Breakup of temperature inversions in deep mountain valleys. Part I. Observations

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · J. Appl. Meteorol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1982)021<0270:BOTIID>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:6726340

Whiteman, C D

The breakup of temperature inversions in the deep mountain valleys of western Colorado has been studied by means of tethered balloon observations of wind and temperature structure on clear weather days in different seasons. Vertical potential temperature structure profiles evolve following one of three patterns. Two of the patterns are special cases of the third pattern, in which inversions are destroyed by two continuous processes - upward growth of a convective boundary layer (CBL) into the base of the valley inversion, and descent of the inversion top. The three idealized patterns are described and 21 case studies of inversion breakup following the patterns are summarized. Inversion breakup begins at sunrise and is generally completed in 3-1/2 to 5 h, unless the valley is snow covered or the ground is wet. Warming of the inversion layer is consistent with subsidence heating. An hypothesis is offered to explain the observations, stressing the role of the sensible heat flux in causing the CBL to grow and an upslope flow to develop over the sidewalls. As mass is removed from the base of the inversion layer in the upslope flows, the inversion sinks and warms.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA
• OSTI ID: 6726340
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Meteorol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Meteorol.; (United States) Vol. 21:3; ISSN JAMOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500100* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIRSHIPS
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
BALLOONS
BOUNDARY LAYERS
COLORADO
CONVECTION
DAILY VARIATIONS
DATA
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION VIII
HEAT FLUX
INFORMATION
LAYERS
METEOROLOGY
MONITORING
MOUNTAINS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
TOPOGRAPHY
USA
VALLEYS
VARIATIONS