Analysis of Coastal Fog from a Ship During the C-FOG Campaign

This work presents ship-based measurements of fog off St John’s, Newfoundland, on 13 September 2018 during the Coastal Fog field campaign. The measurements included cloud-particle spectra, cloud-base height and aerosol backscatter, radiation, turbulence, visibility, and sea-surface temperature. Radiosonde soundings were made at intervals of less than 2 h. Fog occurred in two episodes during the passage of an eastward-moving synoptic low-pressure system. The boundary-layer structure during the first fog episode consisted of three layers, separated by two saturated temperature inversions, and capped by a subsidence inversion. The lowest layer was fog, and the upper layers were cloud. The second fog episode consisted of one well-mixed fog layer capped by a subsidence inversion. Low wind speeds and stable stratification maintained low surface-layer turbulence during fog. Droplet size distributions had typical bimodal distributions. The visibility correlated with the droplet number concentration and liquid water content. The air temperature was higher than the sea-surface temperature for the first 30 min of the first fog episode but was lower than the sea for the remainder of all fog. The sensible heat flux was upward, from sea to air, for the first 62% of the first fog episode and then reversed to downward, from air to sea, for the remainder of the first fog episode and the second fog episode. The counter-gradient heat fluxes observed (i.e., opposite to what is expected from the instantaneous air–sea temperature difference) appear to be related to turbulence, entrainment, and stratification in the fog layer that overwhelmed the influence of the air–sea temperature difference. While the synoptic-scale dynamics preconditioned the area for fog formation, the final step of fog appearance in this case was nuanced by stratification–turbulence interactions, local advective processes, and microphysical environment.

     

Large-Scale Synoptic Systems and Fog During the C-FOG Field Experiment

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - The goal of this work is to summarize synoptic meteorological conditions during the Coastal Fog (C-FOG) field project that took place onshore and offshore of the Avalon...     

Microphysics and Optical Attenuation in Fog: Observations from Two Coastal Sites

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - A total of 15 fog events from two field campaigns are investigated: the High Energy Laser in Fog (HELFOG) project (central California) and the Toward Improving Coastal...     

Correction to: Microphysics and Optical Attenuation in Fog: Observations from Two Coastal Sites

Boundary-Layer Meteorology -     

On the Influence of a Simple Microphysics Parametrization on Radiation Fog Modelling: A Case Study During ParisFog

A detailed numerical simulation of a radiation fog event with a single column model is presented, which takes into account recent developments in microphysical parametrizations. One-dimensional simulations are performed using the computational fluid dynamics model Code_Saturne and the results are compared to a very detailed in situ dataset collected during the ParisFog campaign, which took place near Paris, France, during the winter 2006–2007. Special attention is given to the detailed and complete diurnal simulations and to the role of microphysics in the fog life cycle. The comparison between the simulated and the observed visibility, in the single-column model case study, shows that the evolution of radiation fog is correctly simulated. Sensitivity simulations show that fog development and dissipation are sensitive to the droplet-size distribution through sedimentation/deposition processes but the aerosol number concentration in the coarse mode has a low impact on the time of fog formation.     

Study of Stratus-Lowering Marine-Fog Events Observed During C-FOG

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - Two stratus-lowering marine fog events observed on 28 September and 4 October 2018 during the Coastal Fog (C-Fog) field campaign that took place offshore of eastern...     

Characterizing Atmospheric Aerosols off the Atlantic Canadian Coast During C-FOG

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - Marine aerosols play an important role in the Earth’s climate, but their effects remain highly uncertain due to a poor understanding of their sources, properties,...     

The Thermodynamic Structure of Arctic Coastal Fog Occurring During the Melt Season over East Greenland

An automated method to classify Arctic fog into distinct thermodynamic profiles using historic in-situ surface and upper-air observations is presented. This classification is applied to low-resolution Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA) soundings and high-resolution Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS) soundings in low- and high-Arctic coastal and pack-ice environments. Results allow investigation of fog macrophysical properties and processes in coastal East Greenland during melt seasons 1980–2012. Integrated with fog observations from three synoptic weather stations, 422 IGRA soundings are classified into six fog thermodynamic types based on surface saturation ratio, type of temperature inversion, fog-top height relative to inversion-base height and stability using the virtual potential temperature gradient. Between 65–80% of fog observations occur with a low-level inversion, and statically neutral or unstable surface layers occur frequently. Thermodynamic classification is sensitive to the assigned dew-point depression threshold, but categorization is robust. Despite differences in the vertical resolution of radiosonde observations, IGRA and ASCOS soundings yield the same six fog classes, with fog-class distribution varying with latitude and environmental conditions. High-Arctic fog frequently resides within an elevated inversion layer, whereas low-Arctic fog is more often restricted to the mixed layer. Using supplementary time-lapse images, ASCOS microwave radiometer retrievals and airmass back-trajectories, we hypothesize that the thermodynamic classes represent different stages of advection fog formation, development, and dissipation, including stratus-base lowering and fog lifting. This automated extraction of thermodynamic boundary-layer and inversion structure can be applied to radiosonde observations worldwide to better evaluate fog conditions that affect transportation and lead to improvements in numerical models.     

Formation,Evolution, and Dissipation of Coastal Sea Fog

Evolution of sea fog has been investigated using three-dimensional Mesoscale Model 5 (MM5) simulations. The study focused on widespread fog-cloud layers advected along the California coastal waters during 14–16 April 1999. According to analysis of the simulated trajectories, the intensity of air mass modification during this advection significantly depended on whether there were clouds along the trajectories and whether the modification took place over the land or ocean. The air mass, with its trajectory endpoint in the area where the fog was observed and simulated, gradually cooled despite the gradual increase in sea-surface temperature along the trajectory. Modelling results identified cloud-top cooling as a major determinant of marine-layer cooling and turbulence generation along the trajectories. Scale analysis showed that the radiative cooling term in the thermodynamic equation overpowered surface sensible and latent heat fluxes, and entrainment terms in cases of the transformation of marine clouds along the trajectories. Transformation of air masses along the trajectories without clouds and associated cloud-top cooling led to fog-free conditions at the endpoints of the trajectories over the ocean. The final impact on cloud-fog transition was determined by the interaction of synoptic and boundary-layer processes. Dissipation of sea fog was a consequence of a complex interplay between advection, synoptic evolution, and development of local circulations. Movement of the high-pressure system over land induced weakening of the along-shore advection and synoptic-pressure gradients, and allowed development of offshore flows that facilitated fog dissipation.     

Characteristics of Quasi-Periodic Oscillations During Sea Fog Events

Based on the high-resolution datasets collected in a sea fog field experiment at the northern coast of South China Sea, the variations of liquid water content (LWC) and net longwave radiation flux (NLRF) during two sea fog events on 16th-17th and 18th-19th March, 2008 are exaimeed by wavelet analysis, and the cooling mechanisms for fog formation and persistence are also investigated. The main results are shown as follows. (1) Sea fog may develop and persist whether it is cloudy or not aloft. However, when there is cloud aloft the LWC is less and wind speed in sea fog is higher than that in the clear sky. (2) The quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) of NLRF are observed in the formation stage of the two fogs. QPOs of LWC are only found in the developing stage no matter with cloudless or cloudy condition. (3) It is likely that sea fog forms by the cooling effects of longwave radiation and develops through the vertical mixing induced by the radiative cooling at the upper level. (4) During sea fog development and persistence, other mechanisms could also play important roles in fog-layer cooling, such as turbulent heat transport and radiation transport between air-sea interfaces.     

“0911”华北暴雪的数值模拟及云微物理特征分析

采用国家气象中心的T639全球格点资料,利用中尺度数值模式WRF对2009年11月9—11日发生在华北地区的强降雪过程进行数值模拟,模拟结果显示：WRF模式可以较好地模拟出此次强降雪过程降水雨雪带的分布。诊断分析结果进一步表明,700 hPa西南低空急流对水汽的输送使得华北地区成为很强的湿度区,为强降雪的发生提供了充足的水汽条件。由于低空辐合,高空辐散,导致上升运动加强以及低层正涡度中心的产生和维持,由此产生的垂直方向上水汽凝结是此次暴雪的形成机制。借助新型卫星CloudSat的星载云廓线雷达（CPR）资料对比分析模拟的雪水和冰水含量表明,在中纬地区（39.9°N、11 7.3°E～33.7°N、115.5°E）,分布形态与卫星观测的冰水含量对应相似,但量级比卫星观测偏小,而在低纬度（30.6°N、114.6°E～24.2°N、112.7°E）模式对冰水含量则完全没有模拟出来。     

Atmospheric Turbulence Measurements at a Coastal Zone with and without Fog

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - Measurements of atmospheric turbulence at a site in Ferryland (Newfoundland) during the C-FOG (Coastal-Fog) field campaign in September–October 2018 are used to...     

Fog Prediction for Road Traffic Safety in a Coastal Desert Region

Modern weather prediction models use relatively high grid resolutions as well as sophisticated parametrization schemes for microphysical and other subgrid-scale atmospheric processes. Nonetheless, with these models it remains a difficult task to perform successful numerical fog forecasts since many factors controlling a particular fog event are not yet sufficiently simulated. Here we describe our efforts to create a mechanism that produces successful predictions of fog in the territory located on the north coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Our approach consists in the coupling of the one-dimensional PAFOG fog model with the three-dimensional WRF 3.0 (Weather Research and Forecast) modelling system. The proposed method allows us to construct an efficient operative road traffic warning system for the occurrence of fog in the investigated region. In total 84 historical situations were studied during the period 2008?C2009. Moreover, results of operative day-by-day fog forecasting during January and February 2010 are presented. For the investigated arid and hot climate region the land-sea breeze circulation seems to be the major factor affecting the diurnal variations of the meteorological conditions, frequently resulting in the formation of fog.     

我国近年雾研究方法及研究热点综述

在过去的几十年里,我国关于雾的各项研究已取得了丰硕的成果。对近年来该领域研究的最新进展和研究成果进行总结和概括,包括气候统计方法对雾特征的研究、数值模拟方法对雾的机制研究、雾微物理结构研究、雾的监测识别与预报技术研究。在此基础上,针对目前雾研究领域的热点和未来可能的研究方向进行了分析,包括高速公路大雾天气的研究、霾研究、雾与城市化相互作用以及沿海和复杂地形地区雾的研究。     

华南沿海春季大雾的分析和预报

利用１９７８￣１９９５年２、３、４月华南沿海地区的成雾时天气资料,对雾的变化规律进行了分析研究,综合归纳出春季当地成雾时天气系统背景及预报指标。     

冀中滨海平原大雾的形成特征及变化

利用冀中滨海平原区廊坊市1971-2000年9个观测站大雾资料,对该区域大雾、浓雾的形成特征及变化进行了分析,得出结果:(1)大雾尤其浓雾是冀中滨海平原区秋、冬季发生频率最高的灾害性天气之一;(2)大雾、浓雾除具有低能见度外,其连续性、持续性和大范围同日出现等也是不容忽视的具有灾害性影响的特征;(3)自1990年以来,年平均大雾日的变化有明显加剧的现象,相比20世纪80年代,90年代浓雾日数有明显增加的趋势;(4)影响大雾日数变化的主要原因是天气、气候条件的变化,浓雾日数的增加还与城市经济化发展、空气污染程度加剧等因素有关.     

环渤海近海岸雾产生的天气条件及边界层特征分析

利用渤海沿岸微波辐射计、风廓线雷达、四分量辐射仪和超声风速仪等多种观测反演资料,并结合常规站点气象资料,卫星云图,浮标气象水文观测和FNL（Final）再分析资料研究了2016年12月17~19日一次环渤海大雾个例产生的天气水文条件以及边界层垂直分层的辐射和湍流特征。研究发现:（1）此次大雾出现在大陆低压前部、入海高压后部的西南低空急流控制区域,与强急流相伴的暖湿平流输送为雾区提供了稳定的逆温和持续的水汽积累,非常有利于大雾天气的形成;（2）水汽通量的分布与低空急流的移动密切相关,近地面比湿的增速与低空急流的强度成正比;（3）由于低空急流的水汽输送增湿了环渤海低层大气,从而增强了大气辐射的衰减效应,导致雾形成前向下短波辐射逐渐减小,向下长波辐射不断增加,净辐射在大雾形成后趋近于零;（4）逆温有效抑制了湍流的发展,近地层湍流动能和摩擦速度微弱。     

闽南沿海一次春季海雾过程微物理特征分析

利用地面自动站观测、风廓线雷达、ERA5再分析资料、葵花8号高分辨率卫星资料以及FM-120型雾滴谱资料,分析了2019年4月7日闽南沿海一次强浓雾过程的环流形势以及微物理特征。环流形势分析表明,此次海雾过程500 hPa为槽底偏西西北气流,700 hPa至地面为一致的偏南气流,探空形势稳定。海雾发生前,整层风速明显减小,弱风速层厚度迅速增大,为海雾的形成提供了稳定的环流背景。卫星监测分析表明,海雾首先快速形成于台湾海峡上,在偏南气流作用下,平流至沿海地区。水文条件分析表明,福建近海存在一条冷水带,从海峡中部至沿海海温梯度大,海温在18～24℃,近海气海温差介于0～2℃,有利于海峡内平流冷却雾的形成。雾滴谱分析表明,翔安站能见度显著下降伴随着粒子数浓度、液态水含量显著增加,雾滴谱爆发性拓宽。海雾过程中,5 min平均粒子数浓度最大超过200个·cm^-3,瞬时数浓度最大达到468个·cm^-3,雾过程平均数浓度为100个·cm^-3。5 min平均液态水含量最高达到0.41 g·m^-3,瞬时液态水含量最大...     

Correction to: Atmospheric Turbulence Measurements at a Coastal Zone with and without Fog

Boundary-Layer Meteorology -