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THE ROLE OF LOCAL CIRCULATIONS IN SUMMERTIME CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT AND NOCTURNAL FOG IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL

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Abstract

A non-hydrostatic, fully compressible, regional-scale numerical model of the atmosphere that includes parameterization of cloud microphysics is run in a two-dimensional mode. It uses two different observed vertical profiles of temperature, relative humidity and wind to simulate the local circulation evolution and impact on convection and nocturnal fog occurrence in São Paulo, Brazil. Theatmospheric behaviour generated by the model is similar to the observations of the two summer days with and without sea breeze progression over the plateau. The convective development occurs in the afternoon of the two experiments but with different features and intensities. In the experiment with sea-breeze progression, there is fog formation over the plateau during the following night, in accordance with the observations. A strong northwesterly flow acting in the lower troposphere, with intensity varying between 7 and 10 m s-1,appears as an inhibiting agent of the sea-breeze progression over the plateau and of convective development in the afternoon and of the nocturnal fog occurrence. In this case, observed gusts during the night are well simulated and appear to be related to the topography.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Atmospheric Sciences, IAG/USP, Rua do Mat 1226, 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    MARIA A. F. SILVA DIAS

  2. Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, University of São Paulo, Brazil

    ANTONIO JASCHKE MACHADO

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  1. MARIA A. F. SILVA DIAS
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  2. ANTONIO JASCHKE MACHADO
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SILVA DIAS, M.A.F., JASCHKE MACHADO, A. THE ROLE OF LOCAL CIRCULATIONS IN SUMMERTIME CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT AND NOCTURNAL FOG IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL. Boundary-Layer Meteorology 82, 135–157 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1000241602661

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