Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Meteorological Events Affecting Cold-Air Pools in a Small Basin

Manfred Dorninger Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

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C. David Whiteman Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

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Benedikt Bica Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

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Stefan Eisenbach Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

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Bernhard Pospichal Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

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Reinhold Steinacker Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

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Print Publication:
01 Nov 2011
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/2011JAMC2681.1
Page(s):
2223–2234
Restricted access

Abstract

Meteorological events affecting the evolution of temperature inversions or cold-air pools in the 1-km-diameter, high-altitude (~1300 m MSL) Grünloch basin in the eastern Alps are investigated using data from lines of temperature dataloggers running up the basin sidewalls, nearby weather stations, and weather charts. Nighttime cold-air-pool events observed from October 2001 to June 2002 are categorized into undisturbed inversion evolution, late buildups, early breakups, mixing events, layered erosion at the inversion top, temperature disturbances occurring in the lower or upper elevations of the pool, and inversion buildup caused by the temporary clearing of clouds. In addition, persistent multiday cold-air pools are sometimes seen. Analyses show that strong winds and cloud cover are the governing meteorological parameters that cause the inversion behavior to deviate from its undisturbed state, but wind direction can also play an important role in the life cycle of the cold-air pools, because it governs the interaction with steep or gentle slopes of the underlying topography. Undisturbed cold-air pools are unusual in the Grünloch basin. A schematic diagram illustrates the different types of cold-air-pool events.

Current affiliation: Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, Vienna, Austria.

Corresponding author address: C. David Whiteman, Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences, 135 S 1460 E, Rm. 819, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0110. E-mail: dave.whiteman@utah.edu

Abstract

Meteorological events affecting the evolution of temperature inversions or cold-air pools in the 1-km-diameter, high-altitude (~1300 m MSL) Grünloch basin in the eastern Alps are investigated using data from lines of temperature dataloggers running up the basin sidewalls, nearby weather stations, and weather charts. Nighttime cold-air-pool events observed from October 2001 to June 2002 are categorized into undisturbed inversion evolution, late buildups, early breakups, mixing events, layered erosion at the inversion top, temperature disturbances occurring in the lower or upper elevations of the pool, and inversion buildup caused by the temporary clearing of clouds. In addition, persistent multiday cold-air pools are sometimes seen. Analyses show that strong winds and cloud cover are the governing meteorological parameters that cause the inversion behavior to deviate from its undisturbed state, but wind direction can also play an important role in the life cycle of the cold-air pools, because it governs the interaction with steep or gentle slopes of the underlying topography. Undisturbed cold-air pools are unusual in the Grünloch basin. A schematic diagram illustrates the different types of cold-air-pool events.

Current affiliation: Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, Vienna, Austria.

Corresponding author address: C. David Whiteman, Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences, 135 S 1460 E, Rm. 819, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0110. E-mail: dave.whiteman@utah.edu
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Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology

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