What do we think we know about the Spanish plume?
LOCATION
Virtual - Hosted on Zoom
The Spanish plume is a synoptic pattern associated with deep moist convective storms in the United Kingdom, first identified by Carlson and Ludlum (1968). A large-amplitude trough or cut-off low in the jet stream extending to low latitudes produces a long fetch of southerly or southwesterly flow in the lower troposphere across the Iberian Peninsula and into western Europe. The preconvective environment is traditionally characterized by an elevated mixed layer of hot dry air with steep lapse rates (i.e., the Spanish plume airstream) overtop a warm surface layer and capping inversion. To better understand how people use the term and understand the term Spanish plume, I conducted a literature review of 102 peer-reviewed journal articles mentioning the Spanish plume. The result is a mixed-bag. Some authors correctly employ the original definition of the Spanish plume airstream as the dry elevated mixed layer, whereas others incorrectly apply the term to the surface (sometimes humid) airstream. Confusion extends to the origin of the airstream, where some studies show that air in so-called Spanish plumes does not even cross Spain. This review reveals these and other issues with the literature on the Spanish plume, with the goals of recommending proper usage of the term Spanish plume.
Speaker
Prof. David Schultz
David Schultz is Professor of Synoptic Meteorology, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received his BSc from MIT, his MSc from the University of Washington, and his PhD from the University at Albany, State University of New York. Previously, he worked for the NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory and University of Oklahoma and the University of Helsinki and Finnish Meteorological Institute. He has studied atmospheric phenomenon from as small as tornadoes to as large as the global circulation during the Snowball Earth 2.5 billion years ago. He is winner of multiple teaching and supervision awards, including the RMetS Education Award. He has published over 200 journal articles and is author of Eloquent Science: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Better Writer, Speaker, and Atmospheric Scientist, which has been translated into Chinese.
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The Spanish plume is a synoptic pattern associated with deep moist convective storms in the United Kingdom, first identified by Carlson and Ludlum (1968). A large-amplitude trough or cut-off low in the jet stream extending to low latitudes produces a long fetch of southerly or southwesterly flow in the lower troposphere across the Iberian Peninsula and into western Europe. The preconvective environment is traditionally characterized by an elevated mixed layer of hot dry air with steep lapse rates (i.e., the Spanish plume airstream) overtop a warm surface layer and capping inversion. To better understand how people use the term and understand the term Spanish plume, I conducted a literature review of 102 peer-reviewed journal articles mentioning the Spanish plume. The result is a mixed-bag. Some authors correctly employ the original definition of the Spanish plume airstream as the dry elevated mixed layer, whereas others incorrectly apply the term to the surface (sometimes humid) airstream. Confusion extends to the origin of the airstream, where some studies show that air in so-called Spanish plumes does not even cross Spain. This review reveals these and other issues with the literature on the Spanish plume, with the goals of recommending proper usage of the term Spanish plume.
Speaker
Prof. David Schultz
David Schultz is Professor of Synoptic Meteorology, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received his BSc from MIT, his MSc from the University of Washington, and his PhD from the University at Albany, State University of New York. Previously, he worked for the NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory and University of Oklahoma and the University of Helsinki and Finnish Meteorological Institute. He has studied atmospheric phenomenon from as small as tornadoes to as large as the global circulation during the Snowball Earth 2.5 billion years ago. He is winner of multiple teaching and supervision awards, including the RMetS Education Award. He has published over 200 journal articles and is author of Eloquent Science: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Better Writer, Speaker, and Atmospheric Scientist, which has been translated into Chinese.
Registration
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
Registration for this event is closed.
If you have any queries with regards to this event or require any further information please contact us at meetings@rmets.org.
We take data privacy seriously. Please read the RMetS privacy policy to find out more.
