A modern teaching tool for cyclone development and structure

A simple cyclone model is presented as a new and modern tool for use in education and training in synoptic-dynamic meteorology. The model has been programmed on an IBM-compatible personal computer under DOS and is used as a teaching tool by the Royal Dutch Air Force and at the Department of Meteorology of Wageningen Agricultural University. The model is based on an approximate analytical solution of the equations of motion. This solution is capable of generating a realistic mature mid-latitude cyclone and its development in time. Several basic parameters of the solution can be varied, leading to different characteristic types of cyclone structure and development.