherm 79
7.2 Height of the -40°C isotherm 79
7.3 Height of the tropopause 81
8 Polar Climates 83
8.1 Inversions 83
8.2 Surface temperatures 84
8.3 Flying conditions, North polar region 85
References 87
9 The Climatic Zones 88
9.1 Equatorial zone (wet equatorial climate) 89
9.2 Savannah zone (trade wind littoral climate) 89
9.3 Arid subtropical zone (tropical desert and steppe climate) 89
9.4 Warm temperate (transitional) zone (Mediterranean
climate) 90
9.5 Cool temperate zone (middle latitude climate) 90
9.6 Boreal zone (mid-latitude steppe climate) 90
9.7 Polar (tundra climate) 91
9.8 Polar zones (perpetual frost) 91

Part 2: Route and Area Climatology
10 Introduction and the North Atlantic 95
10.1 Introduction 95
10.2 Route climatology in the North Atlantic 95
11 Weather in the Arctic (North of 66"N) 100
11.1 Ice 100
11 .2 Pressure distribution 100
11.3 Temperature 101
1 1.4 Precipitation 102
11.5 Cloud 102
11.6 Fog 102
11 .7 Ice accretion/freezing levels 103
11.8 Aurora Borealis 103
12 Weather in the Arctic Regions of Norway (Coastal Area) 105
12.1 Effect of different air masses 105
Contents vii
13 Weather in Europe 108
13.1 Central Europe 108
13.2 Eastern Europe 108
14 Weather in the Mediterranean 114
14.1 Arctic and polar continental air (A, Pc) 117
14.2 Polar maritime air (Pm) 118
14.3 Tropical continental air (Tc) 118
14.4 Tropical maritime air (Tm) 118
14.5 Mediterranean air 119
14.6 Special phenomena 119
14.7 Khamsin or Ghibli depressions 125
14.8 Sandstorms, dust storms and rising sand 126
14.9 Summary of local winds in the Mediterranean 127
15 Weather in Africa 131
15.1 Movement of the ITCZ 132
15.2 The North-African coast to the Red Sea. 133
15.3 Khartoum to tropical East Africa 137
15.4 Tropical E Africa to South Africa 139
15.5 Low-level jet stream: from (Findlater 1969) 140
15.6 West Africa 142
References 149
16 Weather in the Middle East 150
16.1 Flying weather 150
16.2 Pressur e systems 150
16.3 Upper winds 156
17 Weather - Arabian Gulf to Singapore 157
17.1 Tropical depressions and cyclones 160
17.2 Climate of Malaysia 162
17.3 Summary 163
18 Weather - Singapore to Japan 166
18.1 November to March 166
18.2 April to August 169
18.3 September to mid-October 170
18.4 Typhoons 171
18.5 Summary 172
19 Weather - Singapore to Australia 174
19.1 Movement of the ITCZ 175
19.2 Other convergence zones 177
viii Contents
19.3 Thunderstorm patterns and land/sea breezes 179
19.4 Flying weather 180
20 Weather in the South-west Pacific Region 183
20.1 The summer weather systems 183
20.2 The winter weather systems 185
20.3 The spring and autumn weather systems 187
References 191
21 Weather in Australia 192
21.1 Air masses affecting Australia 193
21.2 North Australia 194
21.3 South Australia 195
21.4 Summary 199
22 Weather in New Zealand 201
22.1 The climatic situation 20 1
22.2 North Auckland 202
22.3 The Kaikoura coast including Christchurch 203
22.4 Summary 204
23 Weather in the Pacific 205
23.1 Surface pressure systems and general weather 205
23.2 The main pressure systems 205
23.3 Summary 209
24 Weather in North America 210
24.1 Main p ressure systems 210
24.2 The importance of North American tornadoes 22 1
25 Weather in the Caribbean 223
25.1 Hurricanes 223
25.2 Seasons 224
25.3 Trade-winds 226
26 Weather in South America and the South Atlantic 221
26.1 Air masses of South America 233
26.2 General weather summary 240
27 Route Weather: Dakar to Recife 241
27.1 The Equatorial climatic zone route 247
28 El Niiio anad La Niiia 249
28.1 The cause 249