Nanette edit
Project Ideas
supercooling, rime, graupel, lenticular clouds, wave clouds, updraft, downdraft, capping inversion, Coalescence, Mammatus cloud, Outflow boundary.
I'm most interested in doing wave clouds, but are similar to lee waves, which are quite well covered. Other preferred choices are capping inversion or outflow boundary.
Existing stuff on wave clouds:
Weather questions
link title
Summary:
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Wave Cloud Draft edit
Link to current wikipedia wave cloud article
My Proposed Changes
Formation
A wave cloud is a cloud form created by atmospheric standing waves. These waves are created as stable air flows over a mountain range, and can either form above or in the lee of the range. As an air mass travels through the wave, it undergoes repeated uplift and descent. If there is enough moisture in the atmosphere, clouds will form at the crests of these waves. In the descending part of the wave this cloud will evaporate, leading to the characteristic repeating cloud/clear bands. The cloud base on the leeward side is higher than on the windward side because precipitation on the windward side removes water from the air.[1]
It is possible that convection from mountain summits can also result in the formation of wave clouds. This occurs as the convection forces the wave and lenticular wave cloud into the more stable air above. [2]
Importance
Climate Modeling
Wave clouds are typically mid to upper tropospheric ice clouds. They are relatively easy to study because they are quite consistent. As a result, they are being analyzed to increase our understanding of upper-level ice clouds on the earth's radiation budget. Understanding this can improve climate models.[3]
Recreation
The streamlines in these clouds have the steepest slope where the vertical velocity reaches a maximum value a few kilometers downwind of the lee slope of a mountain. It is in these regions of high vertical velocity that sailplanes can reach record-breaking altitudes.[4]
Structure
In an idealistic model, the wave cloud consists of supercooled liquid water at the lower part, mixed phase (a combination of frozen and liquid water) near the ridge, and ice beginning slightly below the ridge and extending downstream. However, this doesn't always always occur. Wave cloud structure ranges from smooth and simple to jumbled (phases occur randomly.)1 Oftentimes ice crystals can be found downwind of the waves. Whether this happens depends on the saturation of the air. The composition of the ice is currently an active topic of study. The main mechanism for ice formation is homogenous nucleation. The ice crystals are mostly small spheroidal and irregular-shaped particles. Columns make up less than 1%, and plates are virtually nonexistent.[5]
Multi-level mountain wave clouds form when the moisture in the air above the mountain is located in distinct layers and vertical mixing is inhibited.
References edit
- ^ Wallace, John M., Hobbs, Peter V. Atmospheric Science, and Introductory Survey. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1977.
- ^ Worthington, R.M. "Lenticular wave cloud above the convective boundary layer of the Rocky Mountains," Weather 57(2002):87-90.
- ^ Baker BA, Lawson RP (2006) In Situ Observations of the Microphysical Properties of Wave, Cirrus, and Anvil Clouds. Part I: Wave Clouds. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences: Vol. 63, No. 12 pp. 3160–3185
- ^ Wallace, John M., Hobbs, Peter V. Atmospheric Science, and Introductory Survey. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1977.
- ^ Baker BA, Lawson RP (2006) In Situ Observations of the Microphysical Properties of Wave, Cirrus, and Anvil Clouds. Part I: Wave Clouds. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences: Vol. 63, No. 12 pp. 3160–3185
See: lee waves