A numerical simulation of an atmospheric vortex street

Ruscher, Paul H.; Deardorff, J. W.

doi:10.1111/j.2153-3490.1982.tb01844.x

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…As in the experiments by Ruscher and Deardorff (1982), we were also unable to find no more than three discernible eddies in the wind field at any given moment, making it difficult to estimate the lateral spacing b. However, by examining the positions of the eddies in the wind fields we estimated both u0 and ue and obtained a ratio of *e/*0=0.59.…”

Section: B Initial and Boundary Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…Laboratory experiments suggest that vortex shedding only occurs for F* <0.4 (Etling, 1989), which is the case for typical conditions in the region of Hawaii. There are several nondimensional vortex parameters that characterize both atmospheric and Karman vortices when the values of individual parameters are within certain ranges (Ruscher and Deardorff, 1982). In the following we analyze the values of the nondimensional parameters for our experiment and examine how favorably the simulated flow compares with the observed case given by ND.…”

Section: B Initial and Boundary Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As discussed by Ruscher and Deardorff (1982), uncertainty in evaluating the values of the atmospheric eddy viscosity K* and an effective de leads to significant uncertainty in the appropriate ranges the saddle crest at an altitude of 500*1500 m, while rainfall in this area is observed to occur most frequently in the late afternoon. The existence of a single area of local maximum rainfall in this region suggests that the low-level trade wind split by two high mountains creates a single zone of convergence halfway between these mountains (Leopord, 1949).…”

Section: B Initial and Boundary Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Three-Dimensional Simulation of Airflow and Orographic Rain over the Island of Hawaii

Ueyoshi

Han

1991

Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan

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A three-dimensional mesoscale numerical model is presented, designed with the capability of simulating the airflow and orographically-induced rain in the presence of steep irregular terrain. The model utilizes a fourth-order accurate version of Arakawa's potential enstrophy and total energy conserving scheme to improve the simulation of nonlinear aspects of the airflow over steep topography, along with an adiabatic reference atmosphere to reduce the effects of orographic truncation errors. The precipitation processes are represented by large-scale condensation.The model is applied to the island of Hawaii. The results of a 24-h simulation indicate the model is generally successful in reproducing leeward eddies depicted in the composite surface airflow patterns.A nondimensional analysis of vortex parameters suggests that the simulated vortex pattern is an atmospheric analog of the Karman vortex street and compares favorably with an observed case of Hawaii vortices. Spatial distribution of simulated rainfall is also generally in good agreement with observations. However, the lack of precipitation in the lowland along the windward as well as leeward coast is apparent.The excess rainfall over the southern peninsula suggests the need for an finer grid mesh to improve representation of the effects of subgrid-scale mountain forcing. An application of the model to regional climate modeling through the use of large-scale objective analyses is also discussed.

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Section: B Initial and Boundary Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 70%

Section: B Initial and Boundary Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: B Initial and Boundary Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Three-Dimensional Simulation of Airflow and Orographic Rain over the Island of Hawaii

Ueyoshi

Han

1991

Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan

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“…Many investigators have likened these relatively small-scale circulations, and similar features in other parts of the world, to von Kármán vortices (Hubert and Krueger 1962;Chopra and Hubert 1965;Lyons and Fujita 1968;Thomson et al 1977;Ruscher and Deardorff 1982;Etling 1989;Young and Zawislak 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

An Unusual Aerial Photograph of an Eddy Circulation in Marine Stratocumulus Clouds

Muller

Herbster

Mosher

2015

Monthly Weather Review

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An aerial photograph of a cyclonic, von Kármán-like vortex in the marine stratocumulus clouds off the California coast, taken by a commercial pilot near Grover Beach, is presented. It is believed that this is the first photograph of such an eddy, taken from an airplane, to appear in publication.The eddy occurred with a strong inversion above a shallow marine boundary layer, in the lee of high, inversion-penetrating terrain. Tower and surface wind measurements plotted on satellite imagery demonstrate that the Grover Beach eddy was not just a cloud-level feature, but extended through the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) to the surface. Evolution of the flow during the formation of the eddy appears similar to idealized numerical simulations of blocked MABL flow from the literature. The tower measurements sampled the northern part of the eddy circulation during its formation just offshore. The 28-38C temperature increases and then decreases during and after the eddy passage may be indicative of warmer air, from sheltered locations to the southeast, and/or downslope flow, being advected by and included into the eddy circulation. Satellite data compared with sequences of wind reversals at two different levels of the meteorological tower suggest that the eddy is tilted with height, at least during its formation stage. Formation mechanisms are discussed, but the subsynoptic observations are inadequate to resolve basic questions about the flow; ultimately a high-resolution model simulation is needed.

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“…In other cases an alternating series of counter-rotating vortices form and shed, moving downwind with the mean MABL flow (Schär and Smith 1993b). Some researchers consider these circulations to be the atmospheric analog of von Kármán vortex streets that appear as fluids flow past bluff bodies (Chopra and Hubert 1965;Ruscher and Deardorff 1982;Young and Zawislak 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%