Boundary-layer effects on mountain waves: a new look at some historical studies

Worthington, R. M.

doi:10.1007/s00703-014-0331-7

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…In (a), airflow is laminar down to the mountain surface (dark grey; Scorer, ). In (b), the lower part of the turbulent boundary layer acts as an effective mountain higher than the actual mountain (Worthington, , , ). In both (a) and (b), only the laminar flow in the upper boundary layer is revealed by well‐known lenticular mountain‐wave clouds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The atmosphere under the waves: forgotten meteorology from Nazi Germany

Worthington

2017

Weather

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Mountain waves are oscillations of stable airflow over mountains which remain roughly fixed relative to the ground as the airflows through them. They are significant to numerical weather models, ozone depletion, and aviation safety. Textbook descriptions of mountain waves assume laminar flow down to the mountain surface, following the classic theory of Scorer. However, there can be a region of non‐wavelike atmosphere under the mountain waves, such as convection, turbulent eddies and rotors in the boundary layer, implying a different paradigm to explain wave launching. This paper reviews how the existence of the atmosphere under the mountain waves was realised in Nazi Germany, where mountain waves were discovered using gliders in 1933 and studied in the run‐up to World War 2.1

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The atmosphere under the waves: forgotten meteorology from Nazi Germany

Worthington

2017

Weather

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“…Mountain waves also occur above convective rolls present above mountains (Bradbury, ), being launched by a process similar to convection waves, where the mountain waves modulate the strength of convection (Hosler et al ., ; Orville, ; Tang et al ., ) and the convection partly forces the waves (Worthington, , ). Worthington () suggests there are two types of mountain wave: classic ‘type 1’ mountain waves are forced directly by high ridge‐like mountains; ‘type 2’ are forced indirectly, for example above convection, rotors and turbulence in the lower boundary layer, with the flow only becoming mostly wave‐like above a mountain‐wave launching height (Shutts, ). Type 1 and 2 waves are different from the type 1 and 2 rotors described by Hertenstein and Kuettner ().…”

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confidence: 99%