Abstract
Jet streaks have become an important part of mainstream synoptic meteorology and weather forecasting because of their critical role in the development of extratropical cyclones and in the initiation and organization of mesoscale convective systems. The meteorological importance of jet streaks motivates their review from synoptic and dynamical perspectives in the present article. The synoptic perspective comprises a review of well-known conceptual models of the structure and life cycles of jet streaks, with emphasis on patterns of horizontal divergence and vertical motion. The dynamical perspective distinguishes between balanced and unbalanced cases. In the balanced case, the relationship between jet streaks and baroclinic waves is illustrated in terms of the process of downstream development, and the relationship between jet streaks and coherent vortices is illustrated in terms of a steady-state symmetric vortex dipole solution to the quasi-geostrophic equations. In the unbalanced case, linkages between jet streaks and inertia-gravity waves are discussed. The article concludes with consideration of several opportunities for future research on jet streaks.
Published Version
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