Abstract
Turbulence and aircraft icing associated with mountain waves are weather phenomena potentially affecting aviation safety. In this paper, these weather phenomena are analysed in the vicinity of the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (Spain). Mountain waves are formed in this area due to the proximity of the Guadarrama mountain range. Twenty different weather research and forecasting (WRF) model configurations are evaluated in an initial analysis. This shows the incompetence of some experiments to capture the phenomenon. The two experiments showing the best results are used to simulate thirteen episodes with observed mountain waves. Simulated pseudosatellite images are validated using satellite observations, and an analysis is performed through several skill scores applied to brightness temperature. Few differences are found among the different skill scores. Nevertheless, the Thompson microphysics scheme combined with the Yonsei university PBL scheme shows the best results. The simulations produced by this scheme are used to evaluate the characteristic variables of the mountain wave episodes at windward and leeward and over the mountain. The results show that north-northwest wind directions, moderate wind velocities, and neutral or slightly stable conditions are the main features for the episodes evaluated. In addition, a case study is analysed to evidence the WRF ability to properly detect turbulence and icing associated with mountain waves, even when there is no visual evidence available.
Highlights
Severe weather conditions, such as hail, heavy precipitation, lightning, mountain waves, icing, wind shear, or turbulence, can affect aircraft safety [1,2,3]
13 mountain wave events are selected among 53 observations on the Guadarrama mountain range area from 2017 to 2019. e events are simulated using the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model, and an analysis with several parameterizations schemes is carried out
Five microphysics schemes are selected in this paper in order to assess the requirement of an ensemble and to choose the best parameterization schemes to forecast mountain waves
Summary
Severe weather conditions, such as hail, heavy precipitation, lightning, mountain waves, icing, wind shear, or turbulence, can affect aircraft safety [1,2,3]. Turbulence and icing episodes can promote loss of control of the aircraft, which is one of the main causes of aviation accidents [3, 4]. According to the National Transportation Safety Board [5], turbulence accounts for 71% of all the 446 weather-related accidents in commercial aviation in the USA for the period of 2000–2011. In Europe, for the period of 2012–2016, 2991 incidents were related to turbulence and 312 others to in-flight icing, with four of them resulting in fatal accidents [3]. Both phenomena, turbulence and icing, are associated with mountain wave episodes, rendering this meteorological phenomenon a considerable risk to aviation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
