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.     

Effect of the variation in the lower tropospheric temperature on the wind onset of the Indian summer monsoon

There is a large thermal contrast between the Arabian Peninsula and India (Δθ _AI) at the mature stage of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM). The forming process of Δθ _AI is investigated analyzing various datasets. It forms earlier in the lower troposphere than in the middle and upper layers. The potential temperature in the lower troposphere over the west coast of India (θ _IW) abruptly decreases in advance of the rapid enhancement of the westerly wind over the Arabian Sea corresponding to the ISM onset. Such a process was observed for all the target years and the rapid decrease in θ _IW could trigger the ISM onset. The decrease in θ _IW had two patterns. In one case, cooler air is brought by the strong winds around a cyclone over the Arabian Sea. In another case, θ _IW decreases gradually by a synergy of a southwesterly wind over the Arabian Sea and the enlargement of Δθ _AI.     

Seasonal variation of wind direction fluctuations vs Pasquill stabilities in complex terrain

The authors have studied the seasonal variation of Σ_θ (the standard deviation of wind direction fluctuations) vs Pasquill stabilities over complex terrain. It is found that the values of Σ_θ are quite high in the month of April in contrast with other months. Values are also high when compared with those estimated over flat terrain and at a coastal site.     

Evaluation of the boundary layer depth in semi-arid region of India

The annual variation in Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) height is determined from the profiles of conserved thermodynamic variables, i.e. virtual potential temperature θ_v, equivalent potential temperature θ_e and saturated equivalent potential temperature θ_es, using radiosonde data at Anand (23°35′N, 72°55′E, 45.1 m a.s.l.), India. Out of all the variables, the θ_v profile seems to provide the most reasonable estimate of the PBL height. This has been supplemented by T–Phi gram analysis for specific days. The analysis has been done for 00, 03, 06, 09 and 12 GMT for the 14th and 15th day of each month in the year 1997 based on LASPEX-97 data. In winters the height of boundary layer is very low due to subsidence and radiation cooling while heights in pre-monsoon months exhibit large variations.     

Mesoscale observational analysis of lifting mechanism of a warm-sector convective system producing the maximal daily precipitation in China mainland during pre-summer rainy season of 2015

A long-lived, quasi-stationary mesoscale convective system (MCS) producing extreme rainfall (maximum of 542 mm) over the eastern coastal area of Guangdong Province on 20 May 2015 is analyzed by using high-resolution surface observations, sounding data, and radar measurements. New convective cells are continuously initiated along a mesoscale boundary at the surface, leading to formation and maintenance of the quasi-linear-shaped MCS from about 2000 BT 19 to 1200 BT 20 May. The boundary is originally formed between a cold dome generated by previous convection and southwesterly flow from the ocean carrying higher equivalent potential temperature (θ _e) air. The boundary is subsequently maintained and reinforced by the contrast between the MCS-generated cold outflow and the oceanic higher-θ _e air. The cold outflow is weak (wind speed ≤ 5 m s ^?1), which is attributable to the characteristic environmental conditions, i.e., high humidity in the lower troposphere and weak horizontal winds in the middle and lower troposphere. The low speed of the cold outflow is comparable to that of the near surface southerly flow from the ocean, resulting in very slow southward movement of the boundary. The boundary features temperature contrasts of 2–3°C and is roughly 500-m deep. Despite its shallowness, the boundary appears to exert a profound influence on continuous convection initiation because of the very low level of free convection and small convection inhibition of the near surface oceanic air, building several parallel rainbands (of about 50-km length) that move slowly eastward along the MCS and produce about 80% of the total rainfall. Another MCS moves into the area from the northwest and merges with the local MCS at about 1200 BT. The cold outflow subsequently strengthens and the boundary moves more rapidly toward the southeast, leading to end of the event in 3 h.     

The Eastern Mediterranean in the 80s and in the 90s: the big transition in the intermediate and deep circulations

We present definitive observational evidence that the startling change of the Eastern Mediterranean deep circulation observed in winter 1995 and documented by [Roether, W., Manca, B.B., Klein, B., Bregant, D., Georgopoulos, D., Beitzel, V., Kovacevich, V., Luchetta, A., 1996. Recent changes in the Eastern Mediterranean deep water. Science 271, 333–335.] actually started before October 1991. This change involved not only the deep water mass pathways but also the origin and pathways of the water mass spreading in the intermediate layer. We carry out the first unified analysis of the POEMBC-O91 data set, which shows that, differently from the previous decade of the 80s, the Cretan/Aegean Sea was in 1991 the `driving' engine of the intermediate, transitional and deep layer circulations, with Cretan Intermediate Water (CIW), transitional water and Cretan Deep Water (CDW) spreading out from the Cretan Sea into the basin interior. The most important new results are: (a) the Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) formed inside or at the periphery of the Rhodes gyre is blocked in its traditional westbound route on its density horizons σ_θ=29.05 and 29.10 kg/m³ by a three-lobe strong anticyclonic structure in the Southern Levantine, which induces a substantial LIW recirculation in the Levantine basin itself; (b) the CIW exiting from the Western Cretan Arc Straits spreads into the Ionian interior on the σ_θ=29.05–29.10 kg/m³ isopycnal surfaces, thus replacing the LIW confined in the Levantine basin. A branch of CIW flows eastward in the Cretan passage and is entrained by the Ierapetra anticyclone to flow again into the Cretan Sea through the Eastern Cretan Arc Straits; (c) on the horizons σ_θ=29.15 and 29.18 kg/m³ a transitional water mass of Cretan origin, denser than CIW, and CDW are observed to spread out massively from the Cretan Arc Straits both into the Ionian and Levantine interiors. These isopycnal surfaces rise to much shallower depths in 1991 than in 1987, increasing the salt content of the intermediate, transitional and deep layers. This leads to a massive salt increase in the Ionian below 1200 m, clearly related to lateral advection of the new denser waters of Cretan/Aegean origin, thus contradicting the hypothesis of a vertical salt redistribution proposed by Roether et al.     

Terrain roughness and atmospheric stability at a typical coastal site

Directional dependence of horizontal wind direction fluctuations (Σ_θ) is studied at the coastal site of Madras Atomic Power Project, Kalpakkam with significant inhomogeneity in roughness element distribution around the location of measurement. Σ_θ is measured by a potentiometric wind vane mounted on a 30 m meteorological tower. Values of Σ_θ showed as high as threefold variation for the same atmospheric stability depending on the effective roughness length of the upwind sector. Average Σ_θ values separated for sea- and land-breeze conditions, when correlated with Pasquill stability categories showed a monotonic decrease with increasing stability for land breeze but was found to increase for change from D to F category during sea breezes presumably due to the influence of an internal boundary-layer development.     

Modelling Street-Scale Flow and Dispersion in Realistic Winds—Towards Coupling with Mesoscale Meteorological Models

Further to our previous work—simulations of flow and dispersion in an oblique wind over the DAPPLE site (Xie and Castro, Atmos Environ 43:2174–2185, 2009)—large-eddy simulations of flows and dispersion over the same site in a wind perpendicular to Marylebone Road and the windward surfaces of most of the buildings were performed. The DAPPLE site is located at the intersection of Marylebone Road and Gloucester Place in central London. In order to investigate the effects of wind direction on flows and dispersion, the velocity and scalar fields in the perpendicular wind were compared with those in the oblique wind. Furthermore, realistic wind conditions measured on the BT Tower at 190 m above street level were processed and used to drive the numerical simulations of flows and dispersion at the DAPPLE site. This leads to significant predictive improvements of the dispersion compared with field measurements, which provides validation and confidence for coupling mesoscale meteorological models, e.g. the UK Met Office’s Unified Model and the NCAR’s Weather Research & Forecasting Model, with the street-scale large-eddy simulation of urban environments.     

Contemporary surface wind climatology of Turkey

The aim of this study was to examine the climatological characteristics of boundary layer gradient winds in Turkey in detail. In the study, monthly average wind speed (V _m) data measured at 267 stations for the 16 directions, prevailing wind direction (V _p), and station pressure (P _s) data measured at 174 stations during the period 1970–2008 by the Turkish Meteorological Service (TMS) were used. The data were provided by the TMS. To attain the aim of the study, wind patterns of midseason months representing the seasonal wind distributions were used, and surface wind formations were examined through calculation of divergent and rotational components of the average wind rate. Besides, it was aimed at explaining the relationships between sea level pressure (SLP) patterns and wind formations. The patterns of midseason months were examined via the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). In accordance with V _m data, it is seen that air flows in Turkey generally tend to orientate radially from west to east. Climatologically, the strongest prevailing winds in Turkey blow during the summer months, while the weakest winds blow during the autumn months. V _m and V _p distributions show a parallelism (i.e., wind gradient) in the months during which temperature differences between land and sea are high due to the differences in their specific heat values. The distributions of V _m and V _p values vary considerably in spring and autumn months during which temperature differences are relatively lower. According to the PCA results, the first two components represent the strong wind areas in Turkey. These components presumably explain the existence of coherent wind formation areas, which display different characteristics due to regional physical geographical factors and processes (e.g., orography, altitude, exposure, land–sea distribution, surface mechanical and thermodynamic modifications of the air masses and air flows, etc.) in addition to the direct effect of different synoptic-scale pressure and circulation conditions.     

Characteristics of Turbulent Transfer during Episodes of Heavy Haze Pollution in Beijing in Winter 2016/17

We analyzed the structure and evolution of turbulent transfer and the wind profile in the atmospheric boundary layer in relation to aerosol concentrations during an episode of heavy haze pollution from 6 December 2016 to 9 January 2017. The turbulence data were recorded at Peking University’s atmospheric science and environment observation station. The results showed a negative correlation between the wind speed and the PM_2.5 concentration. The turbulence kinetic energy was large and showed obvious diurnal variations during unpolluted (clean) weather, but was small during episodes of heavy haze pollution. Under both clean and heavy haze conditions, the relation between the non-dimensional wind components and the stability parameter z/L followed a 1/3 power law, but the normalized standard deviations of the wind speed were smaller during heavy pollution events than during clean periods under near-neutral conditions. Under unstable conditions, the normalized standard deviation of the potential temperature σ _θ /|θ_*| was related to z/L, roughly following a –1/3 power law, and the ratio during pollution days was greater than that during clean days. The three-dimensional turbulence energy spectra satisfied a –2/3 power exponent rate in the high-frequency band. In the low-frequency band, the wind velocity spectrum curve was related to the stability parameters under clear conditions, but was not related to atmospheric stratification under polluted conditions. In the dissipation stage of the heavy pollution episode, the horizontal wind speed first started to increase at high altitudes and then gradually decreased at lower altitudes. The strong upward motion during this stage was an important dynamic factor in the dissipation of the heavy haze.     

人为气溶胶对地形云降水的影响:以黄山地区为例

选取黄山站为高山站,周围黄山区、绩溪、黄山市三个低海拔高度站为对比站,比较高山站与对比站1960—2009年降水量差值,即地形影响因子R0的变化趋势,以及同期能见度的变化,分析了人为气溶胶对黄山地形云降水的可能影响。结果表明,1960—1979年能见度下降,气溶胶含量增大,R0升高;1980—1989年,能见度升高,气溶胶含量有下降趋势,不同对比站R0变化趋势不同;1990—2009年,能见度下降,气溶胶含量升高,R0显著下降。气溶胶对降水的影响作用与背景气溶胶浓度有关,背景气溶胶浓度较低时,增加气溶胶浓度可促进降水;背景气溶胶浓度较高时,增加气溶胶含量对降水抑制作用显著,对应的能见度阈值为10km。当气溶胶对降水起抑制作用时,抑制作用与风速成反比,与风频和各风向平均降水量呈显著正相关。     

Temporal Evolution of Low-Level Winds Induced by Two-dimensional Mesoscale Surface Heat-Flux Heterogeneity

Using large-eddy simulation (LES), the effects of mesoscale local surface heterogeneity on the temporal evolution of low-level flows in the convective boundary layer driven by two-dimensional surface heat-flux variations are investigated at a height of about 100 m over flat terrain. The surface variations are prescribed with sinusoids of wavelength 32 km and varying amplitudes of 0, 50, 100, and 200 W m $^{-2}$ . The Weather Research and Forecasting numerical model is used as a mesoscale-domain LES model that has a grid spacing fine enough to explicitly resolve energy-containing turbulent eddies and a model domain large enough to include mesoscale circulations. Mesoscale circulations induced by the two-dimensional surface heterogeneity may undergo a flow transition and an associated spectral energy cascade, which has been found previously but only with one-dimensional surface heat-flux variations. Over a strongly heterogeneous surface prescribed with a two-dimensional sinusoid of amplitude 200 W m $^{-2}$ , the domain-averaged variance of the horizontal wind component initially grows rapidly, then undergoes a flow transition and subsequently rapidly decays. With a background wind, the induced mesoscale circulations are inhibited in the streamwise direction. However in the spanwise direction, somewhat stronger mesoscale circulations are induced, compared with those with no background wind. The background wind attenuates the significant reduction of the low-level temperature gradient by the fully-developed mesoscale horizontal flow. Spectral decomposition reveals that this rapid transition also exists in the mesoscale horizontal flows induced by the intermediate surface heterogeneity prescribed with a sinusoid of amplitude 100 W m $^{-2}$ . However the transition is masked by continuously growing turbulence.     

Dynamical and Thermal Problems in Vortex Development and Movement. Part I: A PV–Q View

Based on the Lagrangian change equation of vertical vorticity deduced from the equation of threedimensional Ertel potential vorticity(PV e),the development and movement of vortex are investigated from the view of potential vorticity and diabatic heating(PV-Q).It is demonstrated that the asymmetric distribution in the vortex of the non-uniform diabatic heating in both vertical and horizontal can lead to the vortex’s development and movement.The theoretical results are used to analyze the development and movement of a Tibetan Plateau(TP) vortex(TPV),which appeared over the TP,then slid down and moved eastward in late July 2008,resulting in heavy rainfall in Sichuan Province and along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.The relative contributions to the vertical vorticity development of the TPV are decomposed into three parts:the diabatic heating,the change in horizontal component of PV e(defined as PV 2),and the change in static stability θ z.The results show that in most cases,diabatic heating plays a leading role,followed by the change in PV 2,while the change of θ z usually has a negative impact in a stable atmosphere when the atmosphere becomes more stable,and has a positive contribution when the atmosphere approaches neutral stratification.The intensification of the TPV from 0600 to 1200 UTC 22 July 2008 is mainly due to the diabatic heating associated with the precipitation on the eastern side of the TPV when it uplifted on the up-slope of the northeastern edge of the Sichuan basin.The vertical gradient of diabatic heating makes positive(negative) PV e generation below(above) the maximum of diabatic heating;the positive PV e generation not only intensifies the low-level vortex but also enhances the vertical extent of the vortex as it uplifts.The change in PV e due to the horizontal gradient of diabatic heating depends on the vertical shear of horizontal wind that passes through the center of diabatic heating.The horizontal gradient of diabatic heating makes positive(negative) PV e generation on the right(left) side of the vertical shear of horizontal wind.The positive PV e generation on the right side of the vertical shear of horizontal wind not only intensifies the local vertical vorticity but also affects direction of movement of the TPV.These diagnostic results are in good agreement with the theoretic results developed from the PV-Q view.     

The influence of geometry on recirculation and CO2 transport over forested hills

Flow distortion over a forested hill is asymmetric, forming a recirculation region on the lee slope that increases the complexity in understanding atmosphere–biosphere interaction. To understand the complexity, we examine the effect of the geometry of forested hills on recirculation formation, structure, and related CO₂ transport by performing numerical simulations over double-forested hills. The ratio (0.8) of hill height (H) to half length (L) is a threshold value of flow patterns in the recirculation region: below 0.8, sporadic reversed flow occurs; at 0.8, one vortex is formed; and above 0.8, a pair of counter-rotating vortices is formed. The depth of recirculation increases with increasing H/L. The contribution of advection to the CO₂ budget is non-negligible and topographic-dependent. Vertical advection is opposite in sign to horizontal advection but cannot exactly offset in magnitude. Height-integrated advection shows significant variation in fluxes across hills. Gentle slopes can cause larger advection error. However, the relative importance of advection to CO₂ budget is slope-independent.     

Insight into the Role of Lower-Layer Vertical Wind Shear in Tropical Cyclone Intensification over the Western North Pacific

Vertical wind shear fundamentally influences changes in tropical cyclone (TC) intensity. The effects of vertical wind shear on tropical cyclogenesis and evolution in the western North Pacific basin are not well understood. We present a new statistical study of all named TCs in this region during the period 2000-2006 using a second-generation partial least squares (PLS) regression technique. The results show that the lower-layer (between 850 hPa and 10 m above the sea surface) wind shear is more important than the commonly analyzed deep-layer shear (between 200 and 850 hPa) for changes in TC intensity during the TC intensification period. This relationship is particularly strong for westerly low-level shear. Downdrafts induced by the lower-layer shear bring low θ e air into the boundary layer from above, significantly reducing values of θ e in the TC inflow layer and weakening the TC. Large values of deep-layer shear over the ocean to the east of the Philippine Islands inhibit TC formation, while large values of lower-layer shear over the central and western North Pacific inhibit TC intensification. The critical value of deep-layer shear for TC formation is approximately 10 ms-1 , and the critical value of lower-layer shear for TC intensification is approximately ±1.5 ms-1 .     

An Analysis Of Secondary Circulations And Their Effects Caused By Small-Scale Surface Inhomogeneities Using Large-Eddy Simulation

A parallelized large-eddy simulation model has been used to investigate the effects of two-dimensional, discontinuous, small-scale surface heterogeneities on the turbulence structure of the convective boundary layer.Heterogeneities had a typical size of about the boundary-layer heightz_i. They were produced by a surface sensible heat flux pattern ofchessboard-type and of strong amplitude as typical, e.g., for the marginalice zone. The major objectives of this study were to determinethe effects of such strong amplitude heat flux variations and to specify theinfluence of different speeds and directions of the background wind.Special emphasis has been given to investigate the secondary circulations induced by the heterogeneities by means of three-dimensional phase averages.Compared with earlier studies of continuous inhomogeneities, the same sizeddiscontinuous inhomogeneities in this study show similar but stronger effects.Significant changes compared with uniform surface heating are only observedwhen the scale of the inhomogeneities is increased to z_i. Especially the vertical energy transport is much more vigorous and even the mean emperature profile shows a positive lapse rate within the whole mixed layer. However, the effects are not directly caused by the different shape of the inhomogeneities but can mainly be attributed to the large amplitude of the imposed heat flux,as it is typical for the partially ice covered sea during cold air outbreaks.The structure of the secondary flow is found to be very sensitive to the wavelength and shape of the inhomogeneities as well as to the heatflux amplitude, wind speed and wind direction. The main controlling parameter is the near-surface temperature distribution and the related horizontal pressure gradient perpendicular to the main flow direction. The secondary flow varies from a direct circulation with updraughts mainly above the centre of the heated regions to a more indirect circulation with updraughts beneath the centre and downdraughts above it. For background winds larger than 2.5 m s^–1 a roll-like circulation pattern is observed.From previous findings it has often been stated that moderate backgroundwinds of 5 m s^–1 eliminate all impacts of surface inhomogeneitiesthat could potentially be produced in realistic landscapes. However, this studyshows that the effects caused by increasing the wind speed stronglydepend on the wind direction relative to the orientation of theinhomogeneities. Secondary circulations remain strong, even for abackground wind of 7.5 m s^–1, when the wind direction is orientatedalong one of the two diagonals of the chessboard pattern. On the otherhand, the effects of inhomogeneities are considerably reduced, even undera modest background wind of 2.5 m s^–1, if the wind direction isturned by 45°. Mechanisms for the different flow regimesare discussed.     

On the influence of frictional parameterization in wind-driven ocean circulation models

In a series of numerical experiments the wind-driven ocean circulation is studied in an idealized, rectangular model ocean, which is forced by steady zonal winds and damped by lateral and/or bottom friction. The problem as described by the barotropic vorticity equation is characterized by a Rossby number (R) and horizontal and/or vertical Ekman numbers (E_L, E_B) only.With free-slip conditions at the boundaries steady solutions for all chosen values of R are obtained, provided the diffusivity is sufficiently large. For both the forms of frictional parameterization a northern boundary current emerges with an eastward penetration scale depending on R. The recirculation pattern in the oceanically relevant ‘intermediate’ range of R is strongly affected by the type of friction. If lateral diffusion dominates bottom friction, a strong recirculating sub-gyre emerges in the northwestern corner of the basin. Its shape resembles the vertically integrated transport fields in recent eddy resolving model (EGCM) studies. The maximum transport is increased to values several times larger than the Sverdrup transport. The increase in transport is coupled with a development of closed contours of potential vorticity, enabling a nearly free inertial flow.This behaviour provides a sharp contrast to the bottom friction case (Veronis) where inertial recirculation only takes place with values of R so large that the eastward jet reaches the eastern boundary. It is shown that the linear friction law puts a strong constraint on the flow by preventing an intense recirculation in a small part of the basin.A reduction of the diffusivity (E_L) in the lateral friction case leads to quasi-steady solutions. The interaction with eddies becomes an integral part of the time mean energetics but does not influence the recirculation character of the flow.The main conclusion of the study is that the horizontal structure of the EGCM-transport fields can be explained in terms of a steady barotropic model where lateral friction represents the dominant dissipation mechanism.     

Ensemble Square Root Filter Assimilation of Near-Surface Soil Moisture and Reference-Level Observations into a Coupled Land Surface-Boundary Layer Model

The potential for using the ensemble square root filter data assimilation technique to estimate soil moisture profiles, surface heat fluxes, and the state of the planetary boundary layer （PBL） is explored. An observing system simulation experiment is designed to mimic the assimilation of near-surface soil moisture observations （θo ） and in-situ measurements of 2-m temperature （To ）, 2-m specific humidity （Qo ）, and 10-m horizontal winds [Vo =（Uo , Vo ）]. The background forecasts are generated by a one-dimensional coupled land surface-boundary layer model （CLS-BLM） with soil, surface-layer and PBL parameterization schemes similar to those used in the Weather Research and Forecasting （WRF） model. Soil moisture, surface heat fluxes, and the state of the PBL evolve on different characteristic timescales, so the minimum assimilation time intervals required for skillful estimates of each target component are different. Correct estimates of the soil moisture profile are obtained effectively when a 6-h update time interval is used, while skillful estimates of surface fluxes and the PBL state require more frequent updates. The CLS-BLM requires a shorter assimilation time interval to correctly estimate the soil moisture profile than previously indicated by experiments using an off-line land surface model （LSM）. Results from assimilating different subsets of observations show that θo makes a larger contribution to soil moisture estimates, while To , θo , and Vo are more important for estimates of surface heat fluxes and the PBL state. It is therefore necessary to combine these variables to accurately estimate the states of both the land surface and the PBL. Experimentation with different prescribed observational errors shows that the assimilation system is more sensitive to increases in observational errors than to reductions in observational errors.