Ok, I'll admit, I got a little carried away. That last paragraph or 2 was just frustration in the business coming out. I'll let everyone slide on that "undular bore" question, including you John, but if you'd like I'm sure I could arrange some tutoring sessions with you! But the rest of the questions, including baroclinic instability are vital to understand, and if you don't know them, then yes, you fail as a "meteorologist", and should go back to school (not MSU) until you understand them. I would be happy to form and administer the test as well, and slap my own "The Tuttle Seal of Approval" to whoever passes!
As far as what an "undular bore" is? Well, everyone get out their pencils and jot this down. I learned this as an undergraduate while watching the satellite one day and began asking questions....
In laymen's terms...An undular bore is like an elevated outflow boundary from an MCS. How can you spot one. Look at a high res loop of VIS/IR sat images for indications of outflow that travels much farther(>200miles) and faster than your typical t-storm outflow boundary. You will notice that as it passes a point, you will see no indication of it (drop in temps, winds shift, pressure, etc) in the surface obs. What good is it to know what one is? Well, let's say your environment is highly unstable, LI's of -10, lapse rates of 30 degrees, but you've got a 5deg cap at 700 mb. Well, an undular bore can erode this capping layer by cooling it, in a matter of seconds, leading to explosive thunderstorm development that you would've otherwise thought was impossible with a strong cap like that in place. Please send $19.95 check or money order, and I'll draw you a picture of before and after soundings to help illustrate the point. :)
By the way, I thought "Goose's" comment was hilarious and appropriate.
Aaron Tuttle
KBTX "Meteorologist"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Aaron Tuttle--Research Technician + + Texas A&M University, Meteorology Dept. + + email: atutt@nimbus.met.tamu.edu + + phone: 409-845-1679 + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++