Relation of slope winds to the ambient flow over gentle terrain

Four years of continuous tower data collected at the Risø National Laboratory are analyzed to study the climatological influence of a gentle slope on surface winds. Under very stable nocturnal conditions, the surface air tends to flow down the slope, at least intermittently, regardless of the direction of the overlying ambient wind. With more significant upslope ambient wind and only modest stability, downslope gravity flow is normally prevented. However, the slope-buoyancy effect is still of importance in that it retards the upslope flow of cold air. This effect is of climatic importance for the data studied here.     

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.     

A nonstationary nocturnal drainage flow model

The evolution and structure of the steady state of an idealized nocturnal drainage flow over a large uniformly-sloping surface are studied using a nonstationary model with a height-dependent eddy diffusivity profile and a specified surface cooling rate. The predicted mean velocity and temperature profiles are compared with Prandtl's stationary analytical solutions based on the assumption of a constant eddy diffusivity in the drainage layer. The effects of important physical parameters, such as the slope angle, surface cooling, atmospheric stability, and surface roughness, on the steady drainage flow are investigated.Affiliated with Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU).     

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.     

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.     

A simple model of drainage flow on a slope

The concept of a cold air ‘Parcel’ is introduced for describing the bulk properties of drainage flow. By means of a model based on the momentum and sensible heat transports under calm conditions, the thickness h and velocity u of the Parcel are derived in simple forms. It is shown that h and u correspond to the inversion height and maximum velocity of actual drainage flow. The governing parameters for h and u are the length and vertical drop of the slope, potential temperature difference between the ambient atmosphere and the Parcel, aerodynamic condition of the slope surface expressed by the mean bulk coefficients, and ambient stability. The mean bulk coefficients depend on the roughness lengths for the velocity and potential temperature profiles and are decreasing functions of the slope length. The Parcel Model agrees qualitatively with Manins and Sawford's (1979) model under neutral ambient stratification. But agreement is not so good under stable conditions. The thickness and velocity of drainage flow predicted by the Parcel Model agree with observations on slopes several tens of meters to several hundred kilometers long.     

Evening and Morning Transition of Katabatic Flows

An experimental investigation of the evening and morning transition phases of katabatic slope flows has been conducted to identify the mechanisms for their development and destruction over an isolated slope. The momentum and energy equations of the flow have been used to describe these mechanisms for the particular topographic features of the studied slope, and to outline the differences from the dynamics of well-developed simple slope flows. In the lowest portion of the slope, frontal characteristics have been identified in early evening periods when the local pre-existing near-surface thermal structure does not impose a katabatic acceleration. The frontal shape is determined by the near-surface thermal stability and ambient wind. The flow initiation is distinctly different when it is linked to the local surface cooling, in which case it develops gradually and produces a slight local warming.The erosion of the katabatic layer at mid-slope precedes that at the foot and is closely linked to dilution of the local surface inversion. The flow erosion at the foot is often delayed, as the warming of air proceeds uniformly at all heights near the ground, so maintaining the inversion due to warming produced by mixing and advective processes linked to the upslope flow development. The latter initiates first at mid-slope and then at the foot, where for a non-negligible time period it flows over the persistent katabatic flow. The prerequisite for the development of this structure is the maintenance of a shallow inversion in the first 2–3 m above the ground surface.The morning dilution of the katabatic flow is apparently different from common experience over simple slopes and may be attributed to the steep upper portion of the slope in association with its easterly orientation, which results in strong non-uniformity of the solar heating along the slope.     

Influence of soil moisture on simulations of katabatic flow

Summary Simulations of katabatic flow with a two-dimensional dynamic numerical model with a soil parameterization indicate that downslope flow developed over a moist slope is weaker than that over a dry slope. This agrees with earlier findings that daytime anabatic (upslope) flow is weaker over a moister slope. But, whereas the weaker anabatic flow is produced because surface evaporation prevents the moist slope from heating as much as a dry slope, the weaker katabatic flow is produced over moist slopes because (1) the soil thermal conductivity is greater in moist soil, and (2) downward longwave radiation flux from the atmosphere to the surface is greater because of higher humidity in the air near the surface from evaporation. The higher thermal conductivity allows warmer soil temperatures (heat) to diffuse upward to the soil surface and prevents the surface temperature from becoming as cold in the moist run as in the dry run.With 6 Figures     

The Effect of Surface Heating on Hill-Induced Flow Separation

A series of two-dimensional mixing length model simulations of boundary-layer flow over idealised ridges of varying steepness are conducted to investigate the effect of surface heating on flow separation. The relatively simple numerical approach used permits characterisation of the influence of heating for a variety of initial conditions and parameter values. For steep terrain, increased surface heating is shown to enhance the strength and extent of hill-induced separation. For more moderate terrain, a critical heating strength is required for a given hill width and background flow speed before separation is initiated. Sensitivity tests show the results to be insensitive to model parameters or the choice of mixing length. The results are accounted for using a scaling analysis in terms of a non-dimensional stability parameter.     

Influence of non-flat terrain and wind direction shear on canopy turbulence

We have analyzed eddy covariance data collected within open canopy to investigate the influence of non-flat terrain and wind direction shear on the canopy turbulence. The study site is located on non-flat terrain with slopes in both south-north and east-west directions. The surface elevation change is smaller than the height of roughness element such as building and tree at this site. A variety of turbulent statistics were examined as a function of wind direction in near-neutral conditions. Heterogeneous surface characteristics results in significant differences in measured turbulent statistics. Upwind trees on the flat and up-sloping terrains yield typical features of canopy turbulence while upwind elevated surface with trees yields significant wind direction shear, reduced u and w skewness, and negligible correlation between u and w. The directional dependence of turbulence statistics is due that strong wind blows more horizontally rather than following terrain, and hence combination of slope related momentum flux and canopy eddy motion decreases the magnitude of Sk _w and r _uw for the downslope flow while it enhances them for the upslope flow. Significant v skewness to the west indicates intermittent downdraft of northerly wind, possibly due to lateral shear of wind in the presence of significant wind direction shear. The effects of wind direction shear on turbulent statistics were also examined. The results showed that correlation coefficient between lateral velocities and vertical velocity show significant dependence on wind direction shear through change of lateral wind shear. Quadrant analysis shows increased outward interaction and reduced role of sweep motion for longitudinal momentum flux for the downslope flow. Multi-resolution analysis indicates that uw correlation shows peak at larger averaging time for the upslope flow than for the downslope flow, indicating that large eddy plays an active role in momentum transfer for the upslope flow. On the other hand, downslope flow shows larger velocity variances than other flows despite similar wind speed. These results suggest that non-flatness of terrain significantly influences on canopy-atmosphere exchange.     

环境风场对地形对流云发展的影响

通过一个带地形处理的二维弹性对流云数值模式，模拟了斜坡地形上不同的环境风对地形对流云发展的影响。模拟结果表明，环境风场对于地形抬升产生的对流云的发展强度、云体结构以及地面降水等具有重大的影响。当中上层风与爬坡风的方向相反时，环境风切变和中上层风速越大，对流的强度越大；当中上层风和爬坡风方向一致时，环境风切变削弱对流云的最大强度。     

Sea-breeze scaling from numerical model simulations,part II: Interaction between the sea breeze and slope flows

Numerical model simulations of sea-breeze circulations in the presence of idealized topography are subjected to dimensional analysis in order to capture the dynamics of the sea-breeze circulation combined with an upslope-flow circulation. A secondary objective is to reconcile previous results based on observations. The analysis is based on a scaling analysis of sea-breeze speed, depth and volume flux. This study is motivated by the fact that the literature of sea breezes interacting with upslope flows is generally qualitative. Results show clear scaling regimes and strong interaction between the two thermally driven circulations. We distinguish three regimes, depending on slope length, slope angle, stability and surface heat flux. The first and third regimes obey the scaling laws of pure sea-breeze scaling. The second regime shows a significant decrease in the scaled volume flux relative to pure sea-breeze scaling. Dynamical relations in the second regime show a strong influence on the circulation of upslope stable air advection.     

Observations of the Relation Between Upslope Flows and the Convective Boundary Layer in Steep Terrain

Slope flow mechanisms are crucial for the transport of air pollutants in complex terrain. Previous observations in sloping terrain showed upslope flows filling the entire convective boundary layer (CBL) and reducing air pollution concentrations by venting air pollutants out of the CBL into the free atmosphere. During the Pacific 2001 Air Quality Field Study in the Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada, we observed slope flows during weak synoptic winds, clear skies, and strong daytime solar heating. With a Doppler sodar we measured the three wind components at the foot of a slope having an average angle of 19° and a ridge height of 780 m. We operated a scanning lidar system and a tethersonde at a nearby site on the adjacent plain to measure backscatter of particulate matter, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and specific humidity. Strong daytime upslope flows of up to 6 m s⁻¹ through a depth of up to 500 m occurred in the lower CBL, but with often equally strong and deep return flows in the upper part of the CBL. The mass transport of upslope flow and return flow approximately balanced over a 4-h morning period, suggesting a closed slope-flow circulation within the CBL. These observations showed that air pollutants can remain trapped within a CBL rather than being vented from the CBL into the free atmosphere.     

2D Airflow over a Double Bell-Shaped Mountain

Summary. ?The airflow over an idealized orography with two mountain peaks and a valley between is investigated using a non-linear numerical model. The flow is assumed to be two-dimensional and nonrotational. Surface friction is neglected. This setup is a first step in studying the modifications a finely structured “real” topography introduces to the well-studied flow over one isolated obstacle. The sensitivity of the flow behavior to the valley width is examined for the case of specified mountain volume as well as constant non-dimensional mountain height. Flow patterns for linear, weakly nonlinear, wave breaking and upstream blocking cases are examined. Whereas the nondimensional mountain height is still the main measure of the nonlinearity of the flow, the differing steepness of upslope and downslope caused by the separating valley, strengthens nonlinear effects. It also modifies wave breaking and upstream blocking. For wide enough valleys wave breaking regions can form above both peaks. Received January 20, 1999/Revised June 28, 1999     

A preliminary study of the formation of precipitation systems under undisturbed conditions during TAMEX

Summary The effect of mountains on the occurrence of precipitation systems on Taiwan island is very significant, especially as mountain areas occupy about two-thirds of the land-mass. The mountains are, on average, about 3 km high. To investigate the formation of precipitation systems influenced by Pacific high pressure systems, we selected five cases (May 24, 25 and 26, June 19 and 20 in 1987) during a field program, TAMEX (Taiwan Area Mesoscale Experiment, Kuo and Chen, 1990). In all cases most of the rainfall took place in the afternoon when the level of free convection (LFC) was at about the 1 km height. If the average wind (below 3 km in height) was from the south (May 25 and 26), higher amounts of precipitation would be found along the sloped areas of western and eastern Taiwan. Rainfall also occurred in southern and northern Taiwan. If the average wind was from the southwest (May 24), the precipitation pattern was similar to that on May 25, except over the plains area in southwest and northeast Taiwan, where the amount was less. However, if the prevailing wind direction changed little with height and the average wind was from the south-southeast (June 19), higher rainfall amounts occurred from northwestern to central Taiwan. If the average wind was from the south and wind direction changed little with height (June 20), higher rainfall amounts took place in northern and central Taiwan. A nonhydrostatic model was used to simulate the formation of precipitation systems in all five cases. Simulation results indicated that the mixing ratio of rainwater could occur on the upstream side of a mountain slope and in the central mountain areas, where topographic lifting from the environmental wind and an upslope flow due to surface heating were evident. On the downstream side of the mountain, upward motion due to lee-side convergence and upslope motion from surface heating would also help rain form.With 13 Figures     

太行山东麓一次强对流降雹过程中的地形强迫

利用WRF模式对2011年5月26日发生在太行山东麓的一次强对流降雹过程进行数值模拟,探讨了太行山及周边地形在本次强对流过程的作用。结果表明,控制华北平原的偏东暖湿气流受太行山阻挡并与切变线东南侧的西南暖湿气流汇合,在太行山东侧形成水汽高值区。太行山东坡下垫面向上热通量明显高于华北平原,午后850hPa高度山坡与平原的假相当位温梯度达到0.2 K·km~(-1),850~600 hPa假相当位温垂直梯度达4 K·km~(-1),对应上坡风的垂直速度大于1 m·s~(-1),热力环流为太行山东麓对流的发生提供了动力条件。太行山东侧暖湿气层之上为偏西干冷气流,由此形成的强热力不稳定与水汽高值区、上坡风共同造成太行山东麓强对流过程的发生。局地小尺度地形抬升与重力波共同促使太原盆地有对流单体生成,该单体移经太行山西侧迎风坡受阻挡抬升而增强,越过山顶后与维持在太行山东侧的对流单体发生合并,从而导致对流云的强烈发展。     

A New Large-Eddy Simulation Model for Simulating Air Flow and Warm Clouds Above Highly Complex Terrain. Part II: The Moist Model and its Application to Banner Clouds

In Part I the dry version of a new large-eddy simulation (LES) model was presented that is specifically designed to simulate air flow and clouds above highly complex terrain. Here the implemented moisture physics are described and a new method for the generation of turbulent inflow conditions for meteorological LES is proposed. As a typical area of application the new model is applied to simulate banner clouds developing downwind of pyramidal mountain peaks. Banner clouds are shown to be primarily a dynamical phenomenon, and form in the lee of steep mountain peaks as a result of dynamically forced lee upslope flow. Due to the highly asymmetric flow field induced by the extreme orography, banner clouds can form even under horizontally homogeneous initial conditions regarding both moisture and temperature. Thus, additional leeward moisture sources, distinct air masses on both windward and leeward sides, or radiation effects are no prerequisite for banner-cloud formation. The probability of banner-cloud formation increases with increasing obstacle height and steepness and is, to a first approximation, independent of the pyramid’s orientation. Simulations with and without moisture physics reveal that, for the set-up chosen, moisture is of only secondary importance for banner-cloud dynamics. The reinforcement of lee upslope flow and corresponding cloud formation due to latent heat release turns out to be almost negligible. Nevertheless moisture physics are shown to induce a dipole-like structure in the vertical profile of the Brunt-Väisälä frequency, which in turn leads to a moderate increase in leeward turbulence.     

Orographic effects on a conditionally unstable flow over an idealized three-dimensional mesoscale mountain

Summary Idealized numerical simulations using the Weather and Research Forecast (WRF) model indicate that three flow regimes, based on the moist Froude number, can be identified for a conditionally unstable, rotational, horizontally homogeneous, uniformly stratified flow over an idealized, three-dimensional, mesoscale mountain stretched spanwise to the impinging flow: (I) a quasi-stationary upslope convective system and an upstream-propagating convective system, (II) a quasi-stationary upslope convective system, and (III) a stationary upslope convective system and a quasi-stationary downstream convective system. Several major differences from a similar type of flow with no rotation over a two-dimensional mountain range are found. One important finding is that relatively strong mean flow produces a quasi-stationary mesoscale convective system (MCS) and maximum rainfall on the windward slope (upslope rain), instead of on the mountain peak or over the lee side.We found that the Coriolis force helps produce heavy upslope rainfall by making transition from flow-around the eastern part of the upslope to flow-over the western part of the upslope (transits to a higher flow regime) by deflecting the incident southerly flow to become east–southeasterly barrier winds. We found that the addition of the western flank of the arc-shaped mountain helps slow down the barrier wind from east and causes the maximum rainfall to move east of the windward slope. A lower-Froude number flow tends to produce a rainfall maximum near the concave region.Several other important facts can also be found in this study. The ratio of the maximum grid scale rainfall to the sub-grid scale rainfall increases when the moist Froude number increases. When the CAPE decreases, it is found that the upstream moist flow tends to shift to a higher Froude-number regime. Therefore, the Froude number cannot solely be used to define a moist flow regime when different CAPEs are considered. In another word, other parameters, such as CAPE, might play an important role in determining moist flow regimes.     

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     

地形辐射效应参数化对海南岛海风环流结构和云水分布模拟的影响

采用非静力中尺度模式WRF研究地形辐射效应参数化对海南岛2012年7月5日多云天气条件下的海风环流结构和云水分布模拟的影响, 并分析了差异产生的可能原因。地形辐射效应是考虑坡地辐射强迫后, 辐射与大气中的各种气体、云以及非均匀下垫面间相互反馈的累积效应。其中地形辐射效应参数化的使用使得温度的模拟更接近实际, 对水汽的模拟也有一定改进能力, 对风速、风向的改进效果不明显。考虑地形辐射效应后, 海风的发生发展演变过程及风场的水平分布无显著变化, 但局地海风以及海风对流云的位置和强度有较明显的改变。山区四周的海风环流结构和对流云的变化与坡地辐射强迫直接相关, 考虑地形辐射效应后, 山坡向阳面的海风有所增强, 背阳面的海风减弱; 向阳坡谷风减弱, 背阳坡谷风增强; 同时紧临海岸的山坡对海风的影响与岛上山坡对谷风的作用类似。平坦地区的海风环流和海风对流云总体上有所减弱, 其变化原因比较复杂。各向海风的强度变化最终会改变海风辐合线的分布, 使海风潜在降水区域发生变化。