Thermal Submesoscale Motions in the Nocturnal Stable Boundary Layer. Part 1: Detection and Mean Statistics

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Pfister, Lena ; Lapo, Karl ; Mahrt, Larry ; Thomas, Christoph:
Thermal Submesoscale Motions in the Nocturnal Stable Boundary Layer. Part 1: Detection and Mean Statistics.
In: Boundary-Layer Meteorology. Bd. 180 (2021) Heft 2 . - S. 187-202.
ISSN 1573-1472
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-021-00618-0

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Abstract

Submesoscale motions within the stable boundary layer were detected during the Shallow Cold Pool Experiment conducted in the Colorado plains, Colorado, U.S.A. in 2012. The submesoscale motion consisted of two air layers creating a well-defined front with a sharp temperature gradient, and further-on referred to as a thermal submesofront (TSF). The semi-stationary TSFs and their advective velocities are detected and determined by the fibre-optic distributed-sensing (FODS) technique. An objective detection algorithm utilizing FODS measurements is able to detect the TSF boundary, which enables a detailed investigation of its spatio–temporal statistics. The novel approach in data processing is to conditionally average any parameter depending on the distance between a TSF boundary and the measurement location. By doing this, a spatially-distributed feature like TSFs can be characterized by point observations and processes at the TSF boundary can be investigated. At the TSF boundary, the air layers converge, creating an updraft, strong static stability, and vigorous mixing. Further, the TSF advective velocity of TSFs is an order of magnitude lower than the mean wind speed. Despite being gentle, the topography plays an important role in TSF formation. Details on generating mechanisms and implications of TSFs on the stable boundary layer are discussed in Part 2.