4.1
Mesoscale Atmospheric Circulations
Clifford F. Mass, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Although Dick Reed's work on the larger scales is perhaps best known, he has made a number of significant contributions regarding mesoscale phenomena, and particularly those forced by orography. Much of this work was stimulated by his active interest in the weather of the regions in which he has resided.
Early in his career in Boston, Dick examined the effects of melting on snow level descent, and soon after his arrival in Seattle he published work on the "flying saucers" over Mount Rainier generated by mountain waves. The loss of the Hood Canal Bridge in 1979 stimulated his study of trough and low generation in the lee of orographic barriers, while his experience with damaging winds along the western slopes of the Cascades stimulated papers on downslope windstorms and gap flows. Clearly, Dick's interest in mesoscale circulations was not limited to orography and extended to research on polar lows and comma clouds (to be reviewed by Erik Ramussen) and high amplitude gravity waves embedded in cyclonic systems.
Dick's interest and enthusiasm for understanding and forecasting mesoscale features has stimulated a number of students during the years, and some of the resulting "second hand" work will be noted at the end of this presentation.
Session 4, Polar Lows, Extrtropical Cyclones, and Mesoscale Flows
Tuesday, 15 January 2002, 4:00 PM-5:30 PM
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