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Airflow over a two‐dimensional escarpment. III: Nonhydrostatic flow
Author(s) -
Blockley J. A.,
Lyons T. J.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.49712051507
Subject(s) - hydrostatic equilibrium , geology , escarpment , forcing (mathematics) , baroclinity , drag , airflow , mechanics , flow (mathematics) , meteorology , climatology , atmospheric sciences , physics , geomorphology , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics
Forced flow over the asymmetric topography of the Darling Scarp, Western Australia is modelled, using a nonhydrostatic model, and compared with observations. Drag histories and sensitivity tests indicate that it is possible for the flow to be dominated by hydrostatic downslope windstorms even if the hydrostatic index indicates nonhydrostatic dominance. Experiments on a wide range of one‐ or two‐layered flows suggest that nonhydrostatic effects on windstorm events are very small. However, the development and location of trapped lee waves can be significantly affected if there is sufficient hydrostatic forcing in the flow. For hydrostatic forcing to dominate over trapped lee waves it is necessary for reflection, from a region of wave breaking or a critical layer, to occur at the right height.