Abstract
Wind observations from a small Alpine valley are used to investigate the problem of cross-valley winds. The observed daytime windfield is a superposition of dynamically and thermally forced cross-winds. Prevailing cross-winds above the valley result in a recirculation cell above the lee slope. The return flow is strengthened or weakened by thermal effects which induce a wind that blows from the shaded to the sunny side of the valley. The reaction time of the thermally induced cross-winds is only 4 min. The horizontal and vertical motions of the cross-valley circulation transport heat in such a way that the insolation differences between the two sides of the valley are nearly equalized.
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Hennemuth, B. Thermal asymmetry and cross-valley circulation in a small alpine valley. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 36, 371–394 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00118338
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00118338