Divergence occurs when a stronger wind moves away from a weaker wind or when air streams move in opposite directions. When divergence occurs in the upper levels of the atmosphere it leads to rising air. The rate the air rises depends on the magnitude of the divergence and other lifting or sinking mechanisms in the atmosphere. The diagram below shows two examples of divergence.  Diffluence is the spreading of wind vectors. In a diffluent pattern the height contours become further spaced from each other over distance. Does this spreading out of the wind vectors and height contours cause the air to rise? The diagram below is an example of 300-mb diffluence.  In a diffluent pattern, two distinct phenomena occur at the same time. First, strong wind is moving into weaker wind. Where the height contours are closer spaced, the wind velocity is higher. As you know, a strong wind moving into a weak wind is convergence. Second, as height contours spread apart, a divergence of air occurs. The convergence due to stronger wind moving into weaker wind replenishes the mass lost due to the divergence in the diffluent flow. In the diagram on the next page, notice in the diffluent pattern that strong wind is moving into weaker wind and the air streams are diverging over distance also.  The effect of convergence and divergence occurring at the same time is no vertical motion. The air is merely being deformed into a new shape. The air is spreading out, but it is not rising or sinking. It is upper level divergence that causes rising air. The two best examples of upper level divergence are PVA and divergence associated with the right rear and left front quadrants of a jet streak. Upper level diffluence by itself does not cause rising air. Haby sez: An upper level diffluence pattern by itself does not cause rising air. It is upper level divergence that causes rising air. |