What question did this study set out to answer?

To simulate the nighttime evolution of wind and temperature fields within a complex canyonland basin and evaluate the mechanisms driving local circulations and atmospheric heat budgets.

December 1, 1996Journal of applied meteorology

Boundary Layer Evolution within a Canyonland Basin. Part II: Numerical Simulations of Nocturnal Flows and Heat Budgets

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Authors

JFJerome D. FastPacific Northwest National Laboratory SZShiyuan ZhongMichigan State University CWC. David WhitemanUniversity of Utah

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Implication

Numerical simulation study reveals complex nocturnal drainage flows and distinct heat budget drivers across a mountain basin, highlighting spatial variability in complex terrain meteorology.

Key Points

To simulate the nighttime evolution of wind and temperature fields within a complex canyonland basin and evaluate the mechanisms driving local circulations and atmospheric heat budgets.
Simulated nocturnal meteorological fields across an 84 km² elliptical basin in western Colorado using a mesoscale numerical atmospheric model.
Evaluated model fidelity by comparing simulated wind and potential temperature outputs against observed vertical profiles over the basin floor and drainage canyon.
Quantified individual terms of the atmospheric heat budget and conducted sensitivity tests on ambient wind direction and vegetation coverage.
Convergence of sidewall drainage flows generated complex internal wind patterns, including a persistent counterclockwise eddy in the southern sector of the basin floor.
Heat budget terms differed substantially across topography: basin floor cooling was driven by radiative flux divergence and cold-air advection, whereas sidewall cooling was dominated by turbulent sensible heat flux divergence.
Cooling rates peaked during the early evening, with overall thermal structure and circulation patterns demonstrating high sensitivity to ambient wind direction.

Cite This Study

Fast et al. (1996) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a83dba8222a3846ce4d7dfe https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1996)035<2162:blewac>2.0.co;2

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Implication

Numerical simulation study reveals complex nocturnal drainage flows and distinct heat budget drivers across a mountain basin, highlighting spatial variability in complex terrain meteorology.

Boundary Layer Evolution within a Canyonland Basin. Part II: Numerical Simulations of Nocturnal Flows and Heat Budgets

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Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Boundary Layer Evolution within a Canyonland Basin. Part II: Numerical Simulations of Nocturnal Flows and Heat Budgets

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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