Orographic Effects on Cold Fronts

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Observations have shown that orography significantly affects atmospheric fronts - their strength, propagation and precipitation - but the dynamics of the interaction between a front and orography are still not well understood. In particular, the interaction of the mountain and a front in the presence of a developing baroclinic system has not been investigated. Under this grant, the principal investigator will use a primitive equation numerical model to explore the dynamics of this interaction and to isolate the physical processes involved. The cold front will be forced by the shearing deformation associated with the nonlinear evolution of a baroclinic wave. The inclusion of temperature gradients provides a more realistic scenario than has been explored previously. The effects of mountain size and atmospheric stability, both in the presence and absence of moisture, will be investigated as well as the role of boundary processes and their effect on the vertical motion field. Finally, the principal investigator will study the effect of the mountains on precipitation associated with the front.***