List some common metrics to analyze the atmospheric vertical motion?
First of all, I am unsure if your question relates to Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) or field-experiments. I would say divergence is one of the best variables to look at since vertical motion is both difficult to measure and to model. Also, some nowcasting models which includes a nudging method to increase precipitation intensity in the model, based on the observed intensity does this by nudging the divergence field directly, to generate more or less vertical motion.