On the Effect of Steep Slope Orientation on the Intensity of Daytime Upslope Flow

Steep north and south facing slopes may differ significantly in the amount of solar radiation received on their surfaces and consequently also in the related daytime induced thermal flows. This note provides a comparative analysis of the midday surface flows which developed on both slopes as a function of the slope steepness and the geographical latitude. The most significant differences between the two slopes were found on steep slopes in high latitudes during the winter. During the summer, the differences due to slope steepness and geographical latitude are relatively small. Numerical model simulations support the analysis results.