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Sensitivity of cold air pool evolution in hilly terrain regions

Sensitivity of cold air pool evolution in hilly terrain regions Bradley Jemmett-Smith 1 , Andrew Ross 1 , Peter Sheridan 2 , John Hughes 1 21 st Symposium on Boundary Layers and Turbulence Leeds, UK 9 June 2014 . 1 Institute of Climate and Atmospheric Science , University of Leeds, UK

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Sensitivity of cold air pool evolution in hilly terrain regions

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  1. Sensitivity of cold air pool evolution in hilly terrain regions Bradley Jemmett-Smith1, Andrew Ross1, Peter Sheridan2, John Hughes1 21st Symposium on Boundary Layers and Turbulence Leeds, UK 9 June 2014 1Institute of Climate and Atmospheric Science, University of Leeds, UK 2Met Office, Exeter, UK

  2. Clun Valley, Shropshire, UK Jeremy Price (Met Office)

  3. Cold air-pools (CAPs) in complex terrain • Develop around sunset, forming in dips, hollows, valleys or basins etc. • Cold air pools (drainage flows/katabatic winds) and/or cools in-situ. • Break-up following sunrise as CBL establishes. • Ideal conditions; low wind speeds, no cloud cover, stable atmospheres. Nocturnal Boundary Layer (Whiteman, 2000)

  4. Why? • Hazardous driving conditions; frost, fog, persistence of lying snow. • Health risks; pollution episodes. • Representation in Numerical Weather Prediction models; unresolved scales, SBL parameterizations, surface energy balance. • Improve understanding of SBL processes; better representation of minimum temperature, fog, frost etc. • Recent capabilities allow high resolution modelling of scales <1km. • Application of downscaling techniques, e.g., for improved road temperature forecasts.

  5. COLd air Pooling EXperiment (COLPEX) Unique data set of SBL observations • Comprehensive field campaign, June 2009 to April 2010. • University of Leeds, Met Office, NCAS. • Satellite weather stations (HOBOS, AWS), wind, temperature and pressure. • Large flux towers; components of the energy budget – see Price et al, (2011). • Valley depths ~200m, widths typically 1km.

  6. How often do they occur? • 9–month climatology • Nights with temperature inversions greater than 4oC occur 23% of the time. • Strong CAPs frequent during October and April – periods of prolonged high pressure. • Strongest CAP observed 7-8th January, exceeding 9.9oC: ~5oC/100m. Tmin = -18.2oC.

  7. “Ideal” case study – Synoptic conditions • IOP 16 • 4-5 March 2010 • High pressure • Low wind speeds • Clear skies IR sat image 00:00 UTC 5 March 2010 Analysis 00:00 UTC 5 March 2010

  8. Theta and ELR evolution 4–5 March 2010 Potential temp Env. Lapse rate Warming Cooling

  9. Episodes of evolution disruption LIDAR vertical velocity 4-5 March 2010

  10. Episode 1 – Gravity wave activity? LIDAR Vertical velocities Radiosonde ascent rate

  11. Episode 2 – Momentum mixed down? Wind speed t-series Hill top Valley Bottom

  12. Episode 3 – Nocturnal Low Level Jet (NLLJ) Duffryn sondes Wind speed Wind direction Supergeostrophic Veering Nocturnal Jet Drainage flow Hill tops

  13. Evolution of valley stability Bulk Richardson number

  14. Model representation Wind speed and direction vertical profile, from valley bottom, Duffryn Higher sustained wind speeds Gravity wave activity Momentum mixed down

  15. Summary • CAPs observed frequently throughout COLPEX. • Relatively small changes in synoptic wind affect CAP evolution during ‘’ideal’’ case study. • CAP evolution was disturbed, and characterised by three episodes: • Gravity wave activity; possibly caused by wind speed/directional shear. • Downward momentum transport of the developing NLLJ, accelerating hill top wind speeds. • Established NLLJ, with hill top winds of 4—5 m/s. • The developing NLLJ appears to be the overriding factor.

  16. Thank you for listening. Any questions?

  17. COLPEX Publications Publications Vosper, S., Hughes, J., Lock, A., Sheridan, P., Ross, A., Jemmett-Smith, B., and Brown, A. 2013: Cold pool formation in a narrow valley. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. doi: 10.1002/qj.2160 Price J. D. , Vosper S., Brown A., Ross A., Clark P., Davies F., Horlacher V., Claxton B., McGregor J. R., Hoare J. S., Jemmett-Smith B., and Sheridan P. 2011: COLPEX: Field and Numerical Studies over a Region of Small Hills. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 92, 1636–1650. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/2011BAMS3032.1 Sheridan, P. F., Vosper, S. B., and Brown, A. R. 2013. Characteristics of cold pools observed in narrow valleys and dependence on external conditions. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. Price J. D. , Vosper S., Brown A., Ross A., Clark P., Davies F., Horlacher V., Claxton B., McGregor J. R., Hoare J. S., Jemmett-Smith B., and Sheridan P. 2011: COLPEX: Field and Numerical Studies over a Region of Small Hills. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 92, 1636?1650. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/2011BAMS3032.1

  18. NLLJ the overriding factor? LIDAR vertical velocity 4-5 March 2010 Gravity wave Nocturnal Low Level Jet m/s Hill top level Momentum mixed down Sunrise Final break-up of CAP

  19. Recurrence of the NLLJ Mean of 5 profiles on separate CAP nights

  20. Recurrence of the NLLJ? Consistent

  21. Conditions ideal for CAPs to form Results from 9–month climatology: July 2009 – April 2010 Strong CAPs in the Clun Valley……. • Preferentially form when: • Ambient wind <7 m/s • Msl pressure >1008 hPa • Wind dir from N or NW • Dry, clear (Flw < 0.91) • Ideal conditions: • Ambient wind <3 m/s • Msl pressure >1029 hPa • Wind dir from N • Low values of Flw, i.e., 0.80.

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