TOVS RETRIEVALS OBTAINED WITH THE 3I-ALGORITHM - A STUDY OF A MESOSCALE CYCLONE OVER THE BARENTS SEA

ECMWF analyses and TOVS retrievals obtained with the Improved Initiali sation Inversion (version 2) algorithm are used to study a meso-scale cyclone over the western Barents Sea during 26-27 February 1987. Due t o the good spatial and temporal coverage of the polar regions by TOVS data, the development of this vortex was documented in detail. Results from TOVS retrievals are compared with results from a simulation usin g a limited area model. The retrievals reveal the intensification of a cold air outbreak over the period of a few hours, leading to enhanced formation of the vortex. The development of an extended warm belt ove r the Barents Sea is observed, but the weak warm core, shown by the nu merical simulation at lower layers inside this warm belt, is not resol ved.