William T. Thompson

A Vertically Nested Regional Numerical Weather Prediction Model with Second-Order Closure Physics

Abstract The model we describe involves a unique strategy in which a high vertical resolution grid is nested within the coarse vertical resolution grid of a regional numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. Physics computations performed on the high vertical resolution grid involve time-dependent solution of second-order turbulence equations, the transfer equations for long- and shortwave radiation, and moist thermodynamic calculations which include liquid water content and fractional cloudiness. The dynamical computations involving advection, pressure gradient, and Coriolis terms are performed on the regional model grid. The two grids interact fully each model time step. This approach represents an extension into NWP of the general practice of supplying coarse large-scale dynamical forcing to high-resolution boundary layer models. Aside from the computational savings of performing dynamical calculations only at the coarser resolution, we also avoid difficulties which can arise with high vertical-resolut...

The Summertime Low-Level Jet and Marine Boundary Layer Structure along the California Coast

Abstract This paper examines the strong, summertime northerly low-level jet (LLJ) that frequently exists along the California coast. The persistent synoptic-scale pressure distribution (North Pacific high to the west, thermal low to the east) and baroclinity created by the juxtaposition of the heated continent and the cool marine layer produce the mean structure of this LLJ. Strong diurnal thermal forcing, coupled with topographic influences on the flow, modulate the jet structure, position, and intensity. A mesoscale model is used to examine many of the complex facets of the LLJ flow dynamics. Several sensitivity studies, in addition to a control experiment, aid in this investigation. Principal findings of this study include the following. The pronounced east–west slope of the marine planetary boundary layer (MPBL) is not due primarily to colder SST values along the coast. Dynamically forced low-level coastal divergence, coupled with synoptic-scale divergence, appears to be dominant in determining MPBL i...

Highlights of Coastal Waves 1996

Some of the highlights of an experiment designed to study coastal atmospheric phenomena along the California coast (Coastal Waves 1996 experiment) are described. This study was designed to address ...

Transition of Stratus into Fog along the California Coast: Observations and Modeling

A case of fog formation along the California coast is examined with the aid of a one-dimensional, higherorder, turbulence-closure model in conjunction with a set of myriad observations. The event is characterized by persistent along-coast winds in the marine layer, and this pattern justifies a Lagrangian approach to the study. A slab of marine layer air is tracked from the waters near the California‐Oregon border to the California bight over a 2-day period. Observations indicate that the marine layer is covered by stratus cloud and comes under the influence of large-scale subsidence and progressively increasing sea surface temperature along the southbound trajectory. It is hypothesized that cloud-top cooling and large-scale subsidence are paramount to the fog formation process. The one-dimensional model, evaluated with various observations along the Lagrangian path, is used to test the hypothesis. The principal findings of the study are 1) fog forms in response to relatively long preconditioning of the marine layer, 2) radiative cooling at the cloud top is the primary mechanism for cooling and mixing the cloud-topped marine layer, and 3) subsidence acts to strengthen the inversion above the cloud top and forces lowering of the cloud. Although the positive fluxes of sensible and latent heat at the air‐sea interface are the factors that govern the onset of fog, sensitivity studies with the one-dimensional model indicate that these sensible and latent heat fluxes are of secondary importance as compared to subsidence and cloud-top cooling. Sensitivity tests also suggest that there is an optimal inversion strength favorable to fog formation and that the moisture conditions above the inversion influence fog evolution.

Coastally Trapped Wind Reversals: Progress toward Understanding

Abstract Coastally trapped wind reversals along the U.S. west coast, which are often accompanied by a northward surge of fog or stratus, are an important warm—season forecast problem due to their impact on coastal maritime activities and airport operations. Previous studies identified several possible dynamic mechanisms that could be responsible for producing these events, yet observational and modeling limitations at the time left these competing interpretations open for debate. In an effort to improve our physical understanding, and ultimately the prediction, of these events, the Office of Naval Research sponsored an Accelerated Research Initiative in Coastal Meteorology during the years 1993—98 to study these and other related coastal meteorological phenomena. This effort included two field programs to study coastally trapped disturbances as well as numerous modeling studies to explore key dynamic mechanisms. This paper describes the various efforts that occurred under this program to provide an advanc...

Adjustment of the Summer Marine Boundary Layer around Point Sur, California

An instrumented C-130 aircraft flew over water around Point Sur, California, on 17 June 1996 under strong northwest wind conditions and a strong marine inversion. Patterns were flown from 30- to 1200-m elevation and up to 120 km offshore. Nearshore, marine air accelerated past Point Sur, reaching a surface maximum of 17 ms 21 in the lee. Winds measured over water in and above the marine layer were alongshore with no significant cross-shore flow. Sea level pressure, 10-m air temperature, and air temperature inversion base generally decreased toward the coast and were an absolute minimum just downcoast of the wind speed maximum. The sea surface temperature also decreased toward the coast, but was an absolute minimum directly off Point Sur. The nearcoast, air temperature inversion base height was 400 m north of Point Sur, decreased to a minimum of 50 m in the lee of Point Sur, then increased farther to the south. Wind speeds were at a maximum centered along the air temperature inversion base; the fastest was 27 m s 21 in the lee of Point Sur. Using a Froude number calculation that includes the lower half of the capping layer, the marine layer in the area is determined to have been supercritical. Most of the marine layer had Froude numbers between 1.0 and 2.0 with the extreme range of 0.8‐2.8. Temperatures in the air temperature inversion in the lee were substantially greater than elsewhere, modifying the surface pressure gradient. The overall structure was a hydraulic supercritical expansion fan in the lee of Point Sur under the influence of rotation and surface friction. The Naval Research Laboratory nonhydrostatic Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) indicated a broad, supercritical marine boundary layer moving to the south along central California and Point Sur during the aircraft flight. The marine boundary layer thinned and accelerated into the lee of Point Sur, which was the site of the fastest sea level wind speed along central California. Isotherms dip and speeds decreased in the lee of Point Sur in the capping inversion well above the marine layer. COAMPS forecasted a compression shock wave initiating off the upwind side of the topography behind Point Sur and other coastal points to the north. Evidence from the model and the aircraft supports the existence of an oblique hydraulic jump on the north side of Point Sur.

A Nonhydrostatic Mesoscale Simulation of the 10–11 June 1994 Coastally Trapped Wind Reversal

Abstract During the summer months, the California coast is under the influence of persistent northwesterly flow. Several times each summer, this regime is disrupted by coastally trapped wind reversals (CTWR) in which the northwesterly flow is replaced by southerlies in a narrow zone along the coast. Controversy exists as to the physical mechanisms responsible for initiation and maintenance of CTWRs. While it is clear that coastal terrain is important in creating the trapped response, the precise role played by terrain is unclear. In the present study, these issues are investigated using a nonhydrostatic mesoscale model to simulate the 10–11 June 1994 CTWR event. The results show that the model successfully reproduces many of the observed features of this event, including anomalous vertical structure involving the relatively shallow boundary layer with a warm, nearly neutral layer above; the northward propagation of southerly flow in advance of a tongue of coastal stratus/fog; and a substantial reduction i...

Mesoscale Modeling of Summertime Refractive Conditions in the Southern California Bight

Abstract Large vertical gradients of temperature and moisture, often present at the top of the atmospheric boundary layer, can result in anomalous electromagnetic propagation. Layers in which the modified refractive index M decreases with height can act to trap microwave energy depending on the frequency and angle of incidence of the signal. Here the authors examine the ability of a mesoscale model to forecast the topography of such a trapping layer and to predict temporal trends in trapping-layer structure and depth. Data from the Variability of Coastal Atmospheric Refractivity (VOCAR) experiment are used to examine the fidelity of model forecasts. The intensive observing period of VOCAR occurred from 23 August to 3 September 1993 in the Southern California bight. The mesoscale numerical weather prediction model used has a sophisticated physics package that includes a second-order closure turbulence scheme, detailed radiative flux computations, and explicit cloud physics. The impact of several specific m...

Effects of Frictionally Retarded Sea Breeze and Synoptic Frontal Passages on Sulfur Dioxide Concentrations in New York City

Abstract Temporal changes in the spatial distribution of sulfur dioxide concentrations in New York City resulting from the passage of sea breeze and synoptic fronts were studied using data from the New York University/New York City Urban Air Pollution Data Set. Results show that upwind portions of New York City experience decreasing concentrations with the passage of sea breeze fronts, while downwind portions experience increasing concentrations. Synoptic fronts produce increasing concentrations in the less urbanized areas to the east and west of Manhattan and decreasing concentrations in Manhattan. The one synoptic front which moved extremely slowly showed extreme frictional retardation and produced the opposite effects on the concentration field.

A Numerical Study of the Effect of Dissipative Heating on Tropical Cyclone Intensity

Abstract The impact of dissipative heating on tropical cyclone (TC) intensity forecasts is investigated using the U.S. Navy’s operational mesoscale model (the Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System). A physically consistent method of including dissipative heating is developed based on turbulent kinetic energy dissipation to ensure energy conservation. Mean absolute forecast errors of track and surface maximum winds are calculated for eighteen 48-h simulations of 10 selected TC cases over both the Atlantic basin and the northwest Pacific. Simulation results suggest that the inclusion of dissipative heating improves surface maximum wind forecasts by 10%–20% at 15-km resolution, while it has little impact on the track forecasts. The resultant improvement from the inclusion of the dissipative heating increases to 29% for the surface maximum winds at 5-km resolution for Hurricane Isabel (2003), where dissipative heating produces an unstable layer at low levels and warms a deep layer of the tropos...