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Orographic effects on a conditionally unstable flow over an idealized three-dimensional mesoscale mountain

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Summary

Idealized numerical simulations using the Weather and Research Forecast (WRF) model indicate that three flow regimes, based on the moist Froude number, can be identified for a conditionally unstable, rotational, horizontally homogeneous, uniformly stratified flow over an idealized, three-dimensional, mesoscale mountain stretched spanwise to the impinging flow: (I) a quasi-stationary upslope convective system and an upstream-propagating convective system, (II) a quasi-stationary upslope convective system, and (III) a stationary upslope convective system and a quasi-stationary downstream convective system. Several major differences from a similar type of flow with no rotation over a two-dimensional mountain range are found. One important finding is that relatively strong mean flow produces a quasi-stationary mesoscale convective system (MCS) and maximum rainfall on the windward slope (upslope rain), instead of on the mountain peak or over the lee side.

We found that the Coriolis force helps produce heavy upslope rainfall by making transition from “flow-around” the eastern part of the upslope to “flow-over” the western part of the upslope (transits to a higher flow regime) by deflecting the incident southerly flow to become east–southeasterly barrier winds. We found that the addition of the western flank of the arc-shaped mountain helps slow down the barrier wind from east and causes the maximum rainfall to move east of the windward slope. A lower-Froude number flow tends to produce a rainfall maximum near the concave region.

Several other important facts can also be found in this study. The ratio of the maximum grid scale rainfall to the sub-grid scale rainfall increases when the moist Froude number increases. When the CAPE decreases, it is found that the upstream moist flow tends to shift to a higher Froude-number regime. Therefore, the Froude number cannot solely be used to define a moist flow regime when different CAPEs are considered. In another word, other parameters, such as CAPE, might play an important role in determining moist flow regimes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, CA, USA

    S.-H. Chen

  2. Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Y.-L. Lin

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  1. S.-H. Chen
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  2. Y.-L. Lin
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Chen, SH., Lin, YL. Orographic effects on a conditionally unstable flow over an idealized three-dimensional mesoscale mountain. Meteorol. Atmos. Phys. 88, 1–21 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-003-0047-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-003-0047-6

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