BAMOS 7
believe, particularly when further flow changes would distort them, let alone the basic concept. The most realistic in my view were the structures pioneered by Jack Langford. We also drew streamlines at various levels, radiosonde traces for various stations and occasionally experimented with cross sections and time sections.
— Peter Noar.
One of the most skilled and respected frontal analysts of this period was Jack Langford in Hobart. In Langford( 1957) he reported on his analyses over the Southern Ocean, covering from the Atlantic to New Zealand for the period December 1954 to March 1955. His analysis was under-pinned by the Norwegian Polar Front Model, noting“ The biggest contribution to success in this type of analysis rests with the conception of fronts and air masses.” He specifically referred to the polar front, noting that it was mostly“ contained in the westerlies and only at fairly long spatial intervals does it penetrate north of 40oS”. He found that fronts are relatively long-lived and“ it is not extraordinary to observe a front passing Cape Leeuwin two or three days after one has passed Amsterdam Island( or Kerguelen Island).… It is true to say that most of the fronts of the Australian region have begun their life history at least by longitude 70oE.” He did find exceptions:“ mainly resulting from frontogenesis in the northern fringe of the westerlies, and as a result of outbursts of polar air.” However, he warned against mere historical projection as“ there is always development”.
He reported on the various types of interaction of fronts and cyclones that he had observed. He also doubted the existence of warm fronts, at least those with the characteristics expected from the Norwegian model.
Fig. 5. Samples of frontal analysis styles over the southern hemisphere, including the conservative“ fence post”( top right) and oft-ridiculed“ butterfly”( top left) fronts( Taljaard, 1972).