Down-valley Flow Research Articles

Observed and Simulated Characteristics of Down-Valley Flow within Stratiform Precipitation over the Olympic Peninsula

Abstract Midlatitude cyclones approaching coastal mountain ranges experience flow modifications on a variety of scales including orographic lift, blocking, mountain waves, and valley flows. During the 2015/16 Olympic Mountain Experiment (OLYMPEX), a pair of scanning ground radars observed precipitating clouds as they were modified by these orographically induced flows. The DOW radar, positioned to scan up the windward Quinault Valley, conducted RHI scans during 285 h of precipitation, 80% of which contained reversed, down-valley flow at lower levels. The existence of down-valley flow in the Quinault Valley was found to be well correlated with upstream flow blocking and the large-scale sea level pressure gradient orientated down the valley. Deep down-valley flow occurred in environments with high moist static stability and southerly winds, conditions that are common in prefrontal sectors of midlatitude cyclones in the coastal Pacific Northwest. Finally, a case study of prolonged down-valley flow in a prefrontal storm sector was simulated to investigate whether latent heat absorption (cooling) contributed to the event. Three experiments were conducted: a Control simulation and two simulations where the temperature tendencies from melting and evaporation were separately turned off. Results indicated that evaporative cooling had a stronger impact on the event’s down-valley flow than melting, likely because evaporation occurred within the low-level down-valley flow layer. Through these experiments, we show that evaporation helped prolong down-valley flow for several hours past the time of the event’s warm frontal passage. Significance Statement This paper analyzes the characteristics of down-valley flow over the windward Quinault Valley on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State using data from OLYMPEX, with an emphasis on regional pressure differences and blocking metrics. Results demonstrate that the location of precipitation over the Olympic Peninsula is shifted upstream during events with deep down-valley flow, consistent with blocked upstream airflow. A case study of down-valley flow highlights the role of evaporative cooling to prolong the flow reversal.

High-Resolution Modeling of Mesoscale Circulation in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer over a Complex Coastal Area

We evaluated the performance of the high-resolution (333 m) Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in simulating the flow structure at a complex coastal site in Boseong, South Korea, on 15 July 2018, against observations obtained from a 300 m tower and radiosonde, and analyzed the model results to interpret the measurements. The study site is surrounded by mountains, valleys, and bays, and is adjacent to the South Sea; thus, it is influenced by terrain-forced flow and thermally driven circulation. The study day was characterized by the development of nighttime low-level wind maximum (LLWM) and daytime sea breeze under weak synoptic wind conditions. Although the WRF model simulated the onset and cessation of a sea breeze later than was observed, it showed good skill in reproducing the near-surface temperatures, wind vectors, and vertical profiles of potential temperatures and wind vectors in the atmospheric boundary layer at the study site. We analyzed the model results at 05:30 and 14:30 LST when the model’s performance was good for wind. At 05:30 LST, hydraulic jump produced weak wind conditions below 300 m above ground level (AGL), and westerly down-valley flow developed near the surface, leading to an LLWM. At 14:30 LST, heating over land produced a thermal high over land at 1800 m AGL, counteracting the synoptic pressure gradient, and leading to weak wind conditions at this level. We performed three sensitivity simulations to examine the dependence of flow structure on the horizontal and vertical resolution. The results show that an early-morning hydraulic jump can be simulated by applying a high-resolution model in both the horizontal and vertical grids, and the simulated onset and cessation times of the sea breeze depend on the model’s resolution. The dependence of flow structure on the model resolution has been discussed.

Meteorological data recommendations for input to dispersion models applied to Jack Rabbit II trials

Abstract The Jack Rabbit II (JR II) chlorine field experiment observations are being used in a multi-dispersion model comparison exercise. So that all models are using consistent meteorological inputs, we analyzed the many early-morning meteorological observations that were taken at Dugway Proving Ground (DPG), Utah, during the nine chlorine release trials during JR II to produce recommendations for surface and vertical profile meteorological variables. The JR II field experiment included a mesonetwork of about 35 surface wind sites, a surface energy balance site, three 32 m towers located 1 km apart, and several vertical sounding instruments. The challenge is to determine a single set of meteorological inputs for the dispersion models. It is assumed that the recommended meteorological conditions represent the flat desert about 100 m upwind of the chlorine release location. Recommendations of surface winds, and momentum and sensible heat fluxes for each early-morning field trial are based on averages of sonic anemometer observations at 2 m on the upwind 32 m tower and at 2.5 m on a nearby “Energy Balance” station, for the half hour period during which the chlorine release took place. These observations were also used to estimate the surface roughness length, zo = 0.5 mm, for the flat desert. Single vertical profiles of wind speed, wind direction, and temperature are specified for each trial for a time close to the chlorine release time, based on medians of observations at five levels on the three 32 m towers, a radiosonde, a minisodar, and two wind profilers (449 MHz and 921 MHz). During the early morning releases, as the sun rose and heated the surface, the boundary layer was transient. The surface boundary layer was stable for releases from about 7:30 to about 8:30 (local time) and was marked by a shallow mixed layer (about 8–16 m) for releases during the next hour. Above the 32 m tower tops, the atmosphere was stable during all release trials up to elevations of a few hundred meters. Large wind direction shears were usually found in this layer, since the near-surface flow was a drainage (katabatic) down-valley flow (from about 165°), while the synoptic flow above 100 m was from the west.

Multiscale Feature‐feature Interactions Control Patterns of Hyporheic Exchange in a Simulated Headwater Mountain Stream

AbstractRecent predictions of hyporheic exchange at the basin‐scale assume individual features control exchange independently of each other, which has been demonstrated in relatively uniform, low‐gradient rivers. However, this assumption may not hold in steep catchments where both the type and size of individual features may vary over short distances, leading to irregular patterns of feature dominance on hyporheic exchange flows. Also, steep longitudinal gradients support substantial downvalley flows in the subsurface, which may create feedbacks between adjacent features. In this study, we test the extent to which features interact with one another and whether they can be aggregated to make reach‐scale predictions in a headwater mountain stream. Using systematic manipulations of a 2‐D stream centerline model and spectral analyses, we test for the presence of both feature‐feature and multiscale interactions. Our results show that changing the height of individual step‐pool features can alter hyporheic flow fields in neighboring, and sometimes distant, features. Spectral analyses revealed two scales of streambed topography—a local scale of single features and an intermediate scale that spanned multiple local‐scale features. All features produced hyporheic exchange, but turnover of deeper hyporheic water only occurred at a few key locations where local‐ and intermediate‐scale features amplified each other. Further, shallow bedrock increases the ratio of local‐ and intermediate‐scale flowpaths to regional‐scale flowpaths. Conceptual models portraying hyporheic exchange as a series of nested flowpaths should include the interactions among streambed topographic features in mountain streams. These results have implications for upscaling, field experiments, and stream restoration in steep catchments.

Dispersion of Tracers in the Stable Atmosphere of a Valley Opening onto a Plain

We quantify the impact of a valley-wind system on the transport of passive tracers in the stably-stratified atmosphere of a valley dynamically decoupled from the atmosphere above. The simple configuration of an idealized Alpine-type valley opening onto a plain is considered, for two values of the initial buoyancy frequency and of the valley steepness. The valley-wind system consists of thermally-driven downslope flows that induce a pressure difference between the valley interior and the plain, thereby triggering a down-valley flow. A steady-state regime is eventually reached, at the beginning of which passive tracers are emitted at the valley floor and at different heights above it. The tracer emitted at the valley floor is fully mixed below the height of the maximum speed of the down-valley flow, which behaves like a jet, and remains decoupled from the tracers emitted above. The down-valley flow increases linearly in the along-valley direction y so that, from the conservation of tracer flux, the tracer concentration decays as 1 / y. A simple theoretical model is proposed to fully account for the down-valley flow and tracer behaviour. The tracer concentration emitted at the valley floor also displays marked oscillations, induced by internal gravity waves radiated via a hydraulic-jump process when the downslope flow reaches the valley floor. The amplitude of the oscillations can be as high as 50% of their mean value, implying that averaged values in an urbanized valley may disguise high instantaneous—and potentially harmful-values.

Accuracy of Simulated Diurnal Valley Winds in the Swiss Alps: Influence of Grid Resolution, Topography Filtering, and Land Surface Datasets

We evaluate the near-surface representation of thermally driven winds in the Swiss Alps in a numerical weather prediction model at km-scale resolution. In addition, the influence of grid resolution (2.2 km and 1.1 km), topography filtering, and land surface datasets on the accuracy of the simulated valley winds is investigated. The simulations are evaluated against a comprehensive set of surface observations for an 18-day fair-weather summer period in July 2006. The episode is characterized by strong diurnal wind systems and the formation of shallow convection over the mountains, which transitions to precipitating convection in some areas. The near-surface winds (10 m above ground level) follow a typical diurnal pattern with strong daytime up-valley flow and weaker nighttime down-valley flow. At a 2.2 km resolution the valley winds are poorly simulated for most stations, while at a 1.1 km resolution the diurnal cycle of the valley winds is well represented in most large (e.g., Rhein valley at Chur and Rhone valley at Visp) and medium-sized valleys (e.g., Linth valley at Glarus). In the smaller valleys (e.g., Maggia valley at Cevio), the amplitude of the valley wind is still significantly underestimated, even at a 1.1 km resolution. Detailed sensitivity experiments show that the use of high-resolution land surface datasets, for both the soil characteristics as well as for the land cover, and reduced filtering of the topography are essential to achieve good performance at a 1.1 km resolution.

Wind-Driven Circulation in a Shelf Valley. Part II: Dynamics of the Along-Valley Velocity and Transport

AbstractThe dynamics controlling the along-valley (cross shelf) flow in idealized shallow shelf valleys with small to moderate Burger number are investigated, and analytical scales of the along-valley flows are derived. This paper follows Part I, which shows that along-shelf winds in the opposite direction to coastal-trapped wave propagation (upwelling regime) force a strong up-valley flow caused by the formation of a lee wave. In contrast, along-shelf winds in the other direction (downwelling regime) do not generate a lee wave and consequently force a relatively weak net down-valley flow. The valley flows in both regimes are cyclostrophic with O(1) Rossby number. A major difference between the two regimes is the along-shelf length scales of the along-valley flows Lx. In the upwelling regime Lx depends on the valley width Wc and the wavelength λlw of the coastal-trapped lee wave arrested by the along-shelf flow Us. In the downwelling regime Lx depends on the inertial length scale |Us|/f and Wc. The along-valley velocity scale in the upwelling regime, given byis based on potential vorticity (PV) conservation and lee-wave dynamics (Hs and Hc are the shelf and valley depth scales, respectively, and f is the Coriolis parameter). The velocity scale in the downwelling regime, given by is based on PV conservation. The velocity scales are validated by the numerical sensitivity simulations and can be useful for observational studies of along-valley transports. The work provides a framework for investigating cross-shelf transport induced by irregular shelf bathymetry and calls for future studies of this type under realistic environmental conditions and over a broader parameter space.

Energetics of Deep Alpine Valleys in Pooling and Draining Configurations

Abstract The Weather Research and Forecasting Model is used to investigate the nocturnal atmospheric boundary layer in a valley that opens either on a wider valley (draining configuration) or on a narrower valley (pooling configuration). One draining case and three weak to strong pooling cases are considered. Results show that the structure of the nocturnal boundary layer is substantially different for the draining and pooling configurations. Greater pooling corresponds with a deeper and colder boundary layer. Down-valley winds are weaker for pooling and draining configurations than in an equivalent valley opening directly on a plain. For the strong pooling case, an up-valley flow develops from the narrower to the wider valley during the evening transition, affecting the mass budget of the wider valley during that period. Considering the heat budget of the valley system, the contribution of the diabatic processes, when appropriately weighted, hardly varies along the valley axis. Conversely, the contribution of advection varies along the valley axis: it decreases for a pooling configuration and increases for a draining configuration. Consequently, for a pooling configuration, the heat transfer between the valley and the plain is reduced, thereby increasing the temperature difference between them. For the strong pooling case, this temperature difference can be explained by the valley-volume effect once the down-valley flow has developed. This occurs in a valley when the “extra” heat loss within the valley due to the surface sensible heat flux balances the heat input due to advection.

Climatology of Westerly Wind Events in the Lee of the Sierra Nevada

AbstractA 5-yr climatology of westerly wind events in Owens Valley, California, is derived from data measured by a mesoscale network of 16 automatic weather stations. Thermally driven up- and down-valley flows are found to account for a large part of the diurnal wind variability in this approximately north–south-oriented deep U-shaped valley. High–wind speed events at the western side of the valley deviate from this basic pattern by showing a higher percentage of westerly winds. In general, strong westerly winds in Owens Valley tend to be more persistent and to display higher sustained speeds than strong winds from other quadrants. The highest frequency of strong winds at the valley floor is found in the afternoon hours from April to September, pointing to thermal forcing as a plausible controlling mechanism. However, the most intense westerly wind events (westerly windstorms) can happen at any time of the day throughout the year. The temperature and humidity variations caused by westerly windstorms depend on the properties of the approaching air masses. In some cases, the windstorms lead to overall warming and drying of the valley atmosphere, similar to foehn or chinook intrusions. The key dynamical driver of westerly windstorms in Owens Valley is conjectured to be the downward penetration of momentum associated with mountain waves produced by the Sierra Nevada ridgeline to the west of the valley.

Winter Nocturnal Air Temperature Distribution for a Mesoscale Plain of a Snow-Covered Region: Field Meteorological Observations and Numerical Simulations

AbstractWinter air temperatures strongly affect crop overwintering and cold resource usage. To clarify how winter air temperature distributions are formed in a mesoscale plain, field observations and simulations were conducted for the Tokachi region in Japan. Results elucidating the winter climate within the plain revealed that the winter mean air temperature at each site was correlated closely with the mean daily minimum air temperature. The daily minimum air temperature was not correlated with altitude, suggesting that local variation of the daily minimum temperature influences the temperature distribution. Observations at different distances from the upwind mountains revealed that nocturnal air temperatures were higher for stronger winds closer to the mountain foot. Low temperatures associated with wind speed suggest that radiative cooling strongly affects the temperature distribution. Wind and temperature conditions in the boundary layer influence the degree of drop in nocturnal air temperature and its distribution. The wind speed and direction, respectively, affect the extent and direction of the high-temperature zone from the northwest mountain foot. Simulations with a spatial resolution of 2 km reproduced the observed temperatures, but the error exceeded 5°C at sites having complex terrain under moderate or strong wind conditions. A higher-resolution model of 0.5 km showed that simulated temperatures approach the observed temperatures in association with a local wind system of down-valley drainage flow. In conclusion, the synoptic background, wind strength and direction over the plain, and microscale valleys affect boundary layer mixing and, thereby, determine the winter air temperature distribution.

A Simple Method Based on Routine Observations to Nowcast Down-Valley Flows in Shallow, Narrow Valleys

AbstractA simple relation to diagnose the existence of a thermally driven down-valley wind in a shallow (100 m deep) and narrow (1–2 km wide) valley based on routine weather measurements has been determined. The relation is based on a method that has been derived from a forecast verification principle. It consists of optimizing a threshold of permanently measured quantities to nowcast the thermally driven Cadarache (southeastern France) down-valley wind. Three parameters permanently observed at a 110-m-high tower have been examined: the potential temperature difference between the heights of 110 and 2 m, the wind speed at 110 m, and a bulk Richardson number. The thresholds are optimized using the wind observations obtained within the valley during the Katabatic Winds and Stability over Cadarache for the Dispersion of Effluents (KASCADE) field experiment, which was conducted in the winter of 2013. The highest predictability of the down-valley wind at the height of 10 m (correct nowcasting ratio of 0.90) was found for the potential temperature difference at a threshold value of 2.6 K. The applicability of the method to other heights of the down-valley wind (2 and 30 m) and to summer conditions is also demonstrated. This allowed a reconstruction of the climatology of the thermally driven down-valley wind that demonstrates that the wind exists throughout the year and is strongly linked to nighttime duration. This threshold technique will make it possible to forecast the subgrid-scale down-valley wind from operational numerical weather coarse-grid simulations by means of statistical downscaling.

Interactions Between the Nighttime Valley-Wind System and a Developing Cold-Air Pool

The Weather Research and Forecast numerical model is used to characterize the influence of a thermally-driven down-valley flow on a developing cold-air pool in an idealized alpine valley decoupled from the atmosphere above. Results for a three-dimensional (3D) valley, which allows for the formation of a down-valley flow, and for a two-dimensional (2D) valley, where the formation of a down-valley flow is inhibited, are analyzed and compared. A key result is that advection leads to a net cooling in the 2D valley and to a warming in the 3D valley, once the down-valley flow is fully developed. This difference stems from the suppression of the slope-flow induced upward motions over the valley centre in the 3D valley. As a result, the downslope flows develop a cross-valley circulation within the cold-air pool, the growth of the cold-air pool is reduced and the valley atmosphere is generally warmer than in the 2D valley. A quasi-steady state is reached for which the divergence of the down-valley flow along the valley is balanced by the convergence of the downslope flows at the top of the cold-air pool, with no net contribution of subsiding motions far from the slope layer. More precisely, the inflow of air at the top of the cold-air pool is found to be driven by an interplay between the return flow from the plain region and subsidence over the plateaux. Finally, the mechanisms that control the structure of the cold-air pool and its evolution are found to be independent of the valley length as soon as the quasi-steady state is reached and the down-valley flow is fully developed.

Record of glacial Lake Missoula floods in glacial Lake Columbia, Washington

During the last glaciation (marine oxygen isotope stage 2), outburst floods from glacial Lake Missoula deposited diagnostic sediments within glacial Lake Columbia. Two dominant outburst flood lithofacies are present within glacial Lake Columbia deposits: a flood expansion bar facies and a finer-grained hyperpycnite facies. We conclude that the flood sediments have a glacial Lake Missoula source because: (1) current indicators indicate westward flow through the lake, and upvalley flow followed by downvalley flow in tributary valleys; (2) no flood sediments are found north of a certain point; (3) there is a dominance of Belt–Purcell Supergroup clasts in a flood expansion bar; and (4) some of the finer-grained beds have a pink colour, reflective of glacial Lake Missoula lake-bottom sediments. A new radiocarbon age of 13,400 ± 100 14C BP on plant detritus found below 37 flood beds helps constrain the timing of outburst flooding from glacial Lake Missoula.

Wind Regimes above and below a Temperate Deciduous Forest Canopy in Complex Terrain: Interactions between Slope and Valley Winds

The thermally driven wind over mountainous terrains challenges the estimation of CO2 exchange between forests and the atmosphere when using the eddy covariance technique. In this study, the wind regimes were investigated in a temperate deciduous forested valley at the Maoershan site, Northeast China. The wind direction above the canopy was preferentially up-valley in the daytime and down-valley in the nighttime, corresponding to the diurnal patterns of above-canopy temperature gradient and stability parameter. In both leaf-on and -off nighttime, a down-valley flow with a maximum velocity of 1~3 m∙s−1 was often developed at 42 m above the ground (2.3-fold of the canopy height). However, the below-canopy prevailing wind was down-slope in the night, contrast to the below-canopy temperature lapse and unstable conditions. This substantial directional shear illustrated shallow slope winds were superimposed on larger-scale valley winds. As a consequence, the valley-wind component becomes stronger with increasing height, indicating a clear confluence of drainage flow to the valley center. In the daytime, the below-canopy wind was predominated down-slope due to the temperature inversion and stable conditions in the leaf-on season, and was mainly up-valley or down-slope in the leaf-off season. The isolation of momentum flux and radiation by the dense canopy played a key role in the formation of the below-canopy unaligned wind and inverse stability. Significant lateral kinematic momentum fluxes were detected due to the directional shear. These findings suggested a significant interaction between slope and valley winds at this site. The frequent vertical convergence / divergence above the canopy and horizontal divergence/convergence below the canopy in the nighttime / daytime is likely to induce significant advections of trace gases and energy flux.

Improved understanding of groundwater flow in complex superficial deposits using three-dimensional geological-framework and groundwater models: an example from Glasgow, Scotland (UK)

Groundwater models are useful in improving knowledge of groundwater flow processes, both for testing existing hypotheses of how specific systems behave and predicting the response to various environmental stresses. The recent advent of highly detailed three-dimensional (3D) geological-framework models provides the most accurate representation of the subsurface. This type of modelling has been used to develop conceptual understanding of groundwater in the complex Quaternary deposits of Glasgow, Scotland (UK). Delineating the 3D geometry of the lithostratigraphical units has allowed the most detailed conceptualisation of the likely groundwater flow regime yet attempted for these superficial deposits. Recharge and groundwater flow models have been developed in order to test this conceptual understanding. Results indicate that the direction of groundwater flow is predominantly convergent through the permeable, relatively thick Quaternary deposits of the Clyde valley towards the River Clyde, which runs through Glasgow, with some indication of down-valley flow. A separate nearby system with thick and potentially permeable Quaternary deposits, the Proto-Kelvin Valley, may also be a significant conveyor of groundwater towards the River Clyde, although the absence of local data makes any conclusions conjectural. To improve the robustness of the current model there is a need for an overall increase in good quality groundwater-level data, particularly outside central Glasgow. A prototype groundwater-monitoring network for part of Glasgow is an encouraging development in this regard. This would allow the development of a time-variant groundwater model which could be used to study future modelling scenarios.

Microclimate and mass fluxes of debris-laden ice surfaces in Taylor Valley, Antarctica

AbstractThis study investigates the microclimate and hydrology of debris-laden ice surfaces in the Taylor Valley, Antarctica, in early summer, focusing on the onset of melt. Measurements of energy and mass fluxes were made on an outwash fan and in moraines near the terminus of Taylor Glacier. The surface microclimate was strongly controlled by absorbed solar radiation, with a low albedo of 0.17. Seasonal warming of the substrate led to an abrupt shift in thermal and hydrological patterns as temperatures exceeded freezing point. Within a week the Bowen ratio switched from 2.05 to 0.48 and mass losses to the atmosphere increased four-fold from 0.39 to 1.6 mm d-1. Melt onset also produced complex ground temperature patterns with strong diurnal damping below the freezing front. These patterns were caused by phase changes in the freezing front, coupled with an abundant water supply from local runoff. Of secondary importance to the surface energy balance and mass fluxes was the effect of local winds on boundary layer characteristics. This resulted in larger mass losses during the more turbulent, warmer and drier down-valley flows.

The Upslope–Downslope Flow Transition on a Basin Sidewall

AbstractThe late afternoon upslope–downslope flow transition on the west inner sidewall of Arizona’s Meteor Crater, visualized by photographs of smoke dispersion, is investigated for 20 October 2006 using surface radiative and energy budget data and mean and turbulent flow profiles from three towers, two at different distances up the slope and one on the basin floor. The bowl-shaped crater allows the development of the upslope–downslope flow transition with minimal influence from larger-scale motions from outside and avoiding the upvalley–downvalley flow interactions typical of valleys. The slow downslope propagation of the shadow from the west rim causes a change in the surface radiation budget and the consequent loss of heat from the shallow atmospheric layer above the western slope at a time when the sun still heats the crater floor and the inner east sidewall. The onset of the katabatic flow is visualized by the dispersion of the smoke, and the onset occurs at the same time at the two slope towers. The katabatic flow arrives later at the crater floor, cooling the air and contributing to the stabilization of a shallow but strong inversion layer there. A wavelet analysis indicates that the initial upslope current is driven by crater-size scales, whereas the later downslope flow is influenced by the thermal gradient between opposing sidewalls generated by their different cooling rates. A comparison with other days suggests that the timing of the transition is also influenced by the presence of convective eddies in addition to the local energy balance.

Strong Down-Valley Low-Level Jets over the Atacama Desert: Observational Characterization

AbstractThe near-surface wind and temperature regime at three points in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile is described using two years of multilevel measurements from 80-m towers located in an altitude range between 2100 and 2700 m MSL. The data reveal the frequent development of strong nocturnal drainage flows at all sites. Down-valley, nose-shaped wind speed profiles are observed, with maximum values occurring at heights between 20 and 60 m AGL. The flow intensity shows considerable interdaily variability and a seasonal modulation of maximum speeds, which in the cold season can attain hourly average values of more than 20 m s−1. Turbulent mixing appears to be important over the full tower layer, affecting the curvature of the nighttime temperature profile and possibly explaining the observed increase of surface temperatures in the down-valley direction. Nocturnal valley winds and temperatures are weakly controlled by upper-air conditions observed at the nearest aerological station. Estimates of terms in the momentum budget for the development and quasi-stationary phases of the down-valley flows suggest that the pressure gradient force due to the near-surface cooling along the sloping valley axes plays an important role in these drainage flows. A scale for the jet nose height of equilibrium turbulent down-slope jets is proposed that is based on surface friction velocity and surface inversion intensity. At one of the sites, this scale explains about 70% of the case-to-case observed variance of jet nose heights. Further modeling and observations are needed, however, to define better the dynamics, extent, and turbulence structure of this flow system, which has significant wind-energy, climatic, and environmental implications.

Nighttime Turbulent Events in a Steep Valley: A Nested Large-Eddy Simulation Study

Abstract This numerical study investigates the nighttime flow dynamics in Owens Valley, California. Nested high-resolution large-eddy simulation (LES) is used to resolve stable boundary layer flows within the valley. On 17 April during the 2006 Terrain-Induced Rotor Experiment, the valley atmosphere experiences weak synoptic forcings and is largely dominated by buoyancy-driven downslope and down-valley flows. Tower instruments on the valley floor record a continuous decrease in temperature after sunset, except for a brief warming episode. This transient warming event is modeled with good magnitude and temporal precision with LES. Analysis of the LES flow field confirms the event to be the result of a slope to valley flow transition, as previously suggested by researchers based on field observations. On the same night, a northerly cold airflow from the Great Basin is channeled through a pass on the eastern valley sidewall. The current plunges into the stable valley atmosphere, overshooting the altitude of its neutral buoyancy, and generating a large-scale oscillatory motion. The resulting cross-valley flow creates strong vertical shear with the down-valley flow in the lower layers of the atmosphere. A portion of the cross-valley flow is captured by a scanning lidar. The nested LES is in good agreement with the lidar-recorded radial velocity. Furthermore, the LES is able to resolve Kelvin–Helmholtz waves, and ejection and sweep events at the two-layer interface, which lead to top-down vertical mixing.

A down-valley low-level jet event during T-REX 2006

A prolonged down-valley flow and low-level jet were observed throughout the Enhanced Observing Period 4 (April 28–29) of the 2006 Terrain-induced Rotor Experiment, held in the Owens Valley of California near the town of Independence. The low-level jet was strongest during the nocturnal hours, and special field observations captured important details of the event lifecycle. High-resolution simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting numerical weather prediction model were generated, with underlying assumptions being that model resolution, boundary layer physics, and nesting configuration would be dominant controlling factors in reproducing the jet. The large-scale conditions were dry throughout the event, so moist physics were not a significant forcing consideration. For the control simulation, a two-nest (4.5 and 1.5 km grid spacing) configuration with 90 vertical levels was applied. Additionally, the Quasi-Normal Scale Elimination planetary boundary and surface layer option were selected due to its published performance under conditions of stable stratification. Three other sensitivity simulations were run for comparison, differing from the control just in the choice of vertical resolution (60 versus 90 levels with Quasi-Normal Scale Elimination) and planetary boundary/surface layer physics (90 levels/Mellor-Yamada-Jancic; 90 levels/Yonsei State University). Although the gross evolution (location, height, and timing) of the low-level jet is captured by all model runs (with the 1.5 km inner nest providing the more accurate details), there were at times large underestimations of the nocturnal jet speed max in each simulation (approaching 100 % error, or up to almost 10 m s−1). Overall, the variations of vertical resolution and planetary boundary/surface physics against the control seemed to (1) yield little overall improvement to statistical or subjective evaluations; (2) do little to improve deficiencies in reproducing the magnitude strength of the nocturnal down-valley low-level jet. Since the cold-start simulations spanned 36 h (including a 12-h spin-up period), it was suspected that the lateral boundary conditions imposed on the outermost 4.5 km nest might negatively impact the interior model solutions in the Owens Valley. To investigate this possibility, an additional simulation was executed by adding two extra nests to the control configuration: an outer 13.5 km and an inner 500 m. This simulation produced a better evolution of the nocturnal low-level jet and especially the speed max. The addition of the larger 13.5 km nest appears more critical to this improvement than that of the extra spatial resolution provided by the inner 500 m nest, which supports the idea that accurate capturing of the large-scale synoptic condition was critical in reproducing important details of this down-valley low-level jet event. The extra 500-m resolution did seem to improve the morning valley cold pool forecast.