Coastal katabatic winds imaged by SAR

Details Coastal katabatic winds imaged by SAR Coastal katabatic winds imaged by SAR

Feb 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007georl..3403804l&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 34, Issue 3, CiteID L03804

Physics

1

Atmospheric Processes: Boundary Layer Processes, Atmospheric Processes: Land/Atmosphere Interactions (1218, 1631, 1843), Atmospheric Processes: Mesoscale Meteorology, Atmospheric Processes: Remote Sensing

Scientific paper

Sea surface imprints of coastal katabatic winds are observed on a RADARSAT-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) standard mode image off the U.S. west coast taken on January 21, 2003. The katabatic wind pattern is shown in the SAR image as a striking finger-like bright-dark region that mirrors the coastal mountain topography. We simulate the low-level atmospheric circulation using the numerical weather model MM5 with a triply nested-grid technique. The model simulation reproduces the finger-like katabatic wind pattern at the SAR imaging time. Katabatic wind is strongest in the morning when the surface temperature gradient between ocean and land reaches a maximum. The sea surface wind simulated by the MM5 model and that derived from the calibrated SAR normalized radar cross section are in good agreement. The katabatic wind variation along the coastline is between 5-8 ms-1, and the longest wind finger stretches over 20 km offshore.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Coastal katabatic winds imaged by SAR does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Coastal katabatic winds imaged by SAR, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Coastal katabatic winds imaged by SAR will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-739656