On the turbulence structure of deep katabatic flows on a gentle mesoscale slope.

ABSTRACT: A comprehensive analysis of the turbulence structure of relatively deep midlatitude katabatic flows (with jet maxima between 20 and 50 m) developing over a gentle (1°) mesoscale slope with a long fetch upstream of the Meteor Crater in Arizona is presented. The turbulence structure of flow below the katabatic jet maximum shows many similarities with the turbulence structure of shallower katabatic flows, with decreasing turbulence fluxes with height and almost constant turbulent Prandtl number. Still stark differences occur above the jet maximum where turbulence is suppressed by strong stability, is anisotropic and there is a large sub-mesoscale contribution to the flux. Detecting the stable boundary-layer top depends on the method used (flux- vs. anisotropy-profiles) but both methods are hi

SUBMITTER: Stiperski I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7654318 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature