Impacts of topography and land degradation on the sea breeze over eastern Spain

Summary A three-dimensional non-hydrostatic atmospheric model RAMS, version3b, is used to examine the impact of complex topography on the sea breeze under heterogeneous and degradation land use characteristics. In the study, it is shown that topography plays an important role in the sea-breeze circulation by aligning the sea breeze front to the coastline and locating the convergence zones close to the mountain range. When the sea breeze is coupled with the upslope wind, the sea-breeze circulation is strengthened by the topography.Sensitivity analyses are carried out to determine the influence of vegetation and soil moisture, i.e., land surface modifications, to this thermally driven flow. Land degradation results in an enhanced sea-breeze circulation which is characterized by a stronger onshore flow, a stronger return current, a larger updraft velocity associated with the sea-breeze front and further inland penetration. Other important features are a deeper sea-breeze depth, a larger downdraft velocity behind the sea-breeze front, and a longer offshore extent. The results also show how land changes modify the sea breeze temporal evolution resulting in an earlier onset and later end. The study stresses the convenience of using three-dimensional models with detailed land surface information to model the sea breeze in complex terrain where land use is rapidly modified.Received February 25, 2002; accepted October 7, 2002 Published online April 10, 2003     

Interaction of the sea breeze with a river breeze in an area of complex coastal heating

A three-dimensional finite-element mesoscale model is used to study the interaction of two different but related mesoscale phenomena in an area having a complex pattern of surface heating. The model simulations have been compared with temperature and wind fields observed on a typical fall day during the Kennedy Space Center Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiment on the east coast of Florida.Numerical results and observations both show that the meso- scale flow field is significantly modified from the conventional coastal-flow patterns by the smaller meso- scale irregular geographic features in this area. A local river breeze is observed to develop around the Indian River almost the same time as the Atlantic sea breeze. A comparison of the sea and the river breezes shows a large difference in their horizontal circulations but only slight differences in their vertical scales. The sea breeze intensifies more rapidly than the river breeze, so that a lag of 1 to 1.5 h exists between their most developed stages. The river breeze is relatively stationary, whereas the sea breeze propagates inland, with an eventual merger of the two circulations occurring about 6–8 h after their onset.Different synoptic wind regimes create different flow structures. Well-defined sea- and river-breeze circulations become established under calm, weak offshore, and weak alongshore synoptic-wind conditions. Maximum vertical velocities occur in the sea-breeze front (river-breeze front) in the cases of calm (offshore winds). The sea breeze and the river breeze are weaker when the synoptic winds are stronger.Finally, the results from numerical experiments designed to isolate the rivers' effect indicate that the convergence in the sea-breeze front is suppressed when it passes over the cooler surface of the rivers.Journal Paper No. J-14150 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa, Project No. 2779     

Observational and Numerical Study on the Influence of Large-Scale Flow Direction and Coastline Shape on Sea-Breeze Evolution

In this study radar, surface observations and numericalsimulations are used to examine the inland penetrationand intensity of the sea breeze during various large-scaleflow regimes along the curved coastline of the Carolinas,U.S.A. The results clearly indicate that the flow directionrelative to the curved coastline has a significant effecton the sea-breeze evolution.Overall, during northerly flow regimes alongthe curved North Carolina coast, observationsand numerical simulations show that the sea-breezefront has a tendency to remain close to the south-facingcoast. During these same flow regimes the frontmoves further inland relative to the east-facingcoast. The sea-breeze front during westerly flowcases progressed further inland relative to the southcoast and less so from the east-facing coastline.South-westerly flow allows the sea breeze to moveinland from both coastlines but the coastal shapeinfluence makes the inland penetration less fromthe easterly facing beaches. During periods of lightonshore flow (south-east), the sea breeze movesconsiderable distances inland but is not discernableuntil later in the afternoon. The simulations indicatedthat the sea-breeze intensity is greatest (least) when thelarge-scale flow direction has an offshore (onshore)component. Model results indicate the existence of astrong front well inland in the late afternoon duringlight onshore flow. Also noted was that the simulatedsea-breeze front develops earlier in the afternoon duringoffshore regimes and later in the day as the large-scaleflow becomes more onshore. It is concluded that thecoastline shape and coast-relative flow direction areimportant factors in determining how the sea-breezecirculation evolves spatially.     

Modelling Local Sea-Breeze Flow and Associated Dispersion Patterns Over a Coastal Area in North-East Spain: A Case Study

The structure and evolution of the sea breeze in the north-west part of the Mediterranean (Catalonia, north-east Spain) is studied both experimentally and, predominantly, using numerical models to increase understanding of sea-breeze structure and three-dimensional (3D) pollution distributions in coastal environments. Sea-breeze components are modelled and analyzed using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Centre for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5). The results show that the growth and structure of the sea-breeze circulation is modulated by the synoptic flow and especially by the complex topography of the area. 3D pollution transport in a sea breeze is modelled by coupling the MM5 to the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, with results indicating that topography and synoptic flow are the main factors modulating horizontal and vertical pollutant transport in sea-breeze episodes. In this way, horizontal dispersion is limited by the complex topography of the area, whilst the sea-breeze flow is intensified by anabatic upslope winds that contribute to vertical pollutant transport. The numerical model results also indicate that the sea-breeze circulation with a weak return flow at upper levels grows due to a synoptic onshore wind component. However, such a sea-breeze circulation is capable of transporting pollutants towards the coast.     

城市下垫面对渤海湾海风锋特征影响的一次数值试验

海风锋与沿海强对流天气密切相关,而城市化发展对沿海地区下垫面的改变会对海风锋特征产生影响。鉴于此,本文利用耦合了新一代城市物理方案UCP-BEM(Urban Canopy Parameterization-Building Energy Model)的WRF(Weather Research and Forecasting)模式开展数值试验分析了城市下垫面对渤海湾海风锋特征的影响。结果显示:城市下垫面高粗糙度对低层海风风速的明显削弱造成海风锋往内陆推进距离稍减,低层辐合和上升运动减弱;城市下垫面较大的向上感热通量和较小的向上水汽通量以及高粗糙度对海风的削弱的共同作用造成冷湿海风对低层大气的降温和增湿幅度减弱;高粗糙度的城市下垫面对海风环流的摩擦力效应使得海风得到抬升,这导致了冷湿海风对低层大气的降温和增湿的垂直范围得到提升;受这些结果影响,海风锋背后低层有效位能减小,但垂直分布范围扩大,从而造成对流抑制高值区抬升,同时海风锋背后的静力不稳定区变厚,其上面的动力不稳定区则变薄,但不稳定区总厚度基本不变。     

Impact of the Rhône and Durance valleys on sea-breeze circulation in the Marseille area

Sea-breeze dynamics in the Marseille area, in the south of France, is investigated in the framework of the ESCOMPTE experiment conducted during summer 2001 in order to evaluate the role of thermal circulations on pollutant transport and ventilation. Under particular attention in this paper is the sea-breeze channelling by the broad Rhône valley and the narrow Durance valley, both oriented nearly-north–south, i.e., perpendicular to the coastline, and its possible impact on the sea-breeze penetration, intensity and depth, which are key information for air pollution issues. One situation of slight synoptic pressure gradient leading to a northerly flow in the Rhône valley (25 June 2001) and one situation of a weak onshore prevailing synoptic wind (26 June 2001) are compared. The impact of the Rhône and Durance valleys on the sea-breeze dynamics on these two typical days is generalized to the whole ESCOMPTE observing period.The present study shows by combining simple scaling analysis with wind data from meteorological surface stations and Doppler lidars that (i) the Durance valley always affects the sea breeze by accelerating the flow. A consequence is that the Durance valley contributes to weaken the temperature gradient along the valley and thus the sea-breeze circulation. In some cases, the acceleration of the channelled flow in the Durance valley suppresses the sea-breeze flow by temperature gradient inhibition; (ii) the Rhône valley does not generally affect the sea breeze significantly. However, if the sea breeze is combined with an onshore flow, it leads to further penetration inland and intensification of the low-level southerly flow. In this situation, lateral constriction may accelerate the sea breeze. Simple scaling analysis suggests that Saint Paul (44.35°N, about 100 km from the coastline) is the lower limit where sea breeze can be affected by the Rhône valley. These conclusions have implications in air quality topics as channelled sea breeze may advect far inland pollutants which may be incorporated into long-range transport, particularly in the Durance valley.     

A complete sea-breeze circulation cell derived from aircraft observations

Using an instrumented aircraft, a complete sea-breeze circulation cell was sampled from its offshore end to the sea-breeze front over land and up to a height of approximately 1000 m AMSL. Many of its typical features can be resolved in detail mainly by cross-sectional analysis. These are: the diverging onshore flow in the lower layers over the sea the convergence over land at the seabreeze front and the connected cross-frontal circulation, a distinct return flow in the upper layers, the propagation of the seaward end of the cell over water, as well as the propagation of the front over land, the baroclinicity as a driving mechanism of the cell and also budget and frontogenesis terms.     

Sea-Breeze Modification Of The Growth Of A Marine Internal Boundary Layer

A numerical mesoscale model is used to make a high-resolutionsimulation of the marine boundary layer in the Persian Gulf, duringconditions of offshore flow from Saudi Arabia. A marine internal boundary layer(MIBL) and a sea-breeze circulation (SBC) are found to co-exist. The sea breeze develops in the mid-afternoon, at which time its frontis displaced several tens of kilometres offshore. Between the coastand the sea-breeze system, the MIBL that occurs is consistent with a picture described in the existing literature. However, the MIBL isperturbed by the SBC, the boundary layer deepening significantly seaward of the sea-breeze front. Our analysis suggests that thisstrong, localized deepening is not a direct consequence offrontal uplift, but rather that the immediate cause is the retardation of theprevailing, low-level offshore windby the SBC. The simulated boundary-layer development can be accounted for by using a simple 1D Lagrangian model of growth driven by the surface heatflux. This model is obtained as a straightforward modification ofan established MIBL analytic growth model.     

A Coastal Bay Summer Breeze Study,Part 2: High-resolution Numerical Simulation of Sea-breeze Local Influences

We complete the analysis of the data obtained during the experimental campaign around the semi circular bay of Quiberon, France, during two weeks in June 2006 (see Part 1). A reanalysis of numerical simulations performed with the Advanced Regional Prediction System model is presented. Three nested computational domains with increasing horizontal resolution down to 100 m, and a vertical resolution of 10 m at the lowest level, are used to reproduce the local-scale variations of the breeze close to the water surface of the bay. The Weather Research and Forecasting mesoscale model is used to assimilate the meteorological data. Comparisons of the simulations with the experimental data obtained at three sites reveal a good agreement of the flow over the bay and around the Quiberon peninsula during the daytime periods of sea-breeze development and weakening. In conditions of offshore synoptic flow, the simulations demonstrate that the semi-circular shape of the bay induces a corresponding circular shape in the offshore zones of stagnant flow preceding the sea-breeze onset, which move further offshore thereafter. The higher-resolution simulations are successful in reproducing the small-scale impacts of the peninsula and local coasts (breeze deviations, wakes, flow divergences), and in demonstrating the complexity of the breeze fields close to the surface over the bay. Our reanalysis also provides guidance for numerical simulation strategies for analyzing the structure and evolution of the near-surface breeze over a semi-circular bay, and for forecasting important flow details for use in upcoming sailing competitions.     

Impact of a sea breeze on the boundary-layer dynamics and the atmospheric stratification in a coastal area of the North Sea

In-situ sodar and lidar measurements were coupled with numerical simulations for studying a sea-breeze event in a flat coastal area of the North Sea. The study’s aims included the recognition of the dynamics of a sea-breeze structure, and its effects on the lower troposphere stratification and the three-dimensional (3D) pollutant distribution. A sea breeze was observed with ground-based remote sensing instruments and analysed by means of numerical simulations using the 3D non-hydrostatic atmospheric model Meso-NH. The vertical structure of the lower troposphere was experimentally determined from the lidar and sodar measurements, while numerical simulations focused on the propagation of the sea breeze inland. The sea-breeze front, the headwind, the thermal internal boundary layer, the gravity current and the sea-breeze circulation were observed and analysed. The development of a late stratification was also observed by the lidar and simulated by the model, suggesting the formation of a stable multilayered structure. The transport of passive tracers inside the sea breeze and their redistribution above the gravity current was simulated too. Numerical modelling showed that local pollutants may travel backward to the sea above the gravity current at relatively low speed due to the shearing between the landward gravity current and the seaward synoptic wind. Such dynamic conditions may enhance an accumulation of pollutants above coastal industrial areas.     

Inland Propagation of Sea Breeze under Opposing Offshore Wind

Summary  According to past experience, the nearly stagnant conditions caused by the presumed equilibrium between the Saronikos Gulf sea breeze and an opposing synoptic flow is identified as the principal mechanism leading to high pollution episodes in Athens during the summer. However, previous experimental work has not examined in detail the interaction of the sea breeze flow with the opposing background flow. In this context, recent experimental work covering the basic key-locations of the Athens Basin focused on the inland propagation of the southerly sea breeze from the coast to the northern part of the basin mainly under moderate northerly background wind. During this campaign, a network of four meteorological stations established along the Athens Basin and a high range acoustic sounder at the centre of Athens operated over a two months time period in the summer of 1993. In addition, tethered balloon flights in the centre of Athens and on a sea vessel about 15 km offshore were employed during an experimental day with moderate opposing background wind. The results from this experimental campaign include the documentation of the sea breeze delay and its intensity as a function of a sea breeze index and features of the vertical structure of the sea breeze over land as well as over sea. Received March 20, 1998 Revised October 12, 1998     

Main features of the sea-breeze in Barcelona

Summary From a data set of sea-breeze observations corresponding to cases of no synoptic-scale flow in Barcelona during the period 1970–89, some features of this wind have been deduced. Maximum velocities of between 6–14 m/s generally occur during 12–16 SLT. Diurnal evolution gives a clockwise rotation of sea breeze so that this wind blows roughly parallel to the shoreline in late afternoon. The rate of the change of direction is in agreement with numerical results from a simple nonlinear sea breeze model.With 7 FiguresThis work has been supported by the DGICYT, Project No. PB87-0718.     

滨海新区2014-06-22强对流天气过程分析

依据常规高空、地面观测及雷达资料,对2014年6月22日滨海新区的强对流天气(短时强降水、冰雹)过程进行分析。结果表明:1)500 h Pa低涡位于40°N,滨海新区上游有冷空气侵入,并且700 h Pa和850 h Pa也有切变线存在,是滨海新区地区发生强对流天气的环流背景。2)对流层低层水汽充沛,探空CAPE、SWEAT等指数指示意义较好,存在较好的不稳定能量和弱的垂直风切变,尤其是地域性的海风过程提供了触发条件和底层水汽。3)雷达回波演变上可以清晰看到出流边界(阵风锋)和海风锋共同作用触发单体回波及单体发展、旺盛、消亡演变过程。该过程中,冰雹移动路径沿滨海新区地面辐合线(海风锋)呈东北—西南向移动,该路径是滨海新区的强对流天气常有的移动路径之一。     

渤海湾海风锋雷达回波特征分析

应用天津新一代天气雷达和相应的自动气象站资料,统计分析雷达监测到的4次渤海湾海风锋的特点,并研究渤海湾海风锋与强对流天气形成、发展和消散过程演变特征。结果表明:渤海湾海风锋在低仰角(O．5°或1．5°)基本反射率产品中表现为平行于渤海湾的窄带弱回波,强度一般仅维持在15～25dBz,长度约为100～300km,宽度随着季节、天气背景场的变化而变化;并且移动速度非常缓慢,基本维持在10～15km·h~(-1)。低仰角(O．5°或1．5°)的基本速度产品上,海风锋几乎呈准静止的零速度窄带回波。当海风锋与弱冷锋相遇时,相遇交叉处能够产生强对流天气;而单一海风锋不能产生强对流天气,仅能改变气温和风向等气象要素特征。     

热带一次致灾龙卷形成物理过程研究

2016年6月5日海南出现了一个弱风垂直切变背景下的EF2级致灾龙卷。利用海口多普勒天气雷达观测资料、10 min间隔的地面自动气象站观测资料以及风廓线资料,研究了该龙卷风暴的结构、龙卷风暴与龙卷形成的可能物理过程。初始风暴在文昌附近向西传播,而同时海口风暴亦由海风锋触发并向东移动,两风暴下沉气流导致的出流相遇在海风锋辐合线上,触发了龙卷母云体。龙卷初始涡旋在低层两风暴出流相遇的切变辐合线上形成,当初始涡旋与其上方深厚且强烈的上升气流叠置时,拉伸作用加强了垂直涡度,使得龙卷形成。深厚的强上升气流有3个来源:对流风暴的出流边界相遇形成的辐合抬升,环境正浮力造成的对流单体内强上升气流,还可能与中高层强中气旋强迫的扰动低压有关。龙卷形成过程中,中高层强中气旋位于6—9 km高空并向上发展,龙卷初始涡旋先于龙卷母云体出现且比一般微气旋尺度大,伸展至更高的高度,属于非典型中气旋龙卷（或非典型超级单体龙卷）。此次热带强龙卷出现在弱的大尺度系统强迫的天气背景下,水平风垂直切变弱,海风锋、出流边界等边界层β中尺度辐合线边界在龙卷形成过程中可能起决定性作用。      

VARIABILITY OF THE SEA-BREEZE FRONT FROM SODAR MEASUREMENTS}

Using sodar measurements of the wind in the vicinity of sea-breeze fronts, we have investigated the lateral movement of the incoming front.A characteristic of the sea-breeze front is related to periodic oscillations in wind direction, which are likely tobe caused by the sea breeze and accompanyingupdrafts and downdrafts in the ambient flow.     

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE SEA BREEZE OVER SOUTHWESTERN BOHAI GULF

In this paper,a simulation study is made on the sea breeze process over southwestern Bohai Gulf byuse of the Pielke mesoscale meteorological model.The simulated results show that when a south wind of 8m/s blows over the top of the model,a strong wind zone of 15—25 km wide with a maximum speed more than14 m/s,which is close and nearly parallel to the south shore,will appear at 160 m above the sea surface.When a strong sea breeze penetrates inland,there often appears a thermal internal boundary layer(TIBL)near shore.The inversion above the TIBL can damp the vertical dispersion of atmospheric pollution.Besides,it is also found that,for a three-dimensional sea/land breeze circulation,if the divergence centre inthe return flow departs vertically far from the correspondent convergence centre in the sea breeze,a centre ofstrong descending movement will be formed at the middle and upper levels of the return flow.The resultsin this paper is also applicable to the Laizhou Bay.     

STATISTICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SEA LAND BREEZES IN HAINAN ISLAND

The sea-land breeze circulation （SLBC） occurs regularly at coastal locations and influences the local weather and climate significantly. In this study, based on the observed surface wind in 9 conventional meteorological stations of Hainan Island, the frequency of sea-land breeze （SLB） is studied to depict the diurnal and seasonal variations. The statistics indicated that there is a monthly average of 12.2 SLB days and an occurrence frequency of about 40%, with the maximum frequency （49%） in summer and the minimum frequency （29%） in autumn. SLB frequencies （41%） are comparable in winter and spring. A higher frequency of SLB is present in the southern and central mountains due to the enhancement effect of the mountain-valley breeze. Due to the synoptic wind the number of SLB days in the northern hilly area is less than in other areas. Moreover, the WRF model, adopted to simulate the SLBC over the island for all seasons, performs reasonably well reproducing the phenomenon, evolution and mechanism of SLBC. Chiefly affected by the difference of temperature between sea and land, the SLBC varies in coverage and intensity with the seasons and reaches the greatest intensity in summer. The typical depth is about 2.5 km for sea breeze circulation and about 1.5 km for land breeze circulation. A strong convergence zone with severe ascending motion appears on the line parallel to the major axis of the island, penetrating 60 to 100 km inland. This type of weak sea breeze convergence zone in winter is north-south oriented. The features of SLBC in spring are similar both to that in summer with southerly wind and to that in winter with easterly wind. The coverage and intensity of SLBC in autumn is the weakest and confined to the southwest edge of the central mountainous area. The land breeze is inherently very weak and easily affected by the topography and weather. The coverage and intensity of the land breeze convergence line is significantly less than those of the sea breeze. The orographic forcing of the cen     

Numerical Simulations of the Impacts of Land-Cover Change on a Southern Sea Breeze in South-West Western Australia

A sea-breeze event in south-west Western Australia is simulated using the Regional Atmospheric Modelling System (RAMS) version 6.0. The model is evaluated against high resolution soundings as well as station observations and is shown to reproduce the qualitative features of the sea breeze well. Sensitivity tests are carried out to investigate the effects of historical land-cover change and changes in soil moisture on the dynamics of the sea breeze. It is found that land-cover change alone, i.e., a change from wooded grasslands to bare soil, with no change in soil moisture initialisation, does not significantly alter the overall structure of the sea breeze but results in higher surface winds due to the reduced vegetation roughness length, which leads to enhanced surface moisture advection inland. On the other hand, land-cover change in conjunction with increased soil moisture results in a considerably weaker, shallower, and less penetrative sea breeze, and delays its onset and duration. A sea-breeze scaling analysis highlights the impact of increasing soil moisture on reducing the sea-breeze volume flux scale.     

Conditional Wavelet Technique Applied to Aircraft Data Measured in the Thermal Internal Boundary Layer During Sea-Breeze Events

We describe a wavelet-based technique to determine the spectral turbulentcontribution to the vertical flux of sensible heat in a position-wavelength representation. This technique combines awavelet transform (Morlet wavelet) with conditional sampling. We apply this methodto aircraft datacollected during a sea-breeze circulation (BEMA97 experiment) with heterogeneousturbulence conditions horizontally and vertically as well. The turbulent fluxes are analysed with the conditional wavelet techniqueas a function of the wavelength and the horizontal distance.The turbulent processes within the thermal internal boundary layer associatedwith the sea breeze are clearly identified. The results exhibit the wavelength bands through which the upward flux (originating fromthe surface) and the downward flux (originating from the top of theboundary layer) are important.