A Large-Eddy Simulation Study of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Influence on Stratified Flows over Terrain

Journal Article · Fri Jun 24 04:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-15-0282.1· OSTI ID:1457262

Sauer, Jeremy A. ^[1]; Munoz-Esparza, Domingo ^[2]; Canfield, Jesse M. ^[1]; Costigan, Keeley Rochelle ^[1]; Linn, Rodman Ray ^[1]; Kim, Young-Joon ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
2. Research Applications Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)

In this study, the impact of atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) interactions with large-scale stably stratified flow over an isolated, two-dimensional hill is investigated using turbulence-resolving large-eddy simulations. The onset of internal gravity wave breaking and leeside flow response regimes of trapped lee waves and nonlinear breakdown (or hydraulic-jump-like state) as they depend on the classical inverse Froude number, Fr^-1 = Nh/U_g, is explored in detail. Here, N is the Brunt–Väisälä frequency, h is the hill height, and U_g is the geostrophic wind. The results here demonstrate that the presence of a turbulent ABL influences mountain wave (MW) development in critical aspects, such as dissipation of trapped lee waves and amplified stagnation zone turbulence through Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. It is shown that the nature of interactions between the large-scale flow and the ABL is better characterized by a proposed inverse compensated Froude number, Fr$$-1\atop{c}$$ = N(h - z_i)/U_g, where z_i is the ABL height. In addition, it is found that the onset of the nonlinear-breakdown regime, Fr$$-1\atop{c}$$ ≈ 1.0, is initiated when the vertical wavelength becomes comparable to the sufficiently energetic scales of turbulence in the stagnation zone and ABL, yielding an abrupt change in leeside flow response. Lastly, energy spectra are presented in the context of MW flows, supporting the existence of a clear transition in leeside flow response, and illustrating two distinct energy distribution states for the trapped-lee-wave and the nonlinear-breakdown regimes.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC52-06NA25396
• OSTI ID: 1457262
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--15-27177
• Journal Information: Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Journal Name: Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 73; ISSN 0022-4928
• Publisher: American Meteorological Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
Applications
Large eddy simulations
Models and modeling
Mountain meteorology