Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling And Observations Research Articles

Inertial oscillation modelling of low-level jets: an application to the complex terrain and double-nosed wind profiles

This study investigates the role of inertial oscillations in the evolution of a nocturnal Low-Level Jet (LLJ) in complex terrain and explores the impacts of local perturbations on wind dynamics. Specifically, a conceptual model based on inertial oscillations (Van de Wiel et al. J Atmos Sci 67(8):2679–2689 (2010)) is used to replicate the evolution of an LLJ in a gentle-sloping valley ensuring to capture its long-period dynamics under weak synoptic forcing. The analysis is performed on an already-analysed case study from the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) data set, taking advantage of the known local flow characteristics and the existence of a temporary anomaly in the LLJ shape called double-nosed LLJ. In an attempt to capture this last flow feature, a model modification is introduced, revealing appropriate to capture the double-nosed shape of the LLJ. Further observational studies will be needed to corroborate the operational use of this model and explore its application potential in different wind and energy sectors.

Driving Mechanisms of Double-Nosed Low-Level Jets during MATERHORN Experiment

AbstractIn the realm of boundary layer flows in complex terrain, low-level jets (LLJs) have received considerable attention, although little literature is available for double-nosed LLJs that remain not well understood. To this end, we use the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) dataset to demonstrate that double-nosed LLJs developing within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) are common during stable nocturnal conditions and present two possible mechanisms responsible for their formation. It is observed that the onset of a double-nosed LLJ is associated with a temporary shape modification of an already-established LLJ. The characteristics of these double-nosed LLJs are described using a refined version of identification criteria proposed in the literature, and their formation is classified in terms of two driving mechanisms. The wind-driven mechanism encompasses cases where the two noses are associated with different air masses flowing one on top of the other. The wave-driven mechanism involves the vertical momentum transport by an inertial–gravity wave to generate the second nose. The wave-driven mechanism is corroborated by the analysis of nocturnal double-nosed LLJs, where inertial–gravity waves are generated close to the ground by a sudden flow perturbation.

Sensitivity of Numerical Simulations of Near-Surface Atmospheric Conditions to Snow Depth and Surface Albedo during an Ice Fog Event over Heber Valley

AbstractThis study examines the sensitivity of numerical simulations of near-surface atmospheric conditions to the initial surface albedo and snow depth during an observed ice fog event in the Heber Valley of northern Utah. Numerical simulation results from the mesoscale community Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model are compared with observations from the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) Program fog field program. It is found that near-surface cooling during the nighttime is significantly underestimated by the WRF Model, resulting in the failure of the model to reproduce the observed fog episode. Meanwhile, the model also overestimates the temperature during the daytime. Nevertheless, these errors could be reduced by increasing the initial surface albedo and snow depth, which act to cool the near-surface atmosphere by increasing the reflection of downward shortwave radiation and decreasing the heating effects from the soil layer. Overall results indicate the important effects of snow representation on the simulation of near-surface atmospheric conditions and highlight the need for snow measurements in the cold season for improved model physics parameterizations.

Simulation of stably stratified flow in complex terrain: flow structures and dividing streamline

The advanced research version of the weather research and forecasting model was employed to simulate Intense Operational Periods of the field campaigns of the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) Program with a 0.5 km horizontal resolution. The focus was on synoptically dominated stably stratified periods, with the mean flow approaching a strongly non-symmetrical rugged topography—the Granite Mountain of the US Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. The model was validated against a comprehensive set of MATERHORN data. The special in-house developed software enabled calculations of energetics and pressure anomalies along individual streamlines and tracing of spatial trajectories of streamlines. Owing to complexities of natural flows, for example, the directional shear (skewed vertical velocity profiles) and irregular topographic shape, the flow patterns depend on multiple parameters, although in idealized cases the flow is described by a single parameter (Froude number or a variant). Streamlines at different altitudes of a given location diverged rapidly, making it difficult to study the dividing streamline concept. The new software allowed identification of the dividing streamline passing over the highest crest (summit) of the mountains and its trajectory. The upstream height of the dividing streamline did not follow the well-known Sheppard’s formula. Three cases of flow patterns are presented, identified based on the presence of lee waves, flow separation, horizontal vortex shedding and hydraulics jumps.

Topographic Effects on Radiation in the WRF Model with the Immersed Boundary Method: Implementation, Validation, and Application to Complex Terrain

Abstract Topographic effects on radiation, including both topographic shading and slope effects, are included in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model, and here they are made compatible with the immersed boundary method (IBM). IBM is an alternative method for representing complex terrain that reduces numerical errors over sloped terrain, thus extending the range of slopes that can be represented in WRF simulations. The implementation of topographic effects on radiation is validated by comparing land surface fluxes, as well as temperature and velocity fields, between idealized WRF simulations both with and without IBM. Following validation, the topographic shading implementation is tested in a semirealistic simulation of flow over Granite Mountain, Utah, where topographic shading is known to affect downslope flow development in the evening. The horizontal grid spacing is 50 m and the vertical grid spacing is approximately 8–27 m near the surface. Such a case would fail to run in WRF with its native terrain-following coordinates because of large local slope values reaching up to 55°. Good agreement is found between modeled surface energy budget components and observations from the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) program at a location on the east slope of Granite Mountain. In addition, the model captures large spatiotemporal inhomogeneities in the surface sensible heat flux that are important for the development of thermally driven flows over complex terrain.

Fine-scale turbulent bursts in stable atmospheric boundary layer in complex terrain

Turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is usually measured using sonic anemometers (sonics), but coarse spatial (${\sim}10$ cm) and temporal (${\sim}32$ Hz) resolutions of sonics preclude direct measurement of fine-scale parameters such as the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation rate$\unicode[STIX]{x1D700}$. Instead,$\unicode[STIX]{x1D700}$is estimated using techniques based on Kolmogorov theory. Fine-scale measurements of ABL turbulence down to Kolmogorov scale were made with a sonic and hot-film anemometer dyad (a ‘combo’ probe) during the field campaigns of the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) programme. The hot-film probe was located on a gimbal within the sonic probe volume, and was automated to rotate in the horizontal plane to align with the mean flow measured by sonic. This procedure not only helped satisfy the requirement of hot-film alignment with the mean flow, but also allowedin situcalibration of hot-film probes. This paper analyses a period of nocturnal flow that was similar to a stratified parallel shear flow. The combo-probe measurements showed an interesting phenomenon – the occurrence of strong bursts, characterized by short-term increase of velocity fluctuations and simultaneous increase of TKE dissipation rate by orders of magnitude. These bursts were indicative of unusual turbulence activity at finer (${\sim}0.1$–0.4 m) scales that are not captured by sonics since the smallest scales resolved by the latter are greater than 0.6 m. With bursting present, the spectra exhibited bumps at scales intermediate to inertial and dissipation subranges, resembling a bottleneck phenomenon. Its manifestation, although unequivocally related to bursts, may not convincingly fit into the framework of previous bottleneck-effect theories that allude to either viscous effects or buoyancy effects modifying the local energy cascade via non-local effects. The origins of burst are yet to be identified. Stratified ABL with bursts exhibits non-Kolmogorov behaviour, and hence should be modelled with caution.

The effects of horizontal grid spacing on simulated daytime boundary layer depths in an area of complex terrain in Utah

The influence of grid spacing on daytime planetary boundary layer (PBL) depths is investigated using 2 years of hourly output from a weather forecast system run operationally for an area of complex terrain in Utah. The model domain includes Dugway Proving Ground, the target area for the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) program. Differences in PBL depths between a coarse- (10 km horizontal grid spacing) and a fine-grid (3.3 km) domain are expressed as a function of several parameters that describe the terrain variability, including the standard deviation and the Laplacian of the terrain elevation. PBL depths on fair weather days are larger in the coarse domain than in the fine-grid domain by more than 200 m over areas with unresolved ridges in the coarse-grid domain. Absolute differences are an order of magnitude larger in summer than in winter while relative differences are similar and on the order of 10%. The PBL depth differences can only be partly removed after correcting for the fine-grid terrain elevation in the coarse domain, indicating that unresolved atmospheric processes in the coarse-grid domain also account for the PBL depth differences. The results also demonstrate the importance of distinguishing between PBL depths and PBL heights when evaluating the performance of coarse-grid numerical models.

A methodology for computing spatially and temporally varying surface sensible heat flux from thermal imagery

Thermal infrared imagery provides a measure of surface temperature by quantifying the thermal emission of radiation from objects. In this work, we propose a novel approach for computing surface sensible heat fluxes from a time series of thermal imagery sampled at 20 Hz. The approach consists of using a surface energy budget, where the ground heat flux is easily computed from limited measurements using a force–restore‐type methodology, the latent heat fluxes are neglected, and the energy storage is computed using a lumped capacitance model. Preliminary validation of the method is presented using experimental data acquired at a desert playa in western Utah from an intensive observation period during the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) Program. The sensible heat fluxes computed from thermal imagery show encouraging agreement (≈4% difference for 1 h averaged fluxes computed with the force–restore method) compared to heat fluxes obtained using the eddy‐covariance technique, however additional evaluation is required to confirm the method's validity. Further, the technique illustrates the richness of surface heat flux spatio‐temporal structure even over very smooth surfaces.

Large Temperature Fluctuations due to Cold-Air Pool Displacement along the Lee Slope of a Desert Mountain

AbstractLarge temperature fluctuations (LTFs), defined as a drop of the near-surface temperature of at least 3°C in less than 30 min followed by a recovery of at least half of the initial drop, were frequently observed during the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) program. Temperature time series at over 100 surface stations were examined in an automated fashion to identify and characterize LTFs. LTFs occur almost exclusively at night and at locations elevated 50–100 m above the basin floors, such as the east slope of the isolated Granite Mountain (GM). Temperature drops associated with LTFs were as large as 13°C and were typically greatest at heights of 4–10 m AGL. Observations and numerical simulations suggest that LTFs are the result of complex flow interactions of stably stratified flow with a mountain barrier and a leeside cold-air pool (CAP). An orographic wake forms over GM when stably stratified southwesterly nocturnal flow impinges on GM and is blocked at low levels. Warm crest-level air descends in the lee of the barrier, and the generation of baroclinic vorticity leads to periodic development of a vertically oriented vortex. Changes in the strength or location of the wake and vortex cause a displacement of the horizontal temperature gradient along the slope associated with the CAP edge, resulting in LTFs. This mechanism explains the low frequency of LTFs on the west slope of GM as well as the preference for LTFs to occur at higher elevations later at night, as the CAP depth increases.

The evolution and sensitivity of katabatic flow dynamics to external influences through the evening transition

Data collected over an arid shallow slope (2–4°) during the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) Program are used to study the katabatic structure and onset of katabatic flow through the evening transition. An unprecedented suite of instrumentation, including a transect of five turbulence towers with 29 sonic anemometers, is used for the investigation. Fifteen transition periods with well‐defined katabatic flow and relatively little synoptic forcing are used in the study. The katabatic onset, jet velocity and jet height all show a large degree of interdiurnal and intersite variance. The slope‐aligned budgets of momentum and potential temperature are used to define time‐scales that describe the evolution of the katabatic flow. Composite wind velocity time series are used to show that ≈30 min elapses from the time when the katabatic flow initializes at 0.5 m to the point of initialization at 20 m. A simple katabatic model utilizing surface energy‐budget modelling is developed and used to model the interdiurnal katabatic variance. Finally, uni‐ and multi‐variate statistical analyses are used to diagnose the influence of specific external variables. Valley wind speed, turbulence structure, soil moisture, and shadow front speed are all found to influence the katabatic dynamics to varying degrees.

Investigation of the Spatial Variability of the Convective Boundary Layer Heights over an Isolated Mountain: Cases from the MATERHORN-2012 Experiment

AbstractSpatiotemporal variability in the convective boundary layer height zi over complex terrain is governed by numerous factors such as land surface processes, topography, and synoptic conditions. Observational datasets to evaluate weather forecast models that simulate this variability are sparse. This study aims to investigate the zi spatial variability (along a total leg length of 1800 km) around and over a steep isolated mountain (Granite Mountain) of horizontal and vertical dimensions of 8 and 0.9 km, respectively. An airborne Doppler lidar was deployed on seven flights during the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) campaign conducted at Dugway Proving Ground (Utah) from 25 September to 24 October 2012. During the afternoon, an east–west zi gradient over the region with zi that was approximately 200 m higher on the eastern side than on the western side of Granite Mountain was observed. This gradient illustrates the impact of two different land surface properties on zi spatial variability, with a sparsely vegetated desert steppe region on the east and a dry, bare lake-bed desert with high subsurface soil moisture to the west of Granite Mountain. Additionally, the zi spatial variability was partly attributed to the impact of Granite Mountain on the downwind zi. Differences in zi were also observed by the radiosonde measurements in the afternoon but not in the morning as the zi variability in morning were modulated by the topography. The high-resolution lidar-derived zi measurements were used to estimate the entrainment zone thickness in the afternoon, with estimates ranging from 100 to 250 m.

An Overview of the MATERHORN Fog Project: Observations and Predictability

A field campaign design to study fog processes in complex terrain was a component of the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) Program. The experiment was conducted in the Wasatch Mountains during January 5–February 15, 2015. Fog and in particular, Ice fog (IF), defined as fog composed of only ice crystals, was studied during a part of the campaign, and this component of the program was dubbed MATERHORN-Fog. Ice fog often occurs in mountainous regions due do rapid cooling, such as radiative cooling, advective cooling, and cooling associated with mountain circulations (e.g., slope and valley winds). A variety of major instrument platforms were deployed, which included meteorological towers, a SODAR, a LiDAR, ceilometers, and a tethersonde profiler. In addition, in situ measurements took place at several locations surrounding Salt Lake City and Heber City. During the campaign, ice fog occurred at temperatures below −5 °C down to −13 °C and lasted for several hours until radiative heating became significant. The visibility (Vis) during ice fog events ranged from 100 m up to 10 km. At the Heber City site an array of sensors for measuring microphysical, radiative, and dynamical characteristics of IF events were deployed. Some local effects such as upslope advection were observed to affect the IF conditions. As expected during these events, ice water content (IWC) varied from 0.01 up to 0.2 g m−3, with radiative cooling fluxes as strong as 200 W m−2; turbulent heat and moisture fluxes were significantly lower during fog events than those of fog dissipation. At times, the measured ice crystal number concentration was as high as 100 cm−3 during periods of saturation with respect to ice. N i was not a constant as usually assumed in forecasting simulations, but rather changed with increasing IWC. Measurement based statistics suggested that the occurrence of IF events in the region was up to 30 % during the study period in the winter of 2015. Temperature profiles suggested that an inversion layer contributed significantly to IF formation at Heber. Ice fog forecasts via Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model indicated the limitations of IF predictability. Results suggest that IF predictions need to be improved based on ice microphysical parameterizations and ice nucleation processes.

Numerical Prediction of Cold Season Fog Events over Complex Terrain: the Performance of the WRF Model During MATERHORN-Fog and Early Evaluation

A field campaign to study cold season fog in complex terrain was conducted as a component of the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) Program from 07 January to 01 February 2015 in Salt Lake City and Heber City, Utah, United States. To support the field campaign, an advanced research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used to produce real-time forecasts and model evaluation. This paper summarizes the model performance and preliminary evaluation of the model against the observations. Results indicate that accurately forecasting fog is challenging for the WRF model, which produces large errors in the near-surface variables, such as relative humidity, temperature, and wind fields in the model forecasts. Specifically, compared with observations, the WRF model overpredicted fog events with extended duration in Salt Lake City because it produced higher moisture, lower wind speeds, and colder temperatures near the surface. In contrast, the WRF model missed all fog events in Heber City, as it reproduced lower moisture, higher wind speeds, and warmer temperatures against observations at the near-surface level. The inability of the model to produce proper levels of near-surface atmospheric conditions under fog conditions reflects uncertainties in model physical parameterizations, such as the surface layer, boundary layer, and microphysical schemes.

A Case Study of the Mechanisms Modulating the Evolution of Valley Fog

We present a valley fog case study in which radiation fog is modulated by topographic effects using data obtained from a field campaign conducted in Heber Valley, Utah from January 7–February 1, 2015, as part of the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) program. We use data collected on January 9, 2015 to gain insight into relationships between typical shallow radiation fog, turbulence, and gravity waves associated with the surrounding topography. A ≈ 10–30 m fog layer formed by radiative cooling was observed from 0720 to 0900 MST under cold air temperatures (≈−9 °C), near-saturated (relative humidity with respect to water ≈95 %), and calm wind (mostly <0.5 m s−1) conditions. Drainage flows were observed occasionally prior to fog formation, which modulated heat exchanges between air masses through the action of internal gravity waves and cold-air pool sloshing. The fog appeared to be triggered by cold-air advection from the south (≈200°) at 0700 MST. Quasi-periodic oscillations were observed before and during the fog event with a time period of about 15 min. These oscillations were detected in surface pressure, temperature, sensible heat flux, incoming longwave radiation, and turbulent kinetic energy measurements. We hypothesize that the quasi-periodic oscillations were caused by atmospheric gravity waves with a time period of about 10–20 min based on wavelet analysis. During the fog event, internal gravity waves led to about 1 °C fluctuations in air temperatures. After 0835 MST when net radiation became positive, fog started to dissipate due to the surface heating and heat absorption by the fog particles. Overall, this case study provides a concrete example of how fog evolution is modulated by very weak thermal circulations in mountainous terrain and illustrates the need for high density vertical and horizontal measurements to ensure that the highly spatially varying physics in complex terrain are sufficient for hypothesis testing.

Triple Doppler wind lidar observations during the mountain terrain atmospheric modeling and observations field campaign

Coordinated triple Doppler wind lidars (DWLs) were employed during the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) program field campaign to observe turbulent winds in the mountain terrain atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). The feasibility of observing large turbulent eddies was investigated by pointing three DWL at an intersecting probe volume adjoining a sonic anemometer mounted on the top of a meteorological tower. The time series and spectra of the sonic anemometer measurement were compared with the lidars. The lidar radial velocities closely followed those of the sonic anemometer, both in time and in the low frequency spectral domain, suggesting that the DWL technique is suitable for observing large turbulent eddies in the ABL. In addition, coordinated scanning triple DWL were used to directly measure the three-dimensional wind vectors, thus circumventing the assumptions required in using single or dual lidar deployments for full velocity measurements. The scanning triple lidar results were in satisfactory agreement with data from tower-based sonic anemometers. Notwithstanding, because of the difficulty of obtaining temporal and spatial synchronizations of the three lidars, the data were scant since a large amount of data had to be rejected in postprocessing. This difficulty is surmountable in the future by employing a robust control system for coordinated scanning.

Stratified Flow Past a Hill: Dividing Streamline Concept Revisited

The Sheppard formula (Q J R Meteorol Soc 82:528–529, 1956) for the dividing streamline height $$H_\mathrm{s}$$ assumes a uniform velocity $$U_\infty $$ and a constant buoyancy frequency N for the approach flow towards a mountain of height h, and takes the form $$H_\mathrm{s}/h=\left( {1-F} \right) $$ , where $$F=U_{\infty }/Nh$$ . We extend this solution to a logarithmic approach-velocity profile with constant N. An analytical solution is obtained for $$H_\mathrm{s}/h$$ in terms of Lambert-W functions, which also suggests alternative scaling for $$H_\mathrm{s}/h$$ . A ‘modified’ logarithmic velocity profile is proposed for stably stratified atmospheric boundary-layer flows. A field experiment designed to observe $$H_\mathrm{s}$$ is described, which utilized instrumentation from the spring field campaign of the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) Program. Multiple releases of smoke at $$F\approx 0.3$$ –0.4 support the new formulation, notwithstanding the limited success of experiments due to logistical constraints. No dividing streamline is discerned for $$F\approx 10$$ , since, if present, it is too close to the foothill. Flow separation and vortex shedding is observed in this case. The proposed modified logarithmic profile is in reasonable agreement with experimental observations.

The MATERHORN: Unraveling the Intricacies of Mountain Weather

Abstract Emerging application areas such as air pollution in megacities, wind energy, urban security, and operation of unmanned aerial vehicles have intensified scientific and societal interest in mountain meteorology. To address scientific needs and help improve the prediction of mountain weather, the U.S. Department of Defense has funded a research effort—the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) Program—that draws the expertise of a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional, and multinational group of researchers. The program has four principal thrusts, encompassing modeling, experimental, technology, and parameterization components, directed at diagnosing model deficiencies and critical knowledge gaps, conducting experimental studies, and developing tools for model improvements. The access to the Granite Mountain Atmospheric Sciences Testbed of the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, as well as to a suite of conventional and novel high-end airborne and surface measurement platforms, has provided an unprecedented opportunity to investigate phenomena of time scales from a few seconds to a few days, covering spatial extents of tens of kilometers down to millimeters. This article provides an overview of the MATERHORN and a glimpse at its initial findings. Orographic forcing creates a multitude of time-dependent submesoscale phenomena that contribute to the variability of mountain weather at mesoscale. The nexus of predictions by mesoscale model ensembles and observations are described, identifying opportunities for further improvements in mountain weather forecasting.

Observations of Near-Surface Heat-Flux and Temperature Profiles Through the Early Evening Transition over Contrasting Surfaces

Near-surface turbulence data from the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) program are used to study countergradient heat fluxes through the early evening transition. Two sites, subjected to similar large-scale forcing, but with vastly different surface and sub-surface characteristics, are considered. The Playa site is situated at the interior of a large dry lakebed desert with high sub-surface soil moisture, shallow water table, and devoid of vegetation. The Sagebrush site is located in a desert steppe region with sparse vegetation and little soil moisture. Countergradient sensible heat fluxes are observed during the transition at both sites. The transition process is both site and height dependent. At the Sagebrush site, the countergradient flux at 5 m and below occurs when the sign change of the sensible heat flux precedes the local temperature gradient sign change. For 10 m and above, the countergradient flux occurs when the sign change of the sensible heat flux follows the local temperature gradient sign change. At the Playa site, the countergradient flux at all tower levels occurs when the sign change of the sensible heat flux follows the local temperature gradient sign change. The phenomenon is explained in terms of the mean temperature and heat-flux evolution. The temperature gradient sign reversal is a top-down process while the flux reversal occurs nearly simultaneously at all heights. The differing countergradient behaviour is primarily due to the different subsurface thermal characteristics at the two sites. The combined high volumetric heat capacity and high thermal conductivity at the Playa site lead to small vertical temperature gradients that affect the relative magnitude of terms in the heat-flux tendency equation. A critical ratio of the gradient production to buoyant production of sensible heat flux is suggested so as to predict the countergradient behaviour.

Playa Soil Moisture and Evaporation Dynamics During the MATERHORN Field Program

We present an analysis of field data collected over a desert playa in western Utah, USA in May 2013, the most synoptically active month of the year, as part of the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) program. The results show that decreasing surface albedo, decreasing Bowen ratio and increasing net radiation with increasing soil moisture sustained a powerful positive feedback mechanism promoting large evaporation rates immediately following rain events. Additionally, it was found that, while nocturnal evaporation was negligible during dry periods, it was quite significant (up to 30 % of the daily cumulative flux) during nights following rain events. Our results further show that the highest spatial variability in surface soil moisture is found under dry conditions. Finally, we report strong spatial heterogeneities in evaporation rates following a rain event. The cumulative evaporation for the different sampling sites over a five-day period varied from \(\approx \)0.1 to \(\approx \)6.6 mm. Overall, this study allows us to better understand the mechanisms underlying soil moisture dynamics of desert playas as well as evaporation following occasional rain events.

A Case Study of the Nocturnal Boundary Layer Evolution on a Slope at the Foot of a Desert Mountain

AbstractObservations were taken on an east-facing sidewall at the foot of a desert mountain that borders a large valley, as part of the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) field program at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. A case study of nocturnal boundary layer development is presented for a night in mid-May when tethered-balloon measurements were taken to supplement other MATERHORN field measurements. The boundary layer development over the slope could be divided into three distinct phases during this night: 1) The evening transition from daytime upslope/up-valley winds to nighttime downslope winds was governed by the propagation of the shadow front. Because of the combination of complex topography at the site and the solar angle at this time of year, the shadow moved down the sidewall from approximately northwest to southeast, with the flow transition closely following the shadow front. 2) The flow transition was followed by a 3–4-h period of almost steady-state boundary layer conditions, with a shallow slope-parallel surface inversion and a pronounced downslope flow with a jet maximum located within the surface-based inversion. The shallow slope boundary layer was very sensitive to ambient flows, resulting in several small disturbances. 3) After approximately 2300 mountain standard time, the inversion that had formed over the adjacent valley repeatedly sloshed up the mountain sidewall, disturbing local downslope flows and causing rapid temperature drops.