Impact of different IFS microphysics on a warm conveyor belt and the downstream flow evolution

H. Joos; R. M. Forbes

doi:10.1002/qj.2863

Dynamics and deposition of sediment-bearing multi-pulsed flows and geological implication

Journal of Sedimentary Research ◽

10.2110/jsr.2019.62 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 89 (11) ◽

pp. 1127-1139 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Viet Luan Ho ◽

Robert M. Dorrell ◽

Gareth M. Keevil ◽

Robert E. Thomas ◽

Alan D. Burns ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Internal Flow ◽

Turbidity Currents ◽

Pulsed Flows ◽

Longitudinal Variations ◽

Flow Evolution ◽

Structure Of Deposits ◽

Downstream Flow ◽

Deposit Structure ◽

Natural Scale ◽

Geological Implication

ABSTRACT Previous studies on dilute, multi-pulsed, subaqueous saline flows have demonstrated that pulses will inevitably advect forwards to merge with the flow front. On the assumption that pulse merging occurs in natural-scale turbidity currents, it was suggested that multi-pulsed turbidites that display vertical cycles of coarsening and fining would transition laterally to single-pulsed, normally graded turbidites beyond the point of pulse merging. In this study, experiments of dilute, single- and multi-pulsed sediment-bearing flows (turbidity currents) are conducted to test the linkages between downstream flow evolution and associated deposit structure. Experimental data confirm that pulse merging occurs in laboratory-scale turbidity currents. However, only a weak correspondence was seen between longitudinal variations in the internal flow dynamics and the vertical structure of deposits; multi-pulsed deposits were documented, but transitioned to single-pulsed deposits before the pulse merging point. This early transition is attributed to rapid sedimentation-related depletion of the coarser-grained suspended fraction in the laboratory setting, whose absence may have prevented the distal development of multi-pulsed deposits; this factor complicates estimation of the transition point in natural-scale turbidite systems.

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Potential vorticity structure of embedded convection in a warm conveyor belt and its relevance for large-scale dynamics

Weather and Climate Dynamics ◽

10.5194/wcd-1-127-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 127-153 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Annika Oertel ◽

Maxi Boettcher ◽

Hanna Joos ◽

Michael Sprenger ◽

Heini Wernli

Keyword(s):

Potential Vorticity ◽

Large Scale ◽

Potential Temperature ◽

Weather Forecast ◽

Conveyor Belt ◽

Medium Range Weather Forecast ◽

Cloud Band ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

Surface Precipitation ◽

Flow Evolution

Abstract. Warm conveyor belts (WCBs) are important airstreams in extratropical cyclones. They can influence large-scale flow evolution by modifying the potential vorticity (PV) distribution during their cross-isentropic ascent. Although WCBs are typically described as slantwise-ascending and stratiform-cloud-producing airstreams, recent studies identified convective activity embedded within the large-scale WCB cloud band. However, the impacts of this WCB-embedded convection have not been investigated in detail. In this study, we systematically analyze the influence of embedded convection in an eastern North Atlantic WCB on the cloud and precipitation structure, on the PV distribution, and on larger-scale flow. For this reason, we apply online trajectories in a high-resolution convection-permitting simulation and perform a composite analysis to compare quasi-vertically ascending convective WCB trajectories with typical slantwise-ascending WCB trajectories. We find that the convective WCB ascent leads to substantially stronger surface precipitation and the formation of graupel in the middle to upper troposphere, which is absent for the slantwise WCB category, indicating the key role of WCB-embedded convection for precipitation extremes. Compared to the slantwise WCB trajectories, the initial equivalent potential temperature of the convective WCB trajectories is higher, and the convective WCB trajectories originate from a region of larger potential instability, which gives rise to more intense cloud diabatic heating and stronger cross-isentropic ascent. Moreover, the signature of embedded convection is distinctly imprinted in the PV structure. The diabatically generated low-level positive PV anomalies, associated with a cyclonic circulation anomaly, are substantially stronger for the convective WCB trajectories. The slantwise WCB trajectories lead to the formation of a widespread region of low-PV air (that still have weakly positive PV values) in the upper troposphere, in agreement with previous studies. In contrast, the convective WCB trajectories form mesoscale horizontal PV dipoles at upper levels, with one pole reaching negative PV values. On a larger scale, these individual mesoscale PV anomalies can aggregate to elongated PV dipole bands extending from the convective updraft region, which are associated with coherent larger-scale circulation anomalies. An illustrative example of such a convectively generated PV dipole band shows that within around 10 h the negative PV pole is advected closer to the upper-level waveguide, where it strengthens the isentropic PV gradient and contributes to the formation of a jet streak. This suggests that the mesoscale PV anomalies produced by embedded convection upstream organize and persist for several hours and therefore can influence the synoptic-scale circulation. They thus can be dynamically relevant, influence the jet stream and (potentially) the downstream flow evolution, which are highly relevant aspects for medium-range weather forecast. Finally, our results imply that a distinction between slantwise and convective WCB trajectories is meaningful because the convective WCB trajectories are characterized by distinct properties.

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