Extended Abstract (264K)P1.10
Boundary Layer Observations of Cold Air Pools in a Mountain Basin
Elford G. Astling, West Desert Test Center, Dugway, UT; and C. A. Biltoft, D. Storwold, and S. A. McLaughlin
Observations from a number of data sources are used to investigate the boundary layer structure during cold air pool events in a mountain basin at the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground. Continuous measurements from a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FM-CW) radar during a one-month period in September 2001 were combined with wind profiles from a 924-MHz lower-atmospheric profiler and a mini-sodar to perform high-resolution profiling of atmospheric structure. The measurements were supplemented with thermodynamic profiles derived from tethersonde flights located near the FM-CW site and automated weather stations located in the mountain basin and on surrounding mountain ridge-tops. Time-height plots of FM-CW backscattered signals reveal multiple-layered turbulent structures and wave motions that appear to depend on the atmospheric stability, vertical wind shear, mountain-basin wind regimes, and influences from nearby mountains. The results of this study are important in validation of mesoscale weather prediction in mountainous terrain and are relevant to studies of cold air pools in other mountain basins, such as the VTMX field program in the Salt Lake Valley and the Peter Sinks basin in northern Utah.
Poster Session 1, PBL Processes and Modeling (with Coffee Break)
Monday, 17 June 2002, 2:45 PM-4:15 PM
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