Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net
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2007
10.5194/acpd-7-15873-2007
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/7/15873/2007/
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/7/15873/2007/acpd-7-15873-2007.html
http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/7/15873/2007/acpd-7-15873-2007.pdf
15873
15909
2007-11-13
Impact of upper-level jet-generated inertia-gravity waves on surface wind and precipitation
C. Zülicke
christoph.zuelicke@io-warnemuende.de
D. H. W. Peters
Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Kühlungsborn, Germany
now at: Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Warnemünde, Germany
A meteorological case study for the impact of inertia-gravity waves on
surface meteorology is presented. The large-scale environment from 17 to 19
December 1999 was dominated by a poleward breaking Rossby wave transporting
subtropical air over the North Atlantic Ocean upward and north-eastward. The
synoptic situation was characterized with an upper tropospheric jet streak
passing Northern Europe. The unbalanced jet spontaneously radiated
inertia-gravity waves from its exit region. Near-inertial waves appeared
with a horizontal wavelength of about 200 km and an apparent period of about
12 h. These waves transported energy downwards and interacted with
large-scale convection.
<br><br>
This configuration is simulated with the nonhydrostatic Fifth-Generation
Mesoscale Model. Together with simplified runs without orography and
moisture it is demonstrated that the imbalance of the jet (detected with the
cross-stream ageostrophic wind) and the deep convection (quantified with the
latent heat release) are forcing inertia-gravity waves. This interaction is
especially pronounced when the upper tropospheric jet is located above a
cold front at the surface and supports deep frontal convection. Weak
indication was found for triggering post-frontal convection by
inertia-gravity waves.
<br><br>
The realism of model simulations was studied in an extended validation study
for the Baltic Sea region. It included observations from radar (DWDPI,
BALTRAD), satellite (GFZGPS), weather stations (DWDMI) and assimilated
products (ELDAS, MESAN). The detected spatio-temporal patterns show wind
pulsations and precipitation events at scales corresponding to those of
inertia-gravity waves. In particular, the robust features of strong wind and
enhanced precipitation near the front appeared with nearly the same
amplitudes as in the model. In some datasets we found indication for
periodic variations in the post-frontal region.
<br><br>
These findings demonstrate the impact of upper tropospheric jet-generated
inertia-gravity waves on the dynamics of the boundary layer. It also gives
confidence to models, observations and assimilation products for covering
such processes. In an application for the Gotland Basin in the Baltic Sea,
the implications of such mesoscale events on air-sea interaction and energy
and water budgets are discussed.
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