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Plume mechanics and stratocumulus convection
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Hanson, Howard P. |
| Copyright Year | 1990 |
| Description | The First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) marine stratocumulus Intensive Field Observation (IFO) held in July, 1987 produced a data set that is far more comprehensive than data sets from previous stratocumulus experiments. One exciting new development was the use of the 10.6 micron lidar system for cloud-top mapping that was available on the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Electra. This system provided a unique look at the small scales of the turbulence in the clouds, images of the turbulent structures that are quantitatively revealed by conditional sampling (e.g., Khalsa and Greenhut, 1987). The behavior of these updrafts and downdrafts is central to the dynamics of the stratocumulus-topped marine boundary layer. FIRE's objectives of understanding cloud dynamics and how they affect the cloud optical depth - which, in turn, is the crucial factor in determining the clouds' albedo - therefore require the investigation of these drafts. Given here are initial results from a simple model capable of simulating moist, entraining plumes that are subject to water phase changes and radiative heating and cooling. These results correspond, therefore, to the 'dry cloud' case discussed by Lilly and Schubert (1980). The model's simplicity limits the realism of the results - the plumes are assumed not to interact, for example - but the role of radiative processes in influencing the plume dynamics is clear. Also revealed is the role the plumes play is maintaining the cloud-top inversion. The model equations and methodology used, and qualitative results are given. |
| File Size | 372798 |
| Page Count | 4 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19910001213 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t0rr6rf2c |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1990-07-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Meteorology And Climatology Water Climatology Turbulence Turbulent Flow Satellite Observation Stratocumulus Clouds Convection Plumes Vertical Air Currents Albedo Simulation Atmospheric Boundary Layer Air Water Interactions Marine Meteorology Entrainment Clouds Meteorology Optical Thickness Sampling Fire Climatology Optical Radar Drying Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
