Nocturnal drainage flow on simple slopes

Observations of nocturnal slope flow have been made at two sites with quite different topography and vegetation. In both cases, continuous measurements of wind and temperature profiles were made from towers that extended through the depth of the katabatic flow. At the simpler site, which approximates a tilted plane, three towers were located at different distances down the slope to measure the development of slope flow with downslope distance.Slope flow depth, downslope wind speed, and temperature deficit are found to change with downslope distance at rates that are consistent with the predictions of Manins and Sawford's (1979) layer-averaged model of slope flow, while measured entrainment rates are found to be comparable to those predicted by Ellison and Turner's (1959) laboratory experiments. The depth of slope flow is found to be roughly 0.05 times the vertical drop from the top of the slope, a relationship that also follows from combining Manins and Sawford's model and Ellison and Turner's laboratory data. Analysis of the wind spectra and a simple numerical model suggest that the turbulent kinetic energy profiles in slope flow are dependent on the speed and direction of the ambient wind and can differ substantially from those found over flat terrain. At the more complex of the two measurement sites, the occurrence of slope flow was found to correlate well with a dimensionless number 5 that is a function of the ridge-top wind speed and of the strength and depth of the inversion and that is an estimate of the ratio of the buoyancy deficit to the external horizontal pressure gradient.Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC06-76RLO 1830     

Impact of land surface roughness on downslope windstorm modelling in the Arctic

The article considers the reasons for the underestimation of the wind speed by the WRF-ARW model when simulating downslope windstorms in the Russian Arctic. Simulation results for the Tiksi windstorm, for which sensitivity tests were carried out, appeared to be weakly dependent on the initial and boundary conditions, topography resolution, and boundary layer parameterization. Wind speed underestimation was mostly related to improper land use and the highly overestimated roughness length, which are used in the model. Reduction of the roughness length in accordance with the observations leads not only to a quantitative change in the wind speed in the boundary layer, but to qualitative changes in the dynamics of the flow. Wind underestimation in simulations with the overestimated roughness was caused by the jet stream unrealistically jumping over the lee slope and wake formation in the station area, while jet stream stayed near the surface and propagated to the station area in simulations with the modified roughness length. Modification of land use and roughness length in Tiksi and other regions where downslope windstorms are observed (Novaya Zemlya, Pevek, Wrangel Island) led to a decrease in wind speed modelling error by more than 2.5 times.     

Effects of Topographical Slope Angle and Atmospheric Stratification on Surface-Layer Turbulence

The effect of topographical slope angle and atmospheric stratification on turbulence intensities in the unstably stratified surface layer have been parameterized using observations obtained from a three-dimensional sonic anemometer installed at 8 m height above the ground at the Seoul National University (SNU) campus site in Korea for the years 1999–2001. Winds obtained from the sonic anemometer are analyzed according to the mean wind direction, since the topographical slope angle changes significantly along the azimuthal direction. The effects of the topographical slope angle and atmospheric stratification on surface-layer turbulence intensity are examined with these data. It is found that both the friction velocity and the variance for each component of wind normalized by the mean wind speed decrease with increase of the topographical slope angle, having a maximum decreasing rate at very unstable stratification. The decreasing rate of the normalized friction velocity (u _* /U) is found to be much larger than that of the turbulence intensity of each wind component due to the reduction of wind shear with increase in slope angle under unstable stratification. The decreasing rate of the w component of turbulence intensity (σ _w /U) is the smallest over the downslope surface whereas that of the u component (σ _u /U) has a minimum over the upslope surface. Consequently, σ _w /u _* has a maximum increasing rate with increase in slope angle for the downslope wind, whereas σ _u /u _* has its maximum for the upslope wind. The sloping terrain is found to reduce both the friction velocity and turbulence intensity compared with those on a flat surface. However, the reduction of the friction velocity over the sloping terrain is larger than that of the turbulence intensity, thereby enhancing the turbulence intensity normalized by the friction velocity over sloping terrain compared with that over a flat surface.     

山区夜间边界层的数值模拟

本文采用二维数值模式模拟了一个坡地上夜间边界层的发展过程。所得到的结果与1974—1976年在北京北部山区得到的观测资料做了比较。模拟出的夜间辐射逆温层的厚度和形状以及下坡风的廊线都与观测事实大致相符。模式进一步改进后似可做为解决中、小尺度复杂地形上夜间边界层演变的工具。     

On the impact of atmospheric thermal stability on the characteristics of nocturnal downslope flows

The impacts of background (or ambient) and local atmospheric thermal stabilities, and slope steepness, on nighttime thermally induced downslope flow in meso- domains (i.e., 20–200 km horizontal extent) have been investigated using analytical and numerical model approaches. Good agreement between the analytical and numerical evaluations was found. It was concluded that: (i) as anticipated, the intensity of the downslope flow increases with increased slope steepness, although the depth of the downslope flow was found to be insensitive to slope steepness in the studied situations; (ii) the intensity of the downslope flow is generally independent of background atmospheric thermal stability; (iii) for given integrated nighttime cooling across the nocturnal boundary layer (NBL), Q _s the local atmospheric thermal stability exerts a strong influence on downslope flow behavior: the downslope flow intensity increases when local atmospheric thermal stability increases; and (iv) the downslope flow intensity is proportional to Q _s ^1/2.     

The development and structure of nocturnal slope winds in a simple valley

The results of an observational and modeling study of the nocturnal slope winds in a simple valley are presented. The valley was approximately 225 m deep in the region of the measurements, and featured a uniform slope angle of approximately 23 ° on one of its sidewalls. The wind and temperature structure of the katabatic flows on the valley sidewalls were measured with tower-mounted instruments, and a Doppler sodar and instruments on a tethered balloon and a 61-m tower were used to determine the atmospheric conditions near the center of the valley. The temperature structure of the slope flows was summarized by characteristic scale parameters h and T for the inversion depth and strength, respectively. On the sidewalls 50 m above the valley floor, the inversion depths were generally smaller and the inversion strengths were weaker than they were on the sidewalls 100 m higher. These results differ significantly from those obtained over a simple slope of an isolated mountain or ridge. The down-valley winds are shown to be important in limiting the strength of the sidewall inversions. The formation of an inversion in the valley also has a pronounced effect on the structure of the slope flows. Numerical simulations suggest that the presence of adiabatic layers in the valley atmosphere is associated with decreases in the slope-flow inversion depth with increasing downslope distance. The simulations also indicate that the length scales that characterize the momentum and inversion depths behave similarly in flows down simple slopes but not in flows down the sidewalls of a valley.Work supported by the U.S. Army Research Office under Contract DA-AG29-K-0231 and the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC06-76RLO 1830.     

新疆克拉玛依强下坡风暴的机理研究

利用美国中尺度数值模式 WRF 对2013年3月7—8日克拉玛依强风进行了模拟,对下坡风发生、发展和结束3个阶段的三维结构特征进行了分析,并由此提出克拉玛依强下坡风的形成机制模型：上游地区出现中高层西南风、低层西北风并伴有强冷平流的配置,当风速不断增大时,气流能够翻越加依尔山在背风坡侧形成重力波,重力波相位向气流上游方向倾斜产生非线性效应,促进了波不稳定区域的形成并导致波破碎,形成湍流活跃层,不断把上层的能量向下传播;克拉玛依中低层形成三层夹心的大气层结稳定度分布,出现明显的过渡气流带从而导致强下坡风的形成;南北风分量在低层和中层符号相反,形成了临界层,不断吸收上层波能量并向地面传送,强下坡风暴不断维持发展。最后利用2006—2012年克拉玛依33个强下坡风过程中的探空观测资料对提出的形成机制进行了验证。     

下坡运动的分析解

本文采用二层模式,在一个斜坡地形上,求解大气波动方程,得出了下坡运动的普遍分析解,并对解在不同大气条件和地形条件下的物理意义做了分析。当下层大气厚而稳定、风速较强时,得到的是背风坡大风。而当下层大气强稳定、小风时,得到的是泄流风。对各类下坡运动近地面风速和大气层结、流场结构及Scorer参数之间的关系也做了讨论。     

Analytical and Numerical Investigation of Two-Dimensional Katabatic Flow Resulting from Local Surface Cooling

The analysis of katabatic flows is often complicated by heterogeneity in surface characteristics. This study focuses on an idealized type of katabatic flow driven by a simple form of inhomogeneous surface forcing: a buoyancy or buoyancy flux that varies down the slope as a top-hat profile (cold strip). We consider the two-dimensional Boussinesq system of governing flow equations with the slope angle, Brunt–Väisälä frequency, and coefficients of eddy viscosity and diffusivity treated as constants. The steady-state problem is solved analytically in a linearized boundary-layer framework. Key flow structures are a primary katabatic jet (essentially the classical one-dimensional Prandtl jet), a rotor-like feature straddling the upslope end of the strip, and two nearly horizontal jets: an inward jet of environmental air feeding into the primary jet on the upslope end of the strip and an outward jet resulting from the intrusion of the primary katabatic jet into the environment on the downslope end of the strip. Next, the corresponding nonlinear initial value problem is solved numerically until a steady state is reached at low levels. The main features of the linear solution are seen in the numerical results, but with some notable differences: (i) the primary jet in the numerical simulation requires a longer distance to attain a one-dimensional boundary-layer structure and extends further downslope off the strip before intruding into the environment; (ii) the numerically simulated outward environmental jet is narrower and more intense than the inward jet, and has a pronounced wave-like structure.     

Orographic and stability effects on valley-side drainage flows

The effects of orography and stability on valley-side drainage winds were investigated with the aid of a numerical model. The model is three-dimensional, non-hydrostatic, cast in terrain-following co-ordinates, has a surface energy budget and a 1.5 order TKE closure scheme. Experiments were conducted over a schematic three-dimensional valley to assess the influences on airflow of valley-side slope magnitude, valley cross-section shape, tilt of the valley floor and stability.In drainage flow, magnitudes of horizontal and vertical velocities and heights of their maxima are directly related to slope angle. The velocities are either insensitive to, or slightly inversely related to stability. The cooling which drives the flows is strongest over steep slopes and in large stabilities. The depth of the cooled layer, whilst increasing over steeper slopes, is inversely related to the stability. TKE increases with slope angle and decreases with increasing stability. In the downslope direction, the near-surface cooled layer significantly increases whereas the inversion intensity decreases by about 20%. These two features are due to mixing between the drainage flow and the overlying air. Tha drainage flow accelerates down the slope until it reaches the accumulated pool of cold air in the valley bottom, whereupon it slows down markedly and is accompanied by uplift over the centre of the valley.The cross-valley circulation is influenced by valley-side slope angle, valley cross-section shape and tilt of the valley floor, in addition to the effects of stability. For a given shape, the circulation is a direct function of the valley-side slope and an inverse function of the ambient stability. This relationship is described mathematically.V-shaped valleys generate stronger flows than doU-shaped valleys and a tilted valley floor also leads to a significant increase in velocities.     

地形对于气流运动影响的数值研究

建立了二维、非静力平衡的数值模式，研究地形对上游气流的阻挡以及大振幅背风波谷与下坡风的形成。结果表明：地形的阻挡效应受地形高度、大气层结及地形非对称性等因子的影响。数值试验与理论分析都证明地形越高、层结越稳定时阻挡作用越强；同样条件下，迎风坡坡度大的地形容易对气流形成阻挡。此外，分析了地形高度、大气层结、地形非对称性以及基本入流大小对背风波谷及下坡风强度影响的规律，并通过一次实际观测对数值模拟结果进行了检验。     

Predicting Nocturnal Wind and Temperature Profiles Based on External Forcing Parameters

We introduce a simple, physically consistent method to predict nocturnal wind and temperature profiles from external forcing parameters such as the geostrophic wind. As an indicator of the radiative ??forcing?? the net longwave radiative cooling is used as a proxy. Surface fluxes are expressed in terms of these parameters by coupling an Ekman model to a rudimentary surface energy balance. Additionally the model assumes validity of Monin-Obukhov similarity in order to predict near-surface wind and temperature profiles up to a height equal to the Obukhov length. The predictions are validated against an independent dataset that covers 11-years of observations at Cabauw, The Netherlands. It is shown that the characteristic profiles in response to external forcings are well-captured by the conceptual model. For this period the observational climatology is in close agreement with ECMWF re-analysis data. As such, the conceptual model provides an alternative tool to giving a first-order estimate of the nocturnal wind and temperature profile near the surface in cases when advanced numerical or observational infrastructure is not available.     

盆地环流型及冷湖的形成和消散的数值研究

本文建立了一个三维原始方程数值模式，模拟三维盆地中的环流，重点讨论在热力强迫环流型的转变过程中能量场的动量场的配置情况及环流演变过程。模拟结果表明，夜间地面强烈的辐射冷却过程引起盆地各坡面冷迳流的发展，盆地中成为冷空气湖，逆温层结建立。日出后对流边界层从大气低层向上发展，逆温从底部随之消蚀，仅在上层存在了夜间逆温残余，即所谓稳定核，上坡风在对流边界层发展，而稳定核内仍维持夜间下坡风环流。     

Numerical simulation of nocturnal drainage flow properties in a rugged canyon

A two-dimensional, time-dependent flow model coupled with a radiative transfer module has been applied to examine the characteristics of nocturnal flow in a steep canyon in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The effect of nighttime surface cooling on drainage flow is examined and compared with observations. In a complementary study, tracer data have been analyzed to estimate the mass flux from a tributary canyon and to examine processes of transport and diffusion. Simulations indicate that the strength and structure of the drainage wind are controlled mainly by terrain features, ambient wind conditions, and effective radiative cooling rates. The transport of tracer from a lower secondary vortex to an upper primary vortex is largely controlled by diffusional processes; removal of tracer from the canyon is controlled by the primary vortex and its interaction with the ambient wind. Differences between mass fluxes from model simulations and those calculated from experiments involve uncertainties in both the structure of the model and the analysis of data.     

A Note on the Pure Katabatic Wind Maximum over Gentle Slopes

The wind maximum of pure katabatic winds over moderate slopes, the inclination varying between 3 and 6°, is studied using large-eddy simulation (LES) and further discussed in the light of the classical Prandtl model. The LES results show that both the maximum katabatic wind speed and its height decrease with increasing slope angle, and vice versa. However, in the Prandtl analytical, i.e. linear classical, solution, only the wind maximum height is affected by the slope angle, not the maximum wind speed. For the given range of slope inclinations, a linear relation between the height and the magnitude of the wind maximum is found in our simulations, which is supported by a limited dataset obtained by other researchers; these results are further discussed. The inability of the analytical Prandtl solution to give the maximum wind-speed dependency on the slope angle is associated with the assumed constancy of (1) the background vertical potential temperature gradient ??, (2) the eddy diffusivity and (3) the Prandtl number.     

Modification of air flow over an escarpment — Results from the Hjardemål experiment

Mean flow, turbulence, and surface pressure measurements over an escarpment are presented. The speed-up in the mean wind field shows the known dependence on stratification. Cross-sections of the standard deviation of horizontal and vertical wind components and of the friction velocity are derived from the data and compare favorably with the numerical model of Zeman and Jensen (1987). The modification of turbulent power spectra at intermediate frequencies can be explained by rapid distortion theory. At very low frequencies, there is a quasi-stationary response to the disturbance. Except for speed-up and standard deviations of the wind components, which are also shown for downslope wind, all results in this paper refer to upslope winds.An analysis of the vertical momentum flux reveals that upstream of the escarpment, most of the flux is transported in sweeps of fast, sinking motion to the ground. Downstream of the escarpment, ejections of slow, rising motion dominate the turbulent transport.     

克拉玛依大风数值预报中的重力波拖曳方案应用研究

新疆克拉玛依地区位于背风坡,长期受翻山气流形成的局地大风影响。该地区日常大风预报业务主要依托克拉玛依气象局的精细化数值预报系统,为进一步完善该系统的预报效果,本文开展了重力波拖曳参数化方案应用试验,对比分析了三组试验方案:不开启重力波拖曳、只开启外层区域重力波拖曳以及两重嵌套设置下均开启重力波拖曳的结果。试验结果表明:在克拉玛依大风预报个例中,对于山区地形背风坡处的克拉玛依站,不启动重力波拖曳会导致风速偏大和起风时间较早;开启外层重力波拖曳方案可以延迟克拉玛依站起风时间,两重区域均开启可以进一步延迟该站的起风时间,使起风时间更接近实况;对于非山区地形背风坡处的站点,在内层开启重力波拖曳会导致一定的负效果;对内层区域的统计检验结果表明不开启重力波拖曳,会使地形复杂区域风场预报存在一定的正偏差,在外层开启重力波拖曳会使正偏差有一定改善,而两重嵌套均开启重力波拖曳方案会导致非地形陡峭区域的负偏差增加。综合全区域内大风预报检验结果表明,只在外层开启重力波拖曳会获得最小的误差和较好的预报效果。     

Random-walk model studies of the transport and diffusion of pollutants in katabatic flows

The flow and turbulence quantities governing dispersion in katabatic flows vary with both height and downslope distance. This variation cannot be accounted for in conventional plume dispersion models. In this study, three random-walk models of varying complexity are formulated to simulate dispersion in katabatic flows, and their strengths and weaknesses are discussed. The flow and turbulence parameters required by these models are determined from a high-resolution two-dimensional katabatic flow model based on a turbulent kinetic energy closure. Random-walk model calculations have been performed for several values of source height and slope angle to examine the influence of these parameters on dispersion. Finally, we simulated the perfluorocarbon and heavy methane tracer releases for Night 4 of the 1980 ASCOT field study over a nearly two-dimensional slope in Anderson Creek Valley, California. The observed peak concentrations are generally well-predicted. The effects of the pooling of the drainage air could not be taken into account in our katabatic flow model and, consequently, the predicted concentrations decay much more rapidly with time than the observed values.     

The Influence of Weakly-Nonlinear Vertical Advection on the Wind Field of PBL with Large-Scale Orography

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