The zonal flow associated with cut-off lows (COLs) comprises two jet streaks of different spatial extents. The smaller scale jet streak, located north of the COLs, forms as a result of meridional divergence of vorticity advection and it is quasi-stationary, relative to the COLs. It dissipates as the COLs do the same. The larger scale jet streak gives rise to anticyclonic and equatorward Rossby wave breaking (RWB) as it propagates southeasterly to the base of the ridge, south of the COL and then northeasterly beyond that point. As the jet streak propagates it brings with it the anticyclonic barotropic shear that causes the Rossby waves to break. Its propagation is caused by zonal momentum advection by the zonal flow from jet streak entrance to its exit. As it propagates, its northwesterly/southeasterly orientation changes to one that is more zonal to become south-westerly/northeasterly at the end of the COL life cycle. This change in orientation is due to meridional advection of zonal momentum,where the meridional flow advects momentum southward (northward) at the jet streak entrance (exit). The jet streaks form a split jet structure and the winds between the streaks is decelerated by vorticity advection convergence. Because the flow and COL (and RWB) life cycle are coupled, understanding the dynamics that underlie the changes in the COL ambient flow contributes to resolving the outstanding RWB/COL causality problem.

与临界低点（COL）相关的地层流包括两个不同空间范围的射流条纹。位于COLs以北的较小尺度的喷射条纹是涡旋对流经向散布的结果，相对于COL是准静止的。耗散的方式与COL相同。较大的喷流条纹会引起反气旋和赤道的罗斯比波浪破碎（RWB），因为它向东南传播到山脊的底部，位于COL的南部，然后向东北传播超过该点。随着射流条纹的传播，它会带来反气旋正压剪切力，从而导致Rossby波破裂。它的传播是由从射流条纹入口到其出口的纬向流引起的纬向动量对流引起的。随着传播，它的西北/东南方向改变为更大的区域性，在COL生命周期结束时变为西南/东北。方向的这种变化是由于纬向子午线平流引起的，子午流在射流条纹入口（出口）向南（北）平流。射流条纹形成分裂的射流结构，并且通过涡流对流会聚使条纹之间的风减速。由于流量和COL（和RWB）的生命周期是耦合的，因此了解作为COL环境流量变化基础的动力学有助于解决悬而未决的RWB / COL因果关系问题。经向流动在射流条纹入口（出口）向南（向北）平流的地方。射流条纹形成分裂的射流结构，并且通过涡流对流会聚使条纹之间的风减速。由于流量和COL（和RWB）的生命周期是耦合的，因此了解作为COL环境流量变化基础的动力学有助于解决悬而未决的RWB / COL因果关系问题。经向流动在射流条纹入口（出口）向南（向北）平流的地方。射流条纹形成分裂的射流结构，并且通过涡流对流会聚使条纹之间的风减速。由于流量和COL（和RWB）的生命周期是耦合的，因此了解作为COL环境流量变化基础的动力学有助于解决悬而未决的RWB / COL因果关系问题。