A three-dimensional numerical sensitivity study of mesoscale circulations induced by circular lakes

Summary A three-dimensional mesoscale planetary boundary layer model with theE- turbulence closure is used to simulate airflow over a lake of circular shape. A series of model sensitivity studies are performed to examine the effects of lake-land temperature difference, ambient wind magnitude and direction, lake size, surface roughness, the Coriolis force and baroclinic ambient wind conditions on mesoscale lake circulations.The lake-land temperature difference is essentially the basic energy source driving the mesoscale circulations over the lake on synoptically undisturbed days. A lake-breeze convergence zone is predicted by the model due to the differential heating between the land and the water. It is found that spatial and temporal variations of this convergence zone and associated convection are strongly controlled by the direction and the magnitude of the ambient wind. Under southeasterly and southwesterly ambient winds, the lake-breeze convergence zone and the associated convection occur primarily along up wind and lateral sides of the lake with reference to the general direction of the ambient flow. In contrast to the southeasterly and southwesterly ambient winds, the lake-breeze convergence zone and the convection are predicted all around the coastline of the lake under calm wind.The model also predicts a cloudless region over the lake in all the case studies due to divergent nature of the lake-breeze circulation. The lake size is found to have a significant effect in intensifying convection. Surface roughness over the land surface is found to be important in determining the intensity of the convection. The combined effect of the Coriolis force and the differential surface roughness between land and water appear to be the responsible mechanism for producing the asymmetric shape of the lake-breeze convergence zone around the symmetric circular lake. Finally, it was found that an initial baroclinic flow has different mesoscale lake-breeze circulation patterns as compared to an initial barotropic flow.With 16 Figures     

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     

Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and its exceptional wind system

From 1973–1976, research was performed around the Sea of Galilee, aimed at examining the wind regime in the area and whether the area develops a land-sea breeze despite its particular topographical location.

The main conclusions were:
1. During the summer mornings a lake breeze develops, blowing towards the shores of the lake. It ceases at the peak of its development when a westerly wind, originating in the development of a breeze along the Israeli Mediterranean coast, plunges towards the lake.
2. Late at night, a wind flow develops from the land towards the lake, which combines with the katabatic winds that blow along the steep slopes surrounding the Kinneret.
3. The stations at the upper level, at a height of 400–500 m above the Kinneret, are not affected by the lake breeze during the day or by the land breeze at night.
4. In winter, the Kinneret lake breeze is almost as developed as in summer, because the westerly winds, originating in the Mediterranean sea breeze which hardly develops in this season, do not plunge into the Kinneret.

     

Small-Scale Variability in the Coastal Atmospheric Boundary Layer

The influence of the main large-scale wind directions on thermally driven mesoscale circulations at the Baltic southwest coast, southeast of Sweden, is examined. The aim of the study is to highlight small-scale alterations in the coastal atmospheric boundary layer. A numerical three-dimensional mesoscale model is used in this study, which is focused on an overall behaviour of the coastal jets, drainage flows, sea breezes, and a low-level eddy-type flow in particular. It is shown that synoptic conditions, together with the moderate terrain of the southeast of Sweden (max. height h₀ 206 m), governs the coastal mesoscale dynamics triggered by the land-sea temperature difference T. The subtle nature of coastal low-level jets and sea breezes is revealed; their patterns are dictated by the interplay between synoptic airflow, coastline orientation, and T.The simulations show that coastal jets typically occur during nighttime and vary in height, intensity and position with respect to the coast; they interact with downslope flows and the background wind. For the assigned land surface temperature (varying ±8 K from the sea temperature) and the opposing constant geostrophic wind 8 m s^-1, the drainage flow is more robust to the opposing ambient flow than the sea breeze later on. Depending on the part of the coast under consideration, and the prevailing ambient wind, the sea breeze can be suppressed or enhanced, stationary at the coast or rapidly penetrating inland, locked up in phase with another dynamic system or almost independently self-evolving. A low-level eddy structure is analyzed. It is governed by tilting, divergence and horizontal advection terms. The horizontal extent of the coastal effects agrees roughly with the Rossby radius of deformation.     

海陆风环流在天津2009年9月26日局地暴雨过程中的作用

利用常规天气资料、地面加密自动站资料、天津中尺度模式产品资料以及卫星云图和多普勒雷达等资料,对2009年9月26日出现在天津地区的局地暴雨过程进行天气学、动力学诊断分析和中尺度分析.结果表明,本次暴雨的天气尺度主要的影响系统是500 hPa高空槽,中尺度系统是由海陆风环流形成的地面中尺度辐合线.降水前天津市具有较好的热力不稳定条件,较好的能量储备,有利的动力条件,一定量级的水汽辐合,边界层的东风将渤海的水汽输送至天津市,是本次过程的主要水汽来源.天气尺度的积云对流与海风锋的碰撞触发不稳定能量的释放,引发第一阶段的强降水,边界层东风急流再度加强所产生的抬升效应引发第二阶段的降水.中尺度切变线通过提供带状辐合上升运动起着胚胎和组织积云对流的作用,使得降水回波和对流云团沿中尺度切变线发展、加强和移动,产生了明显的列车效应,导致了这场历史罕见的秋季局部暴雨过程,也充分凸显出海陆风环流对本次暴雨的重要作用.     

渤海北部东岸海风锋活动及其触发对流特征分析

利用常规观测、雷达、卫星及加密自动气象站等资料,对2015年、2018年和2019年渤海北部东岸海风锋活动及其触发的对流特征进行统计分析.结果表明:不同年份渤海北部东岸海风锋活动的差异较大,海风锋主要出现在6—8月,其中7月最多;海风锋可分为沿山型、北部沿海型和混合型3种,其中沿山型占比70％以上,海风锋东移到达沿山地...     

Numerical Simulations of a Florida Sea Breeze and Its Interactions with Associated Convection: Effects of Geophysical Representation and Model Resolution

The Florida peninsula in the USA has a frequent occurrence of sea breeze(SB)thunderstorms.In this study,the numerical simulation of a Florida SB and its associated convective initiation(CI)is simulated using the mesoscale community Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF)model in one-way nested domains at different horizontal resolutions.Results are compared with observations to examine the accuracy of model-simulated SB convection and factors that influence SB CI within the simulation.It is found that the WRF model can realistically reproduce the observed SB CI.Differences are found in the timing,location,and intensity of the convective cells at different domains with various spatial resolutions.With increasing spatial resolution,the simulation improvements are manifested mainly in the timing of CI and the orientation of the convection after the sea breeze front(SBF)merger into the squall line over the peninsula.Diagnoses indicate that accurate representation of geophysical variables(e.g.,coastline and bay shape,small lakes measuring 10-30 km2),better resolved by the high resolution,play a significant role in improving the simulations.The geophysical variables,together with the high resolution,impact the location and timing of SB CI due to changes in low-level atmospheric convergence and surface sensible heating.More importantly,they enable Florida lakes(30 km2 and larger)to produce noticeable lake breezes(LBs)that collide with the SBFs to produce CI.Furthermore,they also help the model reproduce a stronger convective squall line caused by merging SBs,leading to more accurate locations of postfrontal convective systems.     

“5.7”广州局地突发特大暴雨中尺度特征及成因分析

2017年5月7日广州局地突发特大暴雨,降水集中爆发于广州北部复杂地形区,单点小时雨量大、强降雨持续时间长。然而降水发生于副热带高压边缘、无明显的低空急流等天气系统配合,为弱强迫背景下的华南前汛期暴雨,加之珠三角地形复杂,其触发和组织维持机制等问题引起了气象科研和预报工作者的广泛关注。针对其降水特点,采用5 min自动气象站观测、分钟雨量、风廓线雷达、葵花8号气象卫星红外等高时空分辨率观测数据探讨中尺度对流系统的触发和组织维持过程,发现:中纬度入海高压南侧偏东风和低层切变系统为珠三角边界层南风风速辐合提供了有利的天气背景,喇叭口地形增强了风速辐合。小尺度地形辐射降温配合城市热岛在山前形成高温度梯度区,山风与南风对峙使地面辐合线在山前移速变慢有助于热带云团的生成。地形阻挡抬升和高温度梯度加强上升运动,南风风速脉动使云团迅速向山前移动,最终对流爆发。以暖云降水为主的对流系统产生弱冷池驱动对流系统连续传播,使强降水回波面积增大并在小尺度地形影响下稳定位于增城附近,产生极端小时雨强;中尺度对流系统的单体移动方向和传播方向近乎相反导致系统移动非常缓慢,后向传播明显,最终导致长时间强降水。      

NUMERICAL STUDY ON THE LOCAL WIND STRUCTURES FORCED BY THE COMPLEX TERRAIN OF QINGDAO AREA

In this paper, some 2-D features of the down- and up-slope winds and sea-land-breeze generated over the com-plex terrain of the Qingdao area and the interaction between them are numerically analysed by use of a 2-Dnon-hydrostatic mesoscale model. The simulated results in the west-east vertical cross-section show that (1) when thelarge-scale wind is a southerly gentle one, the generated easterly down-slope wind is much stronger than with an oppo-site background wind, and the down-slope wind can trigger and intensify the land breeze corresponding to the easterncoast of Jiaozhou Bay; (2) a gentle westerly background wind will reduce the eastward sea breeze and up-slope windduring the daytime due to a cold advection, but shows a little effect on the mesoscale circulation formed in the nighttime.     

Characteristics of the sea breeze in Attica,Greece

The characteristics of the sea breeze in the Attica region of Greece, in which Athens is located, have been studied for occasions of weak synoptic-scale pressure gradient. The analysis is based on synoptic observations from six meteorological stations, three on the coast and three inland. The three inland stations and one of the coastal stations lie almost in a straight line at different distances from the coast. For each meteorological station, the basic characteristics of the sea breeze were determined, i.e.,

1. The mean number of sea-breeze days for each calendar month.
2. The monthly mean wind speed for each synoptic hour.
3. The times of onset and cessation of the sea breeze.
4. The monthly vector mean wind, and its constancy ‘Constancy’ is defined as 100{itV{inr}/V{ins}}, where {itV{inr}} is the magnitude of the vector mean wind, and {itV{ins}} is the scalar mean wind speed. See Brooks and Carruthers (1953). (In this paper, the factor 100 is not used.) for each synoptic hour.
5. For days on which there was a sea breeze at Helliniko (the coastal reference station), the percentage number of days on which there was also a sea breeze at the given station.

An attempt was also made to determine further characteristics, such as the inland penetration of the sea breeze, its depth, the spatial and temporal variation of wind speed and direction, and the existence of the return flow. Finally, the properties of the land breeze are briefly outlined.     

Numerical experiments investigating the orographic effects on a heavy rainfall event over the northwestern coast of Taiwan during TAMEX IOP 13

An unusual heavy coastal rainfall event (>231?mm?day^?1) occurred during the period of 24?C25 June 1987 over the lowland (elevation less than 200?m) and coastal areas in northwest and central Taiwan. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is used to investigate the role of synoptic forcing, orographic effects and the diurnal heating cycle on the generation of a prefrontal localized low-level convergence zone offshore leading to the observed coastal rainfall maximum. This case is well simulated by the control experiment initialized at 0000 UTC (0800 LST) 24 June 1987 using the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts data. A model sensitivity test without Taiwan??s terrain fails to reproduce the observed coastal rainfall maximum. It is apparent that for this case, synoptic forcing by the Mei-Yu jet/front system is inadequate to initiate deep convection leading to the development of coastal heavy precipitation. The generation of the localized low-level convergence zone is closely related to the simulated strong winds with a large southwesterly wind component (or the barrier jet) along the northwestern coast as the surface front approaches. The development of the simulated barrier jet is due to a 50?C60% increase in the meridional pressure gradient as a result of orographic blocking. The diurnal heating cycle also impacts the strength of the simulated barrier jet over the northwestern Taiwan coast. The simulated barrier jet is stronger (~3?m?s^?1) in the early morning than in the afternoon as orographic blocking is most significant when the surface air is the coldest. The representation of the terrain in the model impacts the simulated barrier jet and rainfall. With a coarse horizontal resolution (45?km), orographic blocking is less significant than the control run with a much weaker meridional wind component over the northwestern coast of Taiwan. The coarse resolution model fails to reproduce the observed rainband off the northwestern coast. Thus, to successfully simulate this type of event, high-resolution mesoscale models adequately depicting Taiwan??s terrain are required.     

Mesoscale modeling study of severe convection over complex terrain

Short squall lines that occurred over Lishui, southwestern Zhejiang Province, China, on 5 July 2012, were investigated using the WRF model based on 1°× 1° gridded NCEP Final Operational Global Analysis data. The results from the numerical simulations were particularly satisfactory in the simulated radar echo, which realistically reproduced the generation and development of the convective cells during the period of severe convection. The initiation of this severe convective case was mainly associated with the uplift effect of mesoscale mountains, topographic convergence, sufficient water vapor, and enhanced low-level southeasterly wind from the East China Sea. An obvious wind velocity gradient occurred between the Donggong Mountains and the southeast coastline, which easily enabled wind convergence on the windward slope of the Donggong Mountains; both strong mid–low-level southwesterly wind and low-level southeasterly wind enhanced vertical shear over the mountains to form instability; and a vertical coupling relation between the divergence on the upper-left side of the Donggong Mountains and the convergence on the lower-left side caused the convection to develop rapidly. The convergence centers of surface streams occurred over the mountain terrain and updrafts easily broke through the lifting condensation level(LCL) because of the strong wind convergence and topographic lift, which led to water vapor condensation above the LCL and the generation of the initial convective cloud. The centers of surface convergence continually created new convective cells that moved with the southwest wind and combined along the Donggong Mountains, eventually forming a short squall line that caused severe convective weather.     

The inland boundary layer at low latitudes: II Sea-breeze influences

Two-dimensional mesoscale model results support the claim of evening sea-breeze activity at Daly Waters, 280 km inland from the coast in northern Australia, the site of the Koorin boundary-layer experiment. The sea breeze occurs in conditions of strong onshore and alongshore geostrophic winds, not normally associated with such activity. It manifests itself at Daly Waters and in the model as a cooling in a layer 500–1000 m deep, as an associated surface pressure jump, as strong backing of the wind and, when an offshore low-level wind is present, as a collapse in the inland nocturnal jet.Both observational analysis and model results illustrate the rotational aspects of the deeply penetrating sea breeze; in our analysis this is represented in terms of a surge vector — the vector difference between the post- and pre-frontal low-level winds.There is further evidence to support earlier work that the sea breeze during the afternoon and well into the night — at least for these low-latitude experiments — behaves in many ways as an atmospheric gravity current, and that inland penetrations up to 500 km occur.     

太湖地区湖陆风对雷暴过程影响的数值模拟

利用耦合了NOAH陆面模式的WRF中尺度数值模式,对2010年8月18日发生在太湖地区的一次强雷暴过程进行数值模拟,并将模拟结果与实况进行对比。结果表明:模式能较合理地模拟出雷暴演变过程及近地面要素变化。此次雷暴天气过程发生在湖风发展强盛时期,雷暴沿东岸湖风与背景风形成的辐合线发展。通过两个敏感性试验,研究了太湖地区湖陆风对雷暴过程的影响。湖风锋对雷暴过程起触发和增强作用,湖风锋的阻挡和抬升作用导致此次雷暴的产生。在湖风锋前缘形成的初始对流进一步发展加强为雷暴,发展成熟的雷暴低层出流又与湖风作用形成新的雷暴,湖风的辐合为对流云的发展提供水汽和能量。在雷暴的形成发展过程中,感热通量输送可改变大气边界层结构,使低层不稳定能量较易释放,潜热释放加强上升和下沉气流,使边界层湿度增大,对流进一步发展增强。     

Simulation of coastal winds along the central west coast of India using the MM5 mesoscale model

A high-resolution mesoscale numerical model (MM5) has been used to study the coastal atmospheric circulation of the central west coast of India, and Goa in particular. The model is employed with three nested domains. The innermost domain of 3 km mesh covers Goa and the surrounding region. Simulations have been carried out for three different seasons—northeast (NE) monsoon, transition period and southwest (SW) monsoon with appropriate physics options to understand the coastal wind system. The simulated wind speed and direction match well with the observations. The model winds show the presence of a sea breeze during the NE monsoon season and transition period, and its absence during the SW monsoon season. In the winter period, the synoptic flow is northeasterly (offshore) and it weakens the sea breeze (onshore flow) resulting in less diurnal variation, while during the transition period, the synoptic flow is onshore and it intensifies the sea breeze. During the northeast monsoon at an altitude of above 750 m, the wind direction reverses, and this is the upper return current, indicating the vertical extent of the sea breeze. A well-developed land sea breeze circulation occurs during the transition period, with vertical extension of 300 and 1,100 m, respectively.     

An Analysis of a Meso-β System in a Mei-yu Front Using the Intensive Observation Data During CHeRES 2002

The conventional and intensive observational data of the China Heavy Rain Experiment and Study (CHeRES) are used to specially analyze the heavy rainfall process in the mei-yu front that occurred during 20-21 June 2002, focusing on the meso-β system. A mesoscale convective system (MCS) formed in the warm-moist southwesterly to the south of the shear line over the Dabie Mountains and over the gorge between the Dabie and Jiuhua Mountains. The mei-yu front and shear line provide a favorable synoptic condition for the development of convection. The GPS observation indicates that the precipitable water increased obviously about 2 3 h earlier than the occurrence of rainfall and decreased after that. The abundant moisture transportation by southwesterly wind was favorable to the maintenance of convective instability and the accumulation of convective available potential energy (CAPE). Radar detection reveals that meso-β and -γ systems were very active in the Mα CS. Several convection lines developed during the evolution of the MαCS, and these are associated with surface convergence lines. The boundary outflow of the convection line may have triggered another convection line. The convection line moved with the mesoscale surface convergence line, but the convective cells embedded in the convergence line propagated along the line. On the basis of the analyses of the intensive observation data, a multi-scale conceptual model of heavy rainfall in the mei-yu front for this particular case is proposed.     

Numerical experiments investigating the mechanisms of a heavy rainfall event over northeastern Taiwan and a mesovortex during TAMEX

Summary This study analyzes the mechanisms of the development of a heavy rainfall event (17 June 1987) over the lee side of the Central Mountain Range (CMR) in northeastern Taiwan during the southwesterly monsoon. This heavy rainfall event was examined using gridded data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, surface rainfall data and numerical model results, employing a non-hydrostatic fifth-generation mesoscale model (MM5) developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research and Pennsylvania State University. A tropical depression was simulated over the northern South China Sea on 16 June. Convergence, resulting from the southeasterly winds associated with the circulation from the tropical depression, and northeasterly winds over the Taiwan Strait, occurred over the northern Bashi Channel at 850 hPa. The convergence amplified planetary vorticity and the vorticity associated with the intensifying tropical depression. Consequently, a mesovortex with low pressure over the northeastern edge of the tropical depression near southern Taiwan was produced. Additional convergence over the ocean adjacent to southern Taiwan caused by the interaction between the northeasterly flow, which was deflected over the southeastern slope of the CMR, and the southeasterly flow of the tropical depression, also affected the intensity of the mesovortex. When the mesovortex moved northward and reached southern Taiwan, the southeasterly flow associated with it interacted with an east-southeasterly flow, which was related to the tropical depression, to form a mesoscale convective system (MCS) over the ocean adjacent to southeastern Taiwan. As the mesovortex moved northward, the MCS, which was embedded in the southeasterly flow, also drifted inland toward northeastern Taiwan. The orographic lifting and the ascending motion associated with the deceleration of the easterly flow near the CMR enhanced the MCS over northeastern Taiwan and produced heavy rainfall. To examine the role of Taiwan’s orography on the modelled rainfall, two simulations were conducted; one which included Taiwan’s orography and one which excluded it. In both simulations, the mesovortex in the northern Bashi Channel and the MCS near southeastern Taiwan were reproduced. However, in the simulation excluding the orography, the mesovortex was slightly less intense. In addition, without the extra orographic lifting and the ascending motion caused by flow deceleration, rainfall over northeastern Taiwan was weaker than in the simulation with the orography.     

An Analysis of a Meso-β System in a Mei-yu Front Using the Intensive Observation Data During CHeRES 2002

The conventional and intensive observational data of the China Heavy Rain Experiment and Study (CHeRES) are used to specially analyze the heavy rainfall process in the mei-yu front that occurred during 20-21 June 2002, focusing on the meso-β system. A mesoscale convective system (MCS) formed in the warm-moist southwesterly to the south of the shear line over the Dabie Mountains and over the gorge between the Dabie and Jiuhua Mountains. The mei-yu front and shear line provide a favorable synoptic condition for the development of convection. The GPS observation indicates that the precipitable water increased obviously about 2-3h earlier than the occurrence of rainfall and decreased after that. The abundant moisture transportation by southwesterly wind was favorable to the maintenance of convective instability and the accumulation of convective available potential energy (CAPE). Radar detection reveals that meso-β and -γ systems were very active in the MαCS. Several convection lines developed during the evolution of the MαCS, and these are associated with surface convergence lines. The boundary outflow of the convection line may have triggered another convection line. The convection line moved with the mesoscale surface convergence line, but the convective cells embedded in the convergence line propagated along the line. On the basis of the analyses of the intensive observation data, a multi-scale conceptual model of heavy rainfall in the mei-yu front for this particular case is proposed.     

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