Three‐dimensional lee‐wave pattern

Abstract Satellite photographs are analysed to study the lee‐wave patterns generated by isolated islands in the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. In situations where the wave motion is confined to the lower atmosphere (trapped waves) the waves are located within a wedge‐shaped wake behind the islan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society
Main Authors: Gjevik, B., Marthinsen, T.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1978
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/qj.49710444207
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fqj.49710444207
https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/qj.49710444207
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Summary:Abstract Satellite photographs are analysed to study the lee‐wave patterns generated by isolated islands in the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. In situations where the wave motion is confined to the lower atmosphere (trapped waves) the waves are located within a wedge‐shaped wake behind the islands. Both the diverging wave type, where the crests are orientated outwards from the centre of the wake, and the transverse wave type, where the crests are nearly perpendicular to the wind direction, are observed. The former wave type is, however, the more common. In certain situations a long single‐crested wave is observed at Jan Mayen. The wave appears on photographs as a straight lane in the cloud layer. In one case it extends sideways from the island to a distance of about 350km. Wave kinematics is used to obtain the phase lines for a steady wave pattern for different atmospheric models. The theory is found to explain some important features of observed wave forms.