Anti-Clockwise Rotation of the Wind Hodograph. Part I: Theoretical Study

Abstract

Abstract In a first theoretical study, the reasons for anti-clockwise rotation (clockwise rotation in the Southern Hemisphere) of the wind hodograph in the boundary layer are investigated. As observations of wind hodographs show two different kinds of anti-clockwise rotation (ACR), one frequently observed, which is highly irregular with partly ACR and the other with clear ACR, two methods have been applied. At first a two-dimensional nonlinear model which includes sea-land breezes as well as a mountain reveal partly ACR at the lee of the mountain. By analyzing the different terms in the equation for the wind vector rotation, it is shown that the pressure-gradient term is usually the leading one, and the advection term is very small. But the latter becomes important in cases of ACR. Second, a linear model is solved analytically showing that inclusion of a rotating thermal force in the ACR sense generates clear ACR. It is shown that a critical value for the phase shift between the thermal forces in the hori...