A storm cloud cell is growing and moving to the right at a speed of about 10 meters per second. The cloud density is shown in white, while precipitation, which overlays the cloud and therefore masks it, is depicted in blue, with deeper shades indicating heavier precipitation. The wind relative to the moving cell is shown by arrows. Contours show lines of constant entropy, with successively higher entropy values represented by green, orange, red, magenta and lavender. Experiments with numerical modeling of a storm cloud cell developing have demonstrated that the method really works.
Squalls are brief, sudden, violent windstorms, often accompanied by rain or snow.
Squall lines, strings of storm clouds building and dissipating, are just one element of the meteorological conditions which coalesce to become hurricanes. Once this configuration is set, the squall line settles into a semipermanent mode. Similar experiments with various model setups have raised many interesting questions. Ooyama and his team continue working toward a functioning physically realistic three dimensional hurricane model.