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Inversion Effects on Lee-wave Rotors Simon Vosper, Stephen Mobbs, Ralph Burton Institute for Atmospheric Science University of Leeds, UK.

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Presentation on theme: "Inversion Effects on Lee-wave Rotors Simon Vosper, Stephen Mobbs, Ralph Burton Institute for Atmospheric Science University of Leeds, UK."— Presentation transcript:

1 Inversion Effects on Lee-wave Rotors Simon Vosper, Stephen Mobbs, Ralph Burton Institute for Atmospheric Science University of Leeds, UK

2 UK Met Office BLASIUS model Dry Boussinesq equations of motion using a first-order (mixing-length) turbulence closure scheme Free-slip and no-slip (via a log-law formulation) lower- boundary conditions 2 dimensional bell-shaped ridge Upstream wind independent of height, apart from within the boundary layer in the no-slip case Upstream stratification neutral in a layer immediately above the ground, capped by a sharp temperature inversion Above inversion buoyancy frequency independent of height (N=0.01 s -1 ) Range of inversion strengths (measured by the difference in potential temperature across the inversion Δ θ) and inversion heights, z i Numerical Model

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4 No slip case. Horizontal flow speed shaded, potential temperature contoured at 1K intervals. F i =0.6, z i =800 m, H=400 m Closed Rotors

5 No slip case. Horizontal flow speed shaded, potential temperature contoured at 1K intervals. F i =0.4, z i =800 m, H=400 m Stationary Hydraulic Jump

6 No Slip Case Closed rotors Stationary hydraulic jumps Free Slip Case No closed rotors Stationary hydraulic jumps

7 Regime Diagram – No slip Case Solid line – critical F i trapped lee waves (linear theory)

8 10 min wind vectors, 9 February 2001, East Falkland

9 High degree of spatial variability during rotor streaming Suggests the use of wind variances in rotor diagnostics Calculate instantaneous spatial standard deviation of wind at stations downwind of orography σ given by Rotor diagnostics σ and σU Energy argument suggests that closed rotors can occur if Analysis of Observations of Rotor Streaming

10 Time series of rotor diagnostics

11 Regime Diagram – Observations Solid line - R=1

12 Mean Speed-up and Rotors U up is wind speed upstream of mountains U is mean wind speed over 8 stations downwind of mountains

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14 Regime Diagram – Observations Idealised modelling demonstrates connection between rotor streaming and trapped lee waves on inversion Needs no-slip boundary condition Correlation between inversions observed downwind of mountains and rotors is low Rotor activity (spatial variability of wind) directly proportional to mean speed-up


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