Inversion Breakup in Small Rocky Mountain and Alpine Basins

Journal Article · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 2004 · Journal of Applied Meteorology, 43(8):1069-1082

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(2004)043<1069:IBISRM>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:15020846

Whiteman, Charles D; Pospichal, Bernhard; Eisenbach, Stefan; Weihs, P; Clements, Craig B; Steinacker, Reinhold; Mursch-Radlgruber, Erich; Dorninger, Manfred

Comparisons are made between the post-sunrise breakup of temperature inversions in two similar closed basins in quite different climate settings, one in the eastern Alps and one in the Rocky Mountains. The small, high-altitude, limestone sinkholes have both experienced extreme temperature minima below -50°C. On undisturbed clear nights, temperature inversions reach to 120 m heights in both sinkholes, but are much stronger in the drier Rocky Mountain basin (24K versus 13K). Inversion destruction takes place 2.6 to 3 hours after sunrise and is accomplished primarily by subsidence warming associated with the removal of air from the base of the inversion by the upslope flows that develop over the sidewalls. Differences in inversion strengths and post-sunrise heating rates are caused by differences in the surface energy budget, with drier soil and a higher sensible heat flux in the Rocky Mountain sinkhole.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 15020846
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-40165; KP1202010
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Meteorology, 43(8):1069-1082, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Meteorology, 43(8):1069-1082 Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 43
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CLIMATES
HEAT FLUX
HEATING RATE
LIMESTONE
REMOVAL
SOILS
SURFACE ENERGY
TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS