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- Author or Editor: Simon Tschannett x
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Abstract
Within the Vienna Enhanced Resolution Analysis (VERA) Climatology (VERACLIM) project, the complex influence of topographic structures on the spatial distribution of meteorological parameters has been investigated and evaluated climatologically. VERACLIM is aimed to generate a set of high-resolution analyses (lower meso-β-scale) of various meteorological parameters on a climatological basis. It tried to combine both the high spatial resolution provided by the VERA scheme that was used and the high temporal resolution of a comprehensive synoptic dataset of the last two decades, which was retrieved from ECMWF’s Meteorological Archival and Retrieval System (MARS). In the present study, the interpolated fields of reduced pressure of 3-hourly synoptic data over the Alpine region are evaluated climatologically. Using high temporal and spatial resolution, the authors were able to investigate both thermally and dynamically induced mesoscale pressure phenomena such as “Stau,” associated with trans-Alpine flows, blocking by the Alps, and local pressure extrema, as well as thermal lows and thermal high pressure zones. Comparisons are made between the mean course of reduced pressure at given grid points and the averaged divergence of the 10-m wind field in the Alpine region. It is shown that, climatologically, Alpine pumping and thermally induced pressure patterns have a similar frequency and intensity. For the latter ones, the buildup and cutback processes are described. Moreover, the frequency and intensity of pressure-related mesoscale features in the Alpine region over the last decades are investigated.
Abstract
Within the Vienna Enhanced Resolution Analysis (VERA) Climatology (VERACLIM) project, the complex influence of topographic structures on the spatial distribution of meteorological parameters has been investigated and evaluated climatologically. VERACLIM is aimed to generate a set of high-resolution analyses (lower meso-β-scale) of various meteorological parameters on a climatological basis. It tried to combine both the high spatial resolution provided by the VERA scheme that was used and the high temporal resolution of a comprehensive synoptic dataset of the last two decades, which was retrieved from ECMWF’s Meteorological Archival and Retrieval System (MARS). In the present study, the interpolated fields of reduced pressure of 3-hourly synoptic data over the Alpine region are evaluated climatologically. Using high temporal and spatial resolution, the authors were able to investigate both thermally and dynamically induced mesoscale pressure phenomena such as “Stau,” associated with trans-Alpine flows, blocking by the Alps, and local pressure extrema, as well as thermal lows and thermal high pressure zones. Comparisons are made between the mean course of reduced pressure at given grid points and the averaged divergence of the 10-m wind field in the Alpine region. It is shown that, climatologically, Alpine pumping and thermally induced pressure patterns have a similar frequency and intensity. For the latter ones, the buildup and cutback processes are described. Moreover, the frequency and intensity of pressure-related mesoscale features in the Alpine region over the last decades are investigated.
Abstract
A mesoscale data analysis method for meteorological station reports is presented. Irregularly distributed measured values are combined with measurement-independent a priori information about the modification of analysis fields due to topographic forcing. As a physical constraint to a thin-plate spline interpolation, the so-called “fingerprint method” recognizes patterns of topographic impact in the data and allows for the transfer of information to data-sparse areas. The results of the method are small-scale interpolation fields on a regular grid including topographically induced patterns that are not resolved by the station network. Presently, the fingerprint method is designed for the analysis of scalar meteorological variables like reduced pressure or air temperature. The principles for the fingerprint technique are based on idealized influence fields. They are calculated for thermal and dynamic surface forcing. For the former, the effects of reduced air volumes in valleys, the elevated heat sources, and the stability of the valley atmosphere are taken into account. The increase of temperature under ideal conditions in comparison to flat terrain is determined on a 1-km grid using height and surface geometry information. For the latter, a perturbation of an originally constant cross-Alpine temperature gradient is calculated by a topographical weighting. As a result, the gradient is steep where the mountain range is high and steep. If, during the interpolation process, some signal of the idealized patterns is found in the station data, it is used to downscale the analysis. It is shown by a cross validation of a case study that the interpolation of a mean sea level pressure field over the Alpine region is improved objectively by the method. Thermally induced mesoscale patterns are visible in the interpolated pressure field.
Abstract
A mesoscale data analysis method for meteorological station reports is presented. Irregularly distributed measured values are combined with measurement-independent a priori information about the modification of analysis fields due to topographic forcing. As a physical constraint to a thin-plate spline interpolation, the so-called “fingerprint method” recognizes patterns of topographic impact in the data and allows for the transfer of information to data-sparse areas. The results of the method are small-scale interpolation fields on a regular grid including topographically induced patterns that are not resolved by the station network. Presently, the fingerprint method is designed for the analysis of scalar meteorological variables like reduced pressure or air temperature. The principles for the fingerprint technique are based on idealized influence fields. They are calculated for thermal and dynamic surface forcing. For the former, the effects of reduced air volumes in valleys, the elevated heat sources, and the stability of the valley atmosphere are taken into account. The increase of temperature under ideal conditions in comparison to flat terrain is determined on a 1-km grid using height and surface geometry information. For the latter, a perturbation of an originally constant cross-Alpine temperature gradient is calculated by a topographical weighting. As a result, the gradient is steep where the mountain range is high and steep. If, during the interpolation process, some signal of the idealized patterns is found in the station data, it is used to downscale the analysis. It is shown by a cross validation of a case study that the interpolation of a mean sea level pressure field over the Alpine region is improved objectively by the method. Thermally induced mesoscale patterns are visible in the interpolated pressure field.
