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.

     

Wind‐induced microseisms from Lake Ontario

Abstract

The characteristics of microseisms measured in four vaults of the Southern Ontario Seismic Network within 30 km of the shore of Lake Ontario are analysed. It is shown that the rms values in the 1–3 Hz band are coherent between the stations, indicating a common generative mechanism. A distinct onshore intermittent flux of Rayleigh‐like wave energy was detected at a site near the shore. Microseismic energy in this band is distinctly correlated with the wind speed. The incremental microseismic energy above an absolute minimum activity as a function of wind direction, for a given fixed wind speed, correlates with the average fetch of the wind over the lake, indicating that the source of microseisms is the lake itself. The sensitivity to fetch effects is similar for both onshore and offshore stations indicating that shoaling is probably not a source. Niagara Falls, which also can have a wind‐dependent flow from Lake Erie, causes a measurable effect to at least 25 km but does not significantly affect stations at a distance of 150 km.     

A numerical simulation of an observed lake breeze over Southern Lake Ontario

A time-dependent, two-dimensional primitive-equation atmospheric boundary-layer model has been applied to the South shore of Lake Ontario, using data obtained by Estoque et al. (1976).The model has correctly predicted the times of onset, maximum intensity and disappearance of the lake breeze. However, it underestimated the maximum inland penetration of the lake breeze, probably due to the fact that horizontal variations of surface potential temperature over the land had not been taken into account.     

A three-dimensional numerical sensitivity study of convection over the Florida peninsula

The Florida peninsula has the highest annual number of days with thunderstorms in the United States, partly due to sea breeze convergence. A three-dimensional mesoscale planetary boundary layer (PBL) model with the E- turbulence closure is used to investigate the relationship between sea breeze convergence and convection over the peninsula for two ambient wind cases during typical summer days.It is found that the spatial and temporal variation of the sea breeze convergence zones and the associated convective activities depend to a large extent on the direction and magnitude of the ambient wind. For the case of southeasterly ambient winds, a strong convergence zone and hence significant rainfall occur primarily along the west coast of the peninsula. The convergence zone and the associated rainfall shift towards the east coast for the case of southwesterly ambient winds. These are in agreement with the observations. In contrast to the southeasterly and southwesterly ambient winds, an intense convergence zone and rainfall occur near both coastlines of the peninsula under light ambient winds.It is also found that lake Okeechobee has a substantial influence on south Florida's mesoscale weather. A cloudless region is always present over the lake at least until late afternoon due to its own lake breeze circulation. Finally, increased roughness of the land surface appears to influence the temporal and spatial variation of the convection by determining the intensity of the vertical turbulent transport of heat and momentum.     

Patterns of weak,near-surface winds at Melbourne,Australia

Up to 30 months of near-surface anemograph records have been examined from 13 locations in and near Melbourne, Australia, to determine the wind patterns which existed during prolonged periods of light winds (at least 3 hours at 2 m s^-1 or less). A coherent katabatic wind system was found to develop in at least part of the monitored region on approximately 30% of nights. The flow broadly followed the slope of the basin surrounding the city, with a strong flow down the main river valley, and was partly reinforced by a land breeze in bayside areas. Other valleys also acted as channels for these winds. The general tendency of these katabatic winds was to converge towards the central business district and the northern part of Port Phillip Bay adjacent to the city centre. Where winds from different directions interacted, one of the winds dominated or successive replacement occurred causing the wind direction to vary considerably during a period.There were indications that in the presence of low-level stability with a synoptic gradient wind between east and north, the gradient flow may be deflected around the major topographic barrier to the northeast of the city. The existence of such a situation would have major implications in terms of air quality due to the possibility of pollutants being recirculated in conditions when vertical diffusion was very limited.     

巢湖流域典型站点的风场特征分析

研究巢湖流域流场特征对于认识该地区热量、水汽交换和水流运动规律具有重要意义。利用2006年合肥、肥东、巢湖、庐江站以及姥山岛自动气象站的风场资料,分析了巢湖流域典型站点的风速和风向变化特征。结果表明,陆面站点年平均风速为2.17m/s,湖面站点风速为2.41m/s。所有站点春夏季风速大于秋冬季,陆上风速具有明显的日变化,白天风速大于夜间,而湖面风速日变化较不显著。陆面站点风向季节变化明显,春夏季以偏南风为主,秋冬季以偏北风为主,春夏季的风向日变化特征较秋冬季明显,湖面站风向没有明显的季节变化。陆面站点不同程度地受到湖陆风的影响,距离湖面较近的站点受到的影响较大。湖面和陆面站点风向差距平与气温差距平的日变化保持一致,表明湖陆温差是影响巢湖流域湖陆风的关键因子。     

大理苍山—洱海局地环流的数值模拟

利用耦合了湖泊模型的WRF_CLM模式模拟了秋季大理苍山—洱海地区的局地环流特征。结果表明:模式对近地面温度、风向、风速的模拟与观测基本一致,模拟结果能较好地再现该地区山谷风和湖陆风相互作用的局地环流特征。在秋季,大理苍山的谷风起止时间为08:00~17:00(北京时,下同),湖风起止时间为09:00~19:00。局地环流受高山地形及洱海湖面影响明显,山谷风形成早于湖陆风1 h,夜间山风、陆风强盛于白天谷风、湖风。白天苍山谷风与洱海湖风的叠加作用会驱动谷风到达2600 m的高度,而傍晚最先形成的苍山山风则会减弱洱海的湖风环流。夜间盆地南部在两侧山风、陆风的共同作用下,形成稳定而持续的气旋式环流。日出以后,对流边界层迅速发展,边界层高度逐渐增高。陆地17:00温度达到最高,边界层高度也达到峰值2000 m,之后逐渐降低。日落后形成稳定边界层,边界层高度在夜间基本保持在100 m。相对于陆地,湖面白天边界层高度低300 m,夜间边界层高度高100 m。     

Characteristics of Lake Breezes and Their Impacts on Energy and Carbon Fluxes in Mountainous Areas

In mountainous lake areas, lake–land and mountain–valley breezes interact with each other, leading to an "extended lake breeze". These extended lake breezes can regulate and control energy and carbon cycles at different scales. Based on meteorological and turbulent fluxes data from an eddy covariance observation site at Erhai Lake in the Dali Basin,southwest China, characteristics of daytime and nighttime extended lake breezes and their impacts on energy and carbon dioxide exchange in 2015 are investigated. Lake breezes dominate during the daytime while, due to different prevailing circulations at night, there are two types of nighttime breezes. The mountain breeze from the Cangshan Mountain range leads to N1 type nighttime breeze events. When a cyclonic circulation forms and maintains in the southern part of Erhai Lake at night, its northern branch contributes to the formation of N2 type nighttime breeze events. The prevailing wind directions for daytime, N1, and N2 breeze events are southeast, west, and southeast, respectively. Daytime breeze events are more intense than N1 events and weaker than N2 events. During daytime breeze events, the lake breeze decreases the sensible heat flux(Hs) and carbon dioxide flux(F_{CO_2}) and increases the latent heat flux(LE). During N1 breeze events, the mountain breeze decreases Hs and LE and increases F_{CO_2}. For N2 breeze events, the southeast wind from the lake surface increases Hs and LE and decreases suppress carbon dioxide exchange.     

Lightning flash climatology in the southern great lakes region

Abstract

We have made a preliminary study of cloud‐to‐ground lightning over southern Ontario and the adjoining Great Lakes region. The lightning data set, using magnetic direction finding, is sufficiently accurate to study lightning climatology. Cloud‐to‐ground flash totals have been found for the three warm seasons 1989–91. A large variation in flash total, lightning‐day frequency and number of high flash density storms occurs over the area, with the maximum in southwestern Ontario. The area of the maximum also has a strong diurnal cycle and relatively few positive flashes. Several physical causes may contribute to this. Lake areas usually have slightly fewer flashes than nearby land areas and warm water usually has more flashes than cold water. The Great Lakes do produce more lightning than ocean areas. Convergence lines of lake breezes and other lake circulations can, however, be sites for storms with intense lightning. High surface temperature and moisture leads to an increase in lightning generation. Over land, upslope flow increases lightning‐producing storms and downslope flow decreases them. High flash density storms may be favoured by smooth rather than rough ground, and by open farmland rather than forest. On the other hand, there does not seem to be a clear urban effect increasing lightning in the Great Lakes     

湛江东海岛二月海陆风环流特征研究

利用2011年2月湛江东海岛风廓线雷达资料,系统分析了湛江东海岛2月平均风场特征及海陆风特征,结果表明:2月湛江东海岛150 m高度处以东偏北出现频率最大,在E、ENE和NE三个方位的风向出现频率之和为66.6%,偏西七个方位的风向出现频率之和仅为1%。以SSW方位为界,偏东风与偏西风的出现频率差异明显。各整点的月平均风速1:00—15:00变化较小,均在1 m/s左右波动;15:00—20:00风速及风速波动都较大,最大值出现在16:00时,为2.1 m/s。2011年2月中只有2日与14日两日符合海陆风日条件,两日共同海风时段为13:00—20:00,持续7 h;陆风时段为2:00—7:00,持续5 h。海风平均风速为2.1 m/s,陆风平均风速为0.8 m/s,海风平均风速明显大于陆风风速。海风与陆风环流垂直高度相差甚小,约1.2 km,风速随高度变化趋势均为先增后减;海风最大风速出现在750 m高度处,陆风出现在500 m高度处,500～750 m高度区间海风环流强度明显强于陆风环流。2 km之上为均匀一致的系统性西风环流。     

洞庭湖湖陆风特征与降水

本文利用洞庭湖周围岳阳、常德和益阳三站1、4、7、10月的气象资料,研究了洞庭湖湖陆风的气候特征及其对降水、特别是对暴雨的影响。分析表明洞庭湖的湖陆风是显著的,湖陆风厚度大约为300米;湖陆风转换可以引起湖陆风散度和涡度的变化,从而引起清晨和傍晚降水的加强;一年四季都有湖陆风,但夏季更为显著,冬季不太明显。     

Interacting multi-scale wind systems within an Alpine basin,Lake Tekapo,New Zealand

Summary The wind regime of the Lake Tekapo Basin is examined with reference to the interaction of multi-scale local, regional and synoptic circulations. Analysis of the historical wind direction record from Mt John identifies airflow from three principal directions to most frequently affect the study area. Both seasonal and diurnal trends in the frequency of each directional category are identified, which reflect the influence of local thermal forcings and seasonal changes in synoptic circulation on the Lake Tekapo windfield. Meteorological observations from a network of automatic weather stations and anemographs within the study area identified Lake Tekapo to generate its own circulation system, a lake/land breeze. This combines with the larger scale valley wind, which during ideal conditions continues after sunset in the upper reaches of the lake catchment. During light to moderate foehn northwesterly conditions, the combined lake breeze/valley wind system remains decoupled from the prevailing synoptic airstream. Towards evening when local thermal circulations weakened, a channelised foehn airstream often becomes dominant over the entire field area. Observations made during this investigation have a number of applied implications with respect to air pollution dispersion modelling and forecasting within alpine lake basins.With 7 Figures     

The Amazon river breeze and the local boundary layer: II. Linear analysis and modelling

Observed boundary-layer circulations close to the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers near Manaus in the Brazilian equatorial Amazon forest were presented in Part I. These are shown through linear analysis and second-order turbulence modelling to be aspects of a river breeze superimposed on the basic flow. Linear analysis is presented to estimate the spatial structure and intensity of a breeze induced by a river with width and thermal contrast similar to that observed in the central Amazon. It is found that observed thermal contrasts are sufficient to produce a river breeze that can be perceived more than 20 km inland daily. A one-dimensional second-order closure model is used to show that observed nocturnal low-level wind maxima and diurnal surface wind rotation are aspects of a river breeze interacting with the seasonally-varying mean flow. At night, partial decoupling of the surface from the lower atmosphere allows the land breeze to be expressed as a low-level wind maximum. During the day, convective mixing communicates upper level winds to the surface during rapid morning boundary-layer growth. Rotation of the surface wind follows as the river breeze circulation is then superimposed.     

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。     

Observations of Lake-Breeze Events During the Toronto 2015 Pan-American Games

Enhanced meteorological observations were made during the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games in Toronto in order to measure the vertical and horizontal structure of lake-breeze events. Two scanning Doppler lidars (one fixed and one mobile), a C-band radar, and a network including 53 surface meteorological stations (mesonet) provided pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind speed and direction measurements over Lake Ontario and urban areas. These observations captured the full evolution (prior, during, and after) of 27 lake-breeze events (73% of observation days) in order to characterize the convective and dynamic processes driving lake breezes at the local scale and mesoscale. The dominant signal of a passing lake-breeze front (LBF) was an increase in dew-point temperature of \(2.3 \pm 0.3 \,^{\circ }\hbox {C}\), coinciding with a \(180^{\circ }\) shift in wind direction and a decrease in air temperature of \(2.1 \pm 0.2 \,^{\circ }\hbox {C}\). Doppler lidar observations over the lake detected lake breezes 1 hour (on average) before detection by radar and mesonet. On days with the synoptic flow in the offshore direction, the lidars observed wedge-shaped LBFs with shallow depths, which inhibited the radar’s ability to detect the lake breeze. The LBF’s ground speed and inland penetration distance were found to be well-correlated (\(r = 0.78\)), with larger inland penetration distances occurring on days with non-opposing (non-offshore) synoptic flow. The observed enhanced vertical motion \(({>} 1\hbox { m s}^{-1})\) at the LBF, observed by the lidar on 54% of lake-breeze days, was greater (at times \({>} 2.5\hbox { m s}^{-1}\)) than that observed in previous studies and longer-lasting over the lake than over land. The weaker and less pronounced lake-breeze structure over land is illustrated in two case studies highlighting the lifetime of the lake-breeze circulation and the impact of propagation distance on lake-breeze intensity.     

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.     

Transverse upwelling in a long narrow lake,with applications to Babine Lake and Lake Michigan

Abstract

The wind generation of transverse thermocline motions in an infinitely long two‐layer channel is studied theoretically. Winds both along and across the channel are considered. Horizontal momentum transfer is parameterized by a constant coefficient of eddy viscosity. For a channel narrow compared with its internal Rossby radius of deformation, the transverse motions are uni‐modal and generated most efficiently by long‐shore winds. Theoretical results in this narrow channel limit agree well with observations made at Babine Lake, British Columbia. For a channel wide compared with its Rossby radius, the response is multi‐modal, especially for cross‐channel winds. For a model Lake Michigan, computed interfacial displacements due to a steady wind either across or along the channel are small compared with the observed displacements. However, a semi‐diurnal wind (in either direction) is in near resonance with the seventh transverse mode. Thus multi‐modal displacements as large as those observed could possibly be generated by semi‐diurnal winds across or along the channel.     

纳木错湖夏季典型大气边界层特征的数值模拟

为了进一步检验分析纳木错湖对当地地方性环流、湖气能量交换及大气边界层的影响,在本文中使用美国NCAR新版MM5V3.7非静力中尺度模式,设计了有湖面、3/4湖面、1/2湖面及无湖四组试验,以NCEP再分析资料做初、边值条件,做了48 h三重嵌套模拟试验,对比中国科学院"纳木错圈层相互作用"综合观测站实测资料,说明该模式模拟性能良好。白天在纳木错湖风与念青唐古拉山北坡谷风共同作用下,在念青唐古拉山脊处汇合,形成一强水平切变及辐合上升运动,造成了该地夏季白天复杂多变的天气;夜间由于南岸湖风与山风叠加,使得整个区域为强大南风气流控制,这也补给了水汽和热量,也为白天不稳定运动提供了能量。对大气边界层特征的模拟结果表明:由于白天(夜晚)纳木错湖的存在有很好的降温(保温)作用,该湖表现出了明显的冷(暖)湖效应;纳木错湖对感热和潜热的影响有很强的日变化,白天湖面感热、潜热均小于周围陆地,夜间湖面有强潜热通量;纳木错湖使得白天湖区边界层顶低,陆区边界层顶高,夜间相反。这样的地方性环流和大气边界层特征的配合,是该地中小尺度天气剧烈变化的重要原因。     

A modelling investigation into lake-breeze development and convection triggering in the Nam Co Lake basin,Tibetan Plateau

This paper uses the cloud resolving Active Tracer High-resolution Atmospheric Model coupled to the interactive surface model Hybrid in order to investigate the diurnal development of a lake-breeze system at the Nam Co Lake on the Tibetan Plateau. Simulations with several background wind speeds are conducted, and the interaction of the lake breeze with topography and background wind in triggering moist and deep convection is studied. The model is able to adequately simulate the systems most important dynamical features such as turbulent surface fluxes and the development of a lake breeze for the different wind conditions. We identify two different mechanisms for convection triggering that are dependent on the direction of the background wind: triggering over topography, when the background wind and the lake breeze have the same flow direction, and triggering due to convergence between the lake-breeze front and the background wind. Our research also suggests that precipitation measurements at the centre of the basins on the Tibetan Plateau are not representative for the basin as a whole as precipitation is expected to occur mainly in the vicinity of the topography.