Affiliation:
1. Stanford University, Stanford, California
Abstract
Abstract
The formation mechanism of the Santa Cruz eddy (SCE) is investigated using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5). Simulations of 25–26 August 2000 showed that two eddy instances formed on that night, a finding supported by observations. The two eddies had similar behavior: they both formed in the sheltered Santa Cruz, California, area and then moved southeastward, to finally dissipate after 7–11 h. However, the first eddy had greater vorticity, wind speed, horizontal and vertical extents, and lifetime than the second eddy. Numerical simulations showed that the SCEs are formed by the interaction of the main northwesterly flow with the topographic barrier represented by the Santa Cruz Mountains to the north of Monterey Bay. Additional numerical experiments were undertaken with no diurnal heating cycle, no (molecular or eddy) viscosity, and no horizontal thermal gradients at ground level. In all cases, vertical vorticity was still created by the tilting of horizontal vorticity generated by the solenoidal term in the vorticity equation. This baroclinic process appeared to be the fundamental formation mechanism for both SCEs, but more favorable conditions in the late afternoon (including a south-to-north pressure gradient, flow turning due to the sea breeze, and an expansion fan) coincided to intensify the first eddy.
Publisher
American Meteorological Society
Reference51 articles.
1. Archer, C. L.
, 2004: The Santa Cruz eddy and U.S. wind power. Ph.D. thesis, Stanford University, 190 pp.
2. The Santa Cruz eddy. Part I: Observations and statistics.;Archer;Mon. Wea. Rev.,2005
3. Strongly stratified flow past three-dimensional obstacles.;Brighton;Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc.,1978
4. The dynamics of wave clouds upwind of coastal topography.;Burk;Mon. Wea. Rev.,2000
5. Mesoscale simulation of supercritical, subcritical, and transitional flow along coastal topography.;Burk;J. Atmos. Sci.,1999
Cited by
6 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献