Weather-forming systems - Fundamentals of the Physical Environment - page 139

Figure 7.6
Interaction between surface
and upper atmospheric flow
near an upper trough.

Cirrus

Cirrostratus

Altostratus

Cumulonimbus
or
Nimbostratus

Nimbostratus

9 km

-15°C

Cumulus

0°C

Stratocumulus

A B

Figure 7.7 Vertical cloud distribution associated with a model mid-latitude cyclone. Detailed or even major differences occur in
most cyclones . Plates 6.1 and 7.2 show cyclonic cloud patterns on satellite images.

48 48 48 48 48 48 48 48

20

Weak

10

cold
front

°C

Warm
sector

Warm
sector

Warm
front

Warm
sector

0

Cold
front

Warm
front

-10

Figure 7.8 Thermograph trace over a four-day period illustrating the effects on temperature of the passage of two mid-latitude
cyclones. The fall of temperature at the cold front was unusually large for the United Kingdom.