A THREE-DIMENSIONAL NUMERICAL STUDY ON DENSE FOG OVER MOUNTAINOUS AREAS

Using the non-hydrostatic meso-scale model MM5v3, dense fog that occurred from March 7 to March 8, 2001 over the Mts. Nanling area was studied. With integrated field experiments and observations, the occurrence, development and lift mechanism of fog were analyzed. The results indicate that before the coming of stratiform clouds, southerly warm and wet air ascended along mountainside and cooling condensation formed mountain fog. Then fog was formed by the stratiform on cloud-contacting mountaintop. A front inversion layer accelerated the development and extended the duration of the lower cloud and fog. The intensity, occurrence time, mass content and the variation of temperature and relative humidity of the fog agreed with those of the observation. It showed that the meso-scale model has the potential to forecast mountain fog.