Articles | Volume 2, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-19-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-19-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
15 Jan 2021
Research article |
| 15 Jan 2021
| 15 Jan 2021
Polar lows – moist-baroclinic cyclones developing in four different vertical wind shear environments
Patrick Johannes Stoll
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Physics and Technology, Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
Thomas Spengler
Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen, and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen, Norway
Annick Terpstra
Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen, and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen, Norway
Rune Grand Graversen
Department of Physics and Technology, Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Tromsø, Norway
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Cited
18 citations as recorded by crossref.
- The global atmospheric energy transport analysed by a wavelength-based scale separation P. Stoll et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-1-2023
- Developing a methodology for user‐oriented verification of polar low forecasts M. Hallerstig et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4819
- A global climatology of polar lows investigated for local differences and wind-shear environments P. Stoll https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-483-2022
- Impact of sea spray‐mediated heat fluxes on polar low development T. Lin et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4746
- The Response of Northern Hemisphere Polar Lows to Climate Change in a 25 km High‐Resolution Global Climate Model H. Bresson et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD035610
- Interactive 3-D visual analysis of ERA5 data: improving diagnostic indices for marine cold air outbreaks and polar lows M. Meyer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-867-2021
- Arctic Maritime Cyclone Distribution and Trends in the ERA5 Reanalysis Z. Chen & A. Lynch https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-21-0016.1
- Analysis of the Development Mechanisms of a Polar Low over the Norwegian Sea Simulated with the Canadian Regional Climate Model M. Moreno-Ibáñez et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14060998
- Sensitivity of Air‐Sea Heat Exchange in Cold‐Air Outbreaks to Model Resolution and Sea‐Ice Distribution C. Spensberger & T. Spengler https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033610
- Application of low-altitude wind shear recognition algorithm and laser wind radar in aviation meteorological services T. Xu et al. https://doi.org/10.1515/phys-2023-0154
- Modulation of Polar Low Activity by the Madden‐Julian Oscillation Z. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL103719
- Modulation of North Atlantic Polar Low Activity and Associated Flow Patterns by Sudden Stratospheric Warmings C. Chang et al. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0905.1
- The importance of diabatic processes for the dynamics of synoptic-scale extratropical weather systems – a review H. Wernli & S. Gray https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-1299-2024
- Assessment of simulations of a polar low with the Canadian Regional Climate Model M. Moreno-Ibáñez et al. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292250
- Polar low research: recent developments and promising courses of research M. Moreno-Ibáñez https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2024.1368179
- Recognition of Polar Lows in Sentinel-1 SAR Images With Deep Learning J. Grahn & F. Bianchi https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2022.3204886
- Influence of mesoscale sea surface temperature anomaly on polar lows T. Lin et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad9ec6
- IMPMCT: a dataset of Integrated Multi-source Polar Mesoscale Cyclone Tracks in the Nordic Seas R. Fang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6049-2025
18 citations as recorded by crossref.
- The global atmospheric energy transport analysed by a wavelength-based scale separation P. Stoll et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-1-2023
- Developing a methodology for user‐oriented verification of polar low forecasts M. Hallerstig et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4819
- A global climatology of polar lows investigated for local differences and wind-shear environments P. Stoll https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-483-2022
- Impact of sea spray‐mediated heat fluxes on polar low development T. Lin et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4746
- The Response of Northern Hemisphere Polar Lows to Climate Change in a 25 km High‐Resolution Global Climate Model H. Bresson et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD035610
- Interactive 3-D visual analysis of ERA5 data: improving diagnostic indices for marine cold air outbreaks and polar lows M. Meyer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-867-2021
- Arctic Maritime Cyclone Distribution and Trends in the ERA5 Reanalysis Z. Chen & A. Lynch https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-21-0016.1
- Analysis of the Development Mechanisms of a Polar Low over the Norwegian Sea Simulated with the Canadian Regional Climate Model M. Moreno-Ibáñez et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14060998
- Sensitivity of Air‐Sea Heat Exchange in Cold‐Air Outbreaks to Model Resolution and Sea‐Ice Distribution C. Spensberger & T. Spengler https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033610
- Application of low-altitude wind shear recognition algorithm and laser wind radar in aviation meteorological services T. Xu et al. https://doi.org/10.1515/phys-2023-0154
- Modulation of Polar Low Activity by the Madden‐Julian Oscillation Z. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL103719
- Modulation of North Atlantic Polar Low Activity and Associated Flow Patterns by Sudden Stratospheric Warmings C. Chang et al. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0905.1
- The importance of diabatic processes for the dynamics of synoptic-scale extratropical weather systems – a review H. Wernli & S. Gray https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-1299-2024
- Assessment of simulations of a polar low with the Canadian Regional Climate Model M. Moreno-Ibáñez et al. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292250
- Polar low research: recent developments and promising courses of research M. Moreno-Ibáñez https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2024.1368179
- Recognition of Polar Lows in Sentinel-1 SAR Images With Deep Learning J. Grahn & F. Bianchi https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2022.3204886
- Influence of mesoscale sea surface temperature anomaly on polar lows T. Lin et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad9ec6
- IMPMCT: a dataset of Integrated Multi-source Polar Mesoscale Cyclone Tracks in the Nordic Seas R. Fang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6049-2025
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 01 Aug 2026
Short summary
Polar lows are intense meso-scale cyclones occurring at high latitudes. The research community has not agreed on a conceptual model to describe polar-low development. Here, we apply self-organising maps to identify the typical ambient sub-synoptic environments of polar lows and find that they can be described as moist-baroclinic cyclones that develop in four different environments characterised by the vertical wind shear.
Polar lows are intense meso-scale cyclones occurring at high latitudes. The research community...
