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Abstract Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the upstream environment’s impacts on the airflow over the lee slope of the Cuyamaca Mountains (CM) near San Diego, California, during the Cedar Fire that occurred from 25 to 29 October 2003. The upstream environment was largely controlled by a southwest–northeast-oriented upper-tropospheric jet streak that rotated around a positively tilted ridge within the polar jet stream. Three sequential dynamical processes were found to be responsible for modifying the mesoscale environment conducive to low-level momentum and dry air that sustained the Cedar Fire. First, the sinking motion associated with the indirect circulation of the jet streak’s exit region strengthened the midtropospheric flow over the southern Rockies and the lee slope of the Sawatch and San Juan Ranges, thus modestly affecting the airflow by enhancing the downslope wind over the CM. Second, consistent with the coupling process between the upper-level sinking motion, downward momentum transfer, and developing lower-layer mountain waves, a wave-induced critical level over the mountain produced wave breaking, which was characterized by a strong turbulent mixed region with a wind reversal on top of it. This critical level helped to produce severe downslope winds leading to the third stage: a hydraulic jump that subsequently enhanced the downstream extent of the strong winds conducive to the favorable lower-tropospheric environment for rapid fire spread. Consistent with these findings was the deep-layer resonance between the mountain surface and tropopause, which had a strong impact on strengthening the severe downslope winds over the lee slope of the CM accompanying the elevated strong easterly jet at low levels.
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Are finite‐amplitude effects important in non‐breaking mountain waves?
Abstract Linear theory has long been used to study mountain waves and has been successful in describing much of their behaviour. In the simplest theoretical context, that of two‐dimensional steady‐state flow with constant Brunt–Väisälä frequency (N) and horizontal wind speed (U), finite‐amplitude effects are relatively minor until wave breaking occurs. However, in more complex environmental profiles, significant finite‐amplitude effects occur below the wave‐breaking threshold. We constructed a linearized version of a fully nonlinear time‐dependent model, thereby facilitating direct comparisons between linear and finite‐amplitude solutions in cases with upstream profiles representative of typical real‐world events. Beginning with the simplest profile that includes a tropopause, namely an environment with constant upstream wind speed and two layers of constant static stability, we progressively investigate more complex profiles that include vertical wind shear typical of the midlatitude westerlies. Our results demonstrate that, even without wave breaking, finite‐amplitude effects can play an important role in modulating the mountain‐wave amplitude and gravity‐wave drag. The modulation is a function of the tropopause height and is most pronounced when the cross‐ridge flow increases strongly with height.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1929466
- PAR ID:
- 10449430
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society
- Volume:
- 147
- Issue:
- 738
- ISSN:
- 0035-9009
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 2691-2708
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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