Modification of Continental Air Masses Moving over the Gulf of Mexico and Characteristics of the Return Flow

美国中部和东部地区恶劣天气的形成需要许多因素。其中一个最难预测的因素是墨西哥湾温暖、潮湿、不稳定的空气返回的时间和地点。这项研究是美国国家海洋和大气管理局（NOAA）领导的一个更大的项目的一部分，该项目旨在提高对冷空气在温暖的墨西哥湾水域上空移动时爆发的变化的理解。特别令人感兴趣的是这种气团改变的性质和控制它的因素。计划采用一种模拟和观测相结合的方法，包括一个小型的实地项目。观测系统将包括NOAA P-3研究飞机、国家气象局（NWS）高空观测站的补充探测和卫星数据。美国国家科学基金会资助的国家大气研究中心将使用四个跨链Loran大气探测系统（CLASS）来提高从国家气象局站点获得的探测信息的空间密度。其中三个系统将安装在墨西哥湾，两个安装在研究船上，一个安装在石油钻井平台上。从这一系列仪器收集的数据将是迄今为止关于墨西哥湾上空气团变化的最完整的数据。

Many ingredients are required for the formation of severe weather in the central and eastern parts of the United States. One of these factors, which is most difficult to forecast, is the timing and location of the return of warm, moist, unstable air from the Gulf of Mexico. This research is part of a larger National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) led project which seeks to improve understanding of the modification of cold air outbreaks as they move over the warm Gulf waters. Of particular interest are the nature of this airmass modification and the factors which control it. A combined modelling and observational approach is planned including a small field program. Observational systems will include the NOAA P-3 research aircraft, supplemental soundings from National Weather Service (NWS) upper air stations and satellite data. Four Cross-chain Loran Atmospheric Sounding Systems (CLASS) from the National Science Foundation sponsored National Center for Atmospheric Research will be used to improve the spatial density of the sounding information available from the NWS sites. Three of these systems will be placed in the Gulf of Mexico -- two aboard research vessels and one on an oil drilling platform. The data collected from this ensemble of instrumentation will be the most complete to date on airmass modification over the Gulf.