A Study of the Evolution of the Coastal Front and Related Mesoscale Structures in the Atmospheric Planetary Boundary Layer near the Southeast Coast of the United States

冬季的迅速发展和加剧 沿海地区的气旋是一种主要的天气 预测问题。 沿着美国东海岸 美国，气旋风暴和锋面系统的发展 经常发生在沿着的南卡罗来纳州。 这些 天气系统可能导致严重的恶劣天气， 以冻雨的形式出现在东北走廊， 大雪、暴风雪和大面积的海岸侵蚀。 一 寒冷的大陆空气温暖的海洋 洋流、移动的大气扰动和当地 地理学似乎都有助于快速发展 这些系统;然而，这些过程还没有得到很好的理解， 而这些现象往往预测不佳。 1986年1月至3月， 研究该地区冬季风暴的是一个由 大学和联邦机构。 创世纪（Genesis of 大西洋低实验），该项目旨在提供 关于海气相互作用的作用的详细资料， 行星边界层过程和中尺度气象 流程. 作为GALE的调查人员之一， 首席研究员在设计和 执行实验。 这项研究将扩展对数据的初步分析 在GALE期间获得。 初步工作表明， 中尺度结构在天气场中占主导地位， 可以更好地解释观测到的降水和当地天气 比天气场更强 然而，有证据表明， 中尺度特征以可预测的模式出现， 地形和天气尺度流。 的目标 研究将继续确定和分析中尺度 近岸大气边界层特征 沃茨和邻近的沿海平原，并探讨时间- 这些特征的演变及其与 天气尺度系统，特别是这种相互作用影响 沉淀过程。

The rapid development and intensification of winter cyclones in coastal regions presents a major weather forecasting problem. Along the East Coast of the United States, the development of cyclonic storms and frontal systems often occurs along the coastal region of the Carolinas. These weather systems may lead to severe weather in the heavily populated Northeast Corridor in the form of freezing rain, heavy snowfall, blizzards and extensive coastal erosion. A complex interaction of cold continental air, warm ocean currents, traveling atmospheric disturbances and local geography all appear to contribute to the rapid development of these systems; however, the processes are not well understood and the phenomena are often poorly forecast. In January-March 1986 a cooperative research project to study winter storms in this region was held by a consortium of universities and Federal agencies. Entitled GALE (Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment), the project was designed to provide detailed information on the role of air-sea interaction, planetary boundary-layer processes and mesoscale meteorological processes. As one of the investigators of the GALE, the Principal Investigator was instrumental in designing and executing the experiment. This research will extend initial analyses of data obtained during the GALE. Preliminary work reveals that the mesoscale structure is prevalent within the synoptic field and can better explain the observed precipitation and local weather than can the synoptic field. There is evidence, however, that mesoscale features occur in predictable patterns governed by the topography and synoptic-scale flow. The objectives of the research are to continue to identify and analyze mesoscale features in the atmospheric boundary layer over the near-shore waters and adjacent coastal plain and to explore the time- evolution of these features and their interactions with synoptic-scale systems especially as such interactions affect the precipitation process.