Premium
Airflow within major Alpine river valleys under heavy rainfall
Author(s) -
Steiner Matthias,
Bousquet Olivier,
Houze Robert A.,
Smull Bradley F.,
Mancini Marco
Publication year - 2003
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 - 10.1256/qj.02.08
Subject(s) - mesoscale meteorology , precipitation , airflow , snow , snowmelt , geology , flow (mathematics) , radar , streamflow , subsidence , hydrology (agriculture) , climatology , environmental science , meteorology , geomorphology , geography , drainage basin , mechanical engineering , structural basin , engineering , telecommunications , geometry , mathematics , cartography , geotechnical engineering , computer science
Abstract This study documents the airflow within major Alpine river valleys in the presence of precipitation. The analysis seeks a conceptual understanding of the effect of rain on the valley flow. Ground‐based and airborne Doppler radar and surface data from the Mesoscale Alpine Programme show that during persistent rainy periods the subsidence caused by melting and evaporation of precipitation particles contributes to the formation of a down‐valley flow. This down‐valley flow opposes moist southerly flow aloft, which is lifted over the topographic barrier and in which precipitation particles are formed. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society.