NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF ATMOSPHERIC FLOW OVER AN IDEALIZED MOUNTAIN.

Abstract

The validity of linear smoothing of topography for numerical weather prediction and the variation of mountain drag with mountain height and static stability are examined in the study. In the model a constant geostrophic current is perpendicular to the mountain range and the height of the mountain is independent of y. The hydrostatic Boussinesq equations are used with motion bounded at the top by a rigid plane at z = D. A modified coordinate system similar to Phillips' sigma system was used. Solutions were obtained using a smoothed mountain profile. These solutions were compared with smoothed solutions obtained from the unsmoothed mountain. The comparison of these solutions shows that an error is introduced when non-linear terms become sufficiently large. Values of the mountain drag for differing values of mountain height at a given static stability and for differing values of static stability at a given mountain height were computed. Mountain drag was found to vary quadratically with mountain height and linearly with static stability. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1970
Accession Number
AD0712785

Entities

People

  • James Keith Deboer

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Coordinate Systems
  • Earth Sciences
  • Equations
  • Geostrophic Currents
  • Interdisciplinary Science
  • Landforms
  • Mountains
  • Planetary Sciences
  • Simulations
  • Space Sciences
  • Topography
  • Weather Forecasting

Readers

  • Aerodynamics/Aeronautics.
  • Approximation Theory.
  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.