Summary
An analysis of mesoscale gravity wave events during the severe weather outbreak in the Red River Valley on 10–11 April 1979 is presented utilizing surface pressure data and the 3 h rawinsonde data from the AVE-SESAMEI special network. The unique data set provided by the SESAME field experiment makes it possible to relate the wavelike characteristics observed at the surface to the variability of the temperature, humidity, and wind fields over a deep tropospheric layer that act to initiate and sustain the waves over long distances and time periods.
Three different wave events (A, B, and C) were identified via spectral analysis and cross-correlation techniques. They all have similar periods, approximately 3 h, but different phase velocities. All three wave events are generated and propagate in the exit region or anticyclonic side of upperlevel jet streaks. Convection and wind shear are shown to be unlikely contributors to the generation of event A, which is probably related to the development of a strong divergent field in association with an upper-tropospheric jet streak and to the ensuing mass adjustment process. Events B and C also appear in a region of strong ageostrophic motion associated with an upper-level jet streak. However, the low values of the Richardson number (Ri) at the critical levels of these two waves suggest vertical wind shear as a likely contributor to their generation and/or maintenance. A linear stability analysis confirms, with unprecedent spatial and temporal resolution, that a modal structure is present in the atmosphere whose characteristics are consistent with those of waves B and C.
Three-hourly rawinsonde data show strong temporal and spatial variability throughout the troposphere in the wind, temperature, and humidity fields when the waves are present. Convective systems, as detected by radar, are closely linked to the waves, although not in a consistent manner: cells intensify or develop at the passage of a wave trough in event A, at the passage of a wave ridge in event C, and at the passage of a wave trough or ridge in event B, depending on the geographic location of the cells. For all three events, maximum rainfall recorded at the surface is associated with a wave ridge with a time lag of approximately 1 h.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anthes, R. A., Kuo, Y. A., Benjamin, S. G., Li, Y. F., 1982: The evolution of the mesoscale environment of severe local storms: Preliminary modelling results.Mon. Wea. Rev.,110, 1187–1213.
Balachandran, N. K., 1980: Gravity waves from thunderstorms.Mon. Wea. Rev.,108, 804–816.
Benjamin, S. G., Carlson, T. N., 1986: Some effects of surface heating and topography on the regional severe storm environment. Part I: Three-dimensional simulations.Mon. Wea. Rev.,114, 307–329.
Bolton, D., 1980: Application of the Miles theorem to forced linear perturbations.J. Atmos. Sci.,37, 1639–1642.
Bosart, L. F., Cussen, J. P., Jr., 1973: Gravity wave phenomena accompanying east coast cyclogenesis.Mon. Wea. Rev.,101, 446–454.
Cahn, A., Jr., 1945: An investigation of the free oscillations of a simple current system.J. Meteor.,2, 113–119.
Chen, Q., 1982: The instability of the gravity-inertia wave and its relation to low-level jet and heavy rainfall.J. Meteor. Soc. Japan,60, 1041–1057.
Davies, P. A., Peltier, W. R., 1976: Resonant parallel shear instability in the stably stratified planetary boundary layer.J. Atmos. Sci.,33, 1287–1300.
Einaudi, F., Clark, W. L., Fua, D., Green, J. L., VanZandt, T. E., 1987: Gravity waves and convection in Colorado during July 1983.J. Atmos. Sci. 44, 1534–1553.
Eom, J. K., 1975: Analysis of the internal gravity wave occurrence of 19 April 1970 in the Midwest.Mon. Wea. Rev.,103, 217–226.
Fuelberg, H. E., Jedlovec, G. J., 1982: A subsynoptic-scale kinetic energy analysis of the Red River Valley tornado outbreak (AVE-SESAMEI).Mon. Wea. Rev. 110, 2005–2024.
Fujita, T., 1955: Results of detailed synoptic studies of squall lines.Tellus,7, 405–436.
Howard, L. N., 1961: Note on a paper by John W. Miles.J. Fluid Mech.,10, 509–512.
Jones, W. L., 1967. Propagation of internal gravity waves in fluid with shear flow and rotation.J. Fluid Mech. 30, 439–448.
Kaplan, M. L., Zack, J. W., Wong, V. C., Tuccillo, J. J., 1982: Initial results from a mesoscale atmospheric simulation system and comparison with the AVE-SESAMEI data set.Mon. Wea. Rev.,110, 1564–1590.
Kocin, P. J., Uccellini, L. W., Petersen, R. A., 1986: Rapid evolution of a jet streak circulation in a pre-convective environment.Meteorol. Atmos. Phys. 35, 103–138.
Koch, S. E., 1979: Mesoscale gravity waves as possible trigger of severe convection along a dryline. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Oklahoma, Norman. OK, 195 pp.
Koch, S. E., McCarthy, J., 1982: The evolution of an Oklahoma dryline. Part II: Boundary-layer forcing of mesoconvective systems.J. Atmos. Sci. 39, 237–257.
Koch, S. E., Dorian, P. B., 1988: A mesoscale gravity wave event observed during CCOPE. Part III: Wave environment and probable source mechanisms.Mon. Wea. Rev., accepted.
Koch, S. E., Golus, R. E., 1988: A mesoscale gravity wave event observed during CCOPE. Part I: Multi-scale statistical analysis of wave characteristics.Mon. Wea. Rev., accepted.
Koch, S. E., Dorian, P. B. Golus, R. E., 1988: A mesoscale gravity wave event observed during CCOPE. Part II: Interactions between mesoscale convective systems and the antecedent waves.Mon. Wea. Rev., accepted.
Koopmans, L. H., 1974:The Spectral Analysis of Time Series. San Diego: Academic Press, 366 pp.
Lalas, D. P., Einaudi, F., 1976: On the characteristics of gravity waves generated by atmospheric shear layers.J. Atmos. Sci.,33, 1248–1259.
Lindzen, R. S., Tung, K. K., 1976: Bounded convective activity and ducted gravity waves.Mon. Wea. Rev.,104, 1602–1617.
Matsumoto, S., 1961: A note on geostrophic adjustment and gravity waves in the atmosphere.J. Meteor. Soc. Japan,39, 18–28.
Miles, J. M., 1961: On the stability of heterogeneous shear flow.J. Fluid Mech. 10, 496–508.
Miller, D. A., Sanders, F., 1980: Mesoscale conditions for severe convection of 3 April 1974 in the East-Central United States.J. Atmos. Sci.,37, 1041–1055.
Moore, J. T., Fuelberg, H. E., 1981: A synoptic analysis of the first AVE-SESAME '79 period.Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.,62, 1577–1590.
Newton, C. W., 1950: Structure and mechanism of the prefrontal squall line.J. Meteor.,7, 210–222.
Otnes, R. K., Enochson, L., 1972:Digital Time Series Analysis. New York: J. Wiley and Sons, 467 pp.
Raymond, D. J., 1976: Wave-CISK and convective mesosystems.J. Atmos. Sci.,33, 2392–2398.
Stobie, J. G., Einaudi, F., Uccellini, L. W., 1983: A case study of gravity waves-convective storms interaction: 9 May 1979.J. Atmos. Sci.,40, 2804–2830.
Tepper, M., 1950: A proposed mechanism of squall lines: The pressure jump line.J. Meteor.,7, 21–29.
Testud, J., Breger, G., Amayenc, P., Chong, M., Nutten, B., Souvaget, A., 1980: A doppler radar observation of a cold front: Three-dimensional air circulation, related precipitation system and associated wavelike motion.J. Atmos. Sci.,37, 78–98.
Uccellini, L. W., 1975: A case study of apparent gravity wave initiation of severe convective storms.Mon. Wea. Rev.,103, 497–513.
Uccellini, L. W., Kocin, P. J., Petersen, R. A., Wash, C. H., Brill, K. F., 1984: The President's Day Cyclone of 18–19 February 1979: Synoptic overview and analysis of the subtropical jet streak influencing the pre-cyclogenetic period.Mon. Wea. Rev.,112, 31–35.
Uccellini, L. W., Koch, S. E., 1987: The synoptic setting and possible energy source for mesoscale wave disturbances.Mon. Wea. Rev.,115, 721–729.
Ulrych, T. J., Bishop, T. N., 1975: Maximum entropy spectral analysis and autoregressive decomposition.Rev. Geophys. Space Phys.,13, 183–200.
Van Tuyl, A. H., Young, J. A., 1982: Numerical simulation of nonlinear jet streak adjustment.Mon. Wea. Rev.,110, 2038–2054.
Vincent, D. G., Homan, J. H., 1983: Mesoscale analysis of pressure and precipitation pattern during AVE-SESAME 1979, 10–11 April.Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.,64, 23–28.
Wang, P. Y., Parson, D. B., Hobbs, P. V., 1983: The mesoscale and microscale structure and organization of cloud and precipitation in midlatitude cyclone. IX: Wavelike rainbands associated with a cold-frontal zone.J. Atmos. Sci.,40, 543–558.
Wilson, G. S., 1981: The structure and dynamics of mesoscale systems influencing severe thunderstorm development during AVE-SESAMEI. Preprints, 12th Conf. Severe Local Storms, Amer. Meteor. Soc., San Antonio TX. 192–196.
Xu, Q., Clark, J. H., 1984: Wave-CISK and mesoscale convective systems.J. Atmos. Sci.,41, 2089–2107.
Zack, J. W., Kaplan, M. L., 1987: Numerical simulation of subsynoptic features associated with AVE-SESAMEI case. Part I: The preconvective environment.Mon. Wea. Rev.,115, 2367–2394.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
With 20 Figures
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ferretti, R., Einaudi, F. & Uccellini, L.W. Wave disturbances associated with the red river valley severe weather outbreak of 10–11 April 1979. Meteorl. Atmos. Phys. 39, 132–168 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01030294
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01030294