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A study on frontal motion over orography

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Abstract

In order to study the characteristic features of the frontal motion over mountains, a frontal model is designed in this paper. The analytical solution of the model with the assumption of semigeostrophic approximation and no friction is obtained and compared with numerical solution without the assumption. It assumes that the front is a free surface between two fluid layers with different densities. It also assumes that the mountain and the front are indefinitely long. Therefore, the motion of such a front can be determined by the one-dimensional shallow water equation system. By making a series of experiments, we confirm the rule further that front can be retarded when climbing the mountain and accelerated when going down the mountains. We also found some interesting characteristics of frontal structure influenced by topography in addition.

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Qingnong, X., Rongsheng, W. A study on frontal motion over orography. Adv. Atmos. Sci. 12, 325–334 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02656981

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02656981

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