Abstract

A von Karman vortex formed over the Black Sea southwest of the Crimean Peninsula on January 24, 2001. A von Karman vortex is formed when an object stands in the way of a fluid stream; the vortices generated will travel with the stream away from the object. Von Karman vortices form at all scales of fluid motion. This is usually a sign of turbulent atmospheric flow. Weather observations on land indicated a strong east to west flow over the Crimean region. The winds weakened southward. Venturi-like funneling effects were evident between the Crimean Peninsula and the southern extent of the Central Plateau over the Ukraine enhancing the surface winds to near gale force. Very few surface reports existed in the Black Sea. To better describe the mechanism creating the von Karman vortex, DMSP imagery (light and thermal) and SSM/I data (from all seven channels) were obtained. DMSP imagery was enhanced for a better perspective of the phenomena. The different SSM/I data channels were used to compare wind speed over the Black Sea using the Goodberlet, Swift, and Wilkerson algorithm (1989). The results of this methodology help explain the reason the von Karman vortex formed, and is a good example how DMSP data can depict subsynoptic features and wind fields.