scholarly journals Diagnosis of the Forcing and Structure of the Coastal Jet near Cape Mendocino Using In Situ Observations and Numerical Simulations

2007 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1455-1468 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Rahn ◽  
Thomas R. Parish
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Mesoscale Model ◽  
The United States ◽  
In Situ Measurements ◽  
Gradient Force ◽  
Pressure Gradient Force ◽  
Isobaric Surface ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
East West

Abstract Several flights were conducted by the University of Wyoming King Air near Cape Mendocino, California, during June 2004 to examine finescale features of the coastal low-level jet (CJ) that frequently forms during summer over the ocean off the West Coast of the United States. The primary goal of these flights was to measure the horizontal pressure gradient force (PGF) and hence to determine the forcing of the CJ directly. By flying a series of redundant legs on an isobaric surface, heights of the pressure surface can be obtained from radar altimeter measurements and refined position estimates from an onboard global positioning system receiver. The slope of the isobaric surface height is proportional to the PGF. Results are shown for the 22 June 2004 case study conducted to the south of Cape Mendocino. The forcing of a CJ under weak synoptic forcing and the role of the elevated terrain near Cape Mendocino are explored. Ten isobaric legs approximately 70 km in length and directed east–west were conducted near the level of the maximum CJ wind speed. The vertical structure of the CJ was obtained from sawtooth legs conducted along an east–west flight leg. Numerical simulations have been performed for this case using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5) for comparison with in situ measurements. Model simulations show pressure perturbations in the vicinity of the cape as the northerly winds associated with the CJ interact with the coastal topography. Close agreement is found between in situ measurements and MM5 analyses of the various state parameters and the PGF along the east–west flight track in the lee of Cape Mendocino. Strong variation in the PGF is observed along the flight path. Large ageostrophic accelerations are present in response to the adjustment of the CJ with Cape Mendocino, reflecting the force imbalance between the observed PGF and Coriolis force.

scholarly journals Greenland annual accumulation along the EGIG line, 1959–2004, from ASIRAS airborne radar and detailed neutron-probe density measurements

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 6791-6828
Author(s):  
T. B. Overly ◽  
R. L. Hawley ◽  
V. Helm ◽  
E. M. Morris ◽  
R. N. Chaudhary
Keyword(s):  
Mesoscale Model ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Accumulation Rates ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
Density Profiles ◽  
Density Measurements ◽  
Fifth Generation ◽  
Neutron Probe ◽  
Airborne Sar

Abstract. We report annual snow accumulation rates from 1959 to 2004 along a 250 km segment of the Expéditions Glaciologiques Internationales au Groenland (EGIG) line across central Greenland using Airborne SAR/Interferometric Radar Altimeter System (ASIRAS) radar layers and detailed neutron-probe (NP) density profiles. ASIRAS-NP accumulation rates are not statistically different (C.I. 95 %) from in situ EGIG accumulation measurements from 1985 to 2004. Below 3000 m elevation, ASIRAS-NP increases by 20 % for the period 1995 to 2004 compared to 1985 to 1994. Above 3000 m elevation, accumulation increases by 13 % for 1995–2004 compared to 1985–1994. Model snow accumulation results from the calibrated Fifth Generation Mesoscale Model modified for polar climates (Polar MM5) underestimate mean annual accumulation by 16 % compared to ASIRAS-NP from 1985 to 2004. We test radar-derived accumulation rates sensitivity to density using modelled density profiles in place of detailed NP data. ASIRAS radar layers combined with Herron and Langway (1980) model density profiles (ASIRAS-HL) produce accumulation rates within 3.5 % of ASIRAS-NP estimates. We suggest using Herron and Langway (1980) density profiles to calibrate radar layers detected in dry snow regions of ice sheets lacking detailed in situ density measurements, such as those observed by the IceBridge campaign.

scholarly journals Sensitivity Analysis and Validation of Daytime and Nighttime Land Surface Temperature Retrievals from Landsat 8 Using Different Algorithms and Emissivity Models

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 2776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aliihsan Sekertekin ◽  
Stefania Bonafoni
Keyword(s):  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Land Surface Temperature ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
The United States ◽  
In Situ Measurements ◽  
Surface Radiation ◽  
Radiation Budget ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Landsat 8

Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a substantial element indicating the relationship between the atmosphere and the land. This study aims to examine the efficiency of different LST algorithms, namely, Single Channel Algorithm (SCA), Mono Window Algorithm (MWA), and Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE), using both daytime and nighttime Landsat 8 data and in-situ measurements. Although many researchers conducted validation studies of daytime LST retrieved from Landsat 8 data, none of them considered nighttime LST retrieval and validation because of the lack of Land Surface Emissivity (LSE) data in the nighttime. Thus, in this paper, we propose using a daytime LSE image, whose acquisition is close to nighttime Thermal Infrared (TIR) data (the difference ranges from one day to four days), as an input in the algorithm for the nighttime LST retrieval. In addition to evaluating the three LST methods, we also investigated the effect of six Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)-based LSE models in this study. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses were carried out for both in-situ measurements and LST methods for satellite data. Simultaneous ground-based LST measurements were collected from Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) and Surface Radiation Budget Network (SURFRAD) stations, located at different rural environments of the United States. Concerning the in-situ sensitivity results, the effect on LST of the uncertainty of the downwelling and upwelling radiance was almost identical in daytime and nighttime. Instead, the uncertainty effect of the broadband emissivity in the nighttime was half of the daytime. Concerning the satellite observations, the sensitivity of the LST methods to LSE proved that the variation of the LST error was smaller than daytime. The accuracy of the LST retrieval methods for daytime Landsat 8 data varied between 2.17 K Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and 5.47 K RMSE considering all LST methods and LSE models. MWA with two different LSE models presented the best results for the daytime. Concerning the nighttime accuracy of the LST retrieval, the RMSE value ranged from 0.94 K to 3.34 K. SCA showed the best results, but MWA and RTE also provided very high accuracy. Compared to daytime, all LST retrieval methods applied to nighttime data provided highly accurate results with the different LSE models and a lower bias with respect to in-situ measurements.

Nocturnal Destabilization Associated with the Summertime Great Plains Low-Level Jet

2020 ◽  
Vol 148 (11) ◽  
pp. 4641-4656
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Parish ◽  
Richard D. Clark ◽  
Todd D. Sikora
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
The United States ◽  
Temperature Gradients ◽  
Gradient Force ◽  
Wind Component ◽  
Pressure Gradient Force ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Temperature Advection ◽  
Low Level Jet

AbstractThe Great Plains low-level jet (LLJ) has long been associated with summertime nocturnal convection over the central Great Plains of the United States. Destabilization effects of the LLJ are examined using composite fields assembled from the North American Mesoscale Forecast System for June and July 2008–12. Of critical importance are the large isobaric temperature gradients that become established throughout the lowest 3 km of the atmosphere in response to the seasonal heating of the sloping Great Plains. Such temperature gradients provide thermal wind forcing throughout the lower atmosphere, resulting in the establishment of a background horizontal pressure gradient force at the level of the LLJ. The attendant background geostrophic wind is an essential ingredient for the development of a pronounced summertime LLJ. Inertial turning of the ageostrophic wind associated with LLJ provides a westerly wind component directed normal to the terrain-induced orientation of the isotherms. Hence, significant nocturnal low-level warm-air advection occurs, which promotes differential temperature advection within a vertical column of atmosphere between the level just above the LLJ and 500 hPa. Such differential temperature advection destabilizes the nighttime troposphere above the radiatively cooled near-surface layer on a recurring basis during warm weather months over much of the Great Plains and adjacent states to the east. This destabilization process reduces the convective inhibition of air parcels near the level of the LLJ and may be of significance in the development of elevated nocturnal convection. The 5 July 2015 case from the Plains Elevated Convection at Night field program is used to demonstrate this destabilization process.

Monitoring of river discharge through the combination of multiple satellite data: RIDESAT project

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelica Tarpanelli ◽  
Karina Nielsen ◽  
Paolo Filippucci ◽  
Rossella Belloni ◽  
Stefania Camici ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Data ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
In Situ Measurements ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
Combination Process ◽  
Flow Monitoring ◽  
Single Instrument

<p>RIDESAT - RIver flow monitoring and Discharge Estimation by integrating multiple SATellite data, is an ESA-funded Permanent Open Call project aimed to develop a new methodology for estimating river discharge through the combination of radar altimeter, optical and thermal satellite sensors. The combination of multi-sensor measurements can provide significant advantages over single sensors contributing to improve the quality of the final products also in terms of spatial and temporal coverage.</p><p>The methodology developed in the project includes two phases. First, the single-instrument products (altimeter, optical and thermal sensors) are independently processed to generate a dataset of proxies of hydraulic variables strongly linked with river discharge (e.g. water level, flow velocity, width). Successively, these proxies are implemented as integrated techniques for the final estimation of the river discharge.</p><p>To test the ability of the approach to retrieve river discharge at global scale, 20 pilot sites are selected all over the world, based on the availability of in-situ measurements and the climatic characteristics of the basins. The availability of large datasets of in situ measurements is used for: 1) the validation of single-instrument products and the river discharge product; 2) the evaluation of the uncertainty attributed to the combination process; 3) the evaluation of the limitation of the procedure.</p>

scholarly journals Aircraft Measurements and Numerical Simulations of an Expansion Fan off the California Coast

2016 ◽  
Vol 55 (9) ◽  
pp. 2053-2062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Parish ◽  
David A. Rahn ◽  
David C. Leon
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
The United States ◽  
Gradient Force ◽  
Pressure Gradient Force ◽  
Differential Gps ◽  
Horizontal Pressure Gradient ◽  
Point Conception ◽  
Expansion Fan ◽  
Horizontal Pressure

AbstractMountains along the California coastline play a critical role in the dynamics of marine atmospheric boundary layer (MBL) airflow in the vicinity of the shoreline. Large changes in the MBL topology have been known to occur downwind of points and capes along the western coast of the United States. Large spatial gradients in wind and temperature become established that can cause anomalous electromagnetic wave propagation. Detailed airborne measurements using the University of Wyoming King Air were conducted to study the adjustment of the MBL to the Point Arguello and Point Conception headlands. Pronounced thinning of the MBL consistent with an expansion fan occurred to the south of Point Conception on 13 June 2012. A sharp cloud edge was collocated with the near collapse of the MBL. D-value cross sections derived from differential GPS altitude measurements allow assessment of the vertical profile of the horizontal pressure gradient force and hence thermal wind forcing in response to the near collapse of the MBL. The Weather Research and Forecasting Model was run with a 1-km grid spacing to examine the atmospheric adjustment around Point Conception during this period. Results from the simulations including the vertical cross sections of the horizontal pressure gradient force were consistent with the aircraft observations. Model results suggest that divergence occurs as the flow rounds Point Conception, characteristic of an expansion fan. Wind speeds in the MBL increase coincident with the decrease in MBL thickness, and subsiding flow associated with the near collapse of the MBL is responsible for the sharp cloud edge.

Dynamics of pancake-like vortices in a stratified fluid: experiments, model and numerical simulations

2001 ◽  
Vol 433 ◽  
pp. 1-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. BECKERS ◽  
R. VERZICCO ◽  
H. J. H. CLERCX ◽  
G. J. F. VAN HEIJST
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Diffusion Model ◽  
Density Profile ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Axisymmetric Flow ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Gradient Force ◽  
Pressure Gradient Force ◽  
Vertical Diffusion

The dynamics and the three-dimensional structure of vortices in a linearly stratified, non-rotating fluid are investigated by means of laboratory experiments, an analytical model and through numerical simulations. The laboratory experiments show that such vortices have a thin pancake-like appearance. Due to vertical diffusion of momentum the strength of these vortices decreases rapidly and their thickness increases in time. Also it is found that inside a vortex the linear ambient density profile becomes perturbed, resulting in a local steepening of the density gradient. Based on the assumption of a quasi-two-dimensional axisymmetric flow (i.e. with zero vertical velocity) a model is derived from the Boussinesq equations that illustrates that the velocity field of the vortex decays due to diffusion and that the vortex is in so-called cyclostrophic balance. This means that the centrifugal force inside the vortex is balanced by a pressure gradient force that is provided by a perturbation of the density profile in a way that is observed in the experiments. Numerical simulations are performed, using a finite difference method in a cylindrical coordinate system. As an initial condition the three-dimensional vorticity and density structure of the vortex, found with the diffusion model, are used. The influence of the Froude number, Schmidt number and Reynolds number, as well as the initial thickness of the vortex, on the evolution of the flow are investigated. For a specific combination of flow parameters it is found that during the decay of the vortex the relaxation of the isopycnals back to their undisturbed positions can result in a stretching of the vortex. Potential energy of the perturbed isopycnals is then converted into kinetic energy of the vortex. However, when the stratification is strong enough (i.e. for small Froude numbers), the evolution of the vortex can be described almost perfectly by the diffusion model alone.

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