MULTI-SCALE OROGRAPHIC FORCING OF THE ATMOSPHERE LEADING TO AN EROSION EVENT

Abstract: A satellite image of blowing dust is compared to a simulation of winds during a major erosion event in Iceland. There is large spatial variability in the wind speed and this variability is attributed to the topography. The atmosphere responds particularly stongly to the mountains because o...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ólafsson, Haraldur; Háskóli Íslands (University of Iceland), Veðurstofa Íslands (Icelandic Meteorological Office) and Reiknistofa í veðurfræði (Institute for Meteorological Research); haraldur@vedur.is
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Croatian meteorological society; info@meteohmd.hr 2005
Subjects:
sandstorm;erosion;Greenland;Iceland;inversion;corner wind;Nh/U
inverse Froude number
Greenland
Ice cap
Iceland
Online Access:http://hrcak.srce.hr/64703
http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/96975
Description
Summary:Abstract: A satellite image of blowing dust is compared to a simulation of winds during a major erosion event in Iceland. There is large spatial variability in the wind speed and this variability is attributed to the topography. The atmosphere responds particularly stongly to the mountains because of a low-level inversion which is a result of synoptic-scale descent from the Greenland ice cap. The simulation is a part of the new MM5-based forecast system in Iceland (HRAS) and comparison with the patterns revealed by the dust image indicates that all main features of the flow are correcty reproduced by the forecast system. This case study indicates that local enhancment of the wind may be important for erosion.

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