Observational & Modeling Studies in Support of the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment

Abstract

Our long-term goal is unchanged from last year. It is to learn how to predict the cloudiness, entrainment rate, and turbulent fluxes in the marine boundary layer under any and all large-scale conditions. In particular the effects of varying sea surface temperature, varying inversion strength, and varying mean winds must be included. The cloudiness types encompassed include fog, stratus, stratocumulus, and shallow cumulus clouds, with or without mesoscale organization. Our efforts are concentrated on the roles of cloud top cooling due to radiation and evaporation. These processes drive down drafts in the marine boundary layer (MBL) which in turn affect the evolution of the MBL cloud layer and its subsequent radiative properties.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 1998
Accession Number
ADA542597

Entities

People

  • David A. Randall
  • Stephen K. Cox
  • Wayne H. Schubert

Organizations

  • Colorado State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Applied Mathematics
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Boundaries
  • Boundary Layer
  • Clouds
  • Colorado
  • Computations
  • Computer Graphics
  • Cumulus Clouds
  • Cyclones
  • Heat Energy
  • Meteorology
  • Sea Surface Temperature
  • Simulations
  • Surface Temperature
  • Transitions
  • Tropical Cyclones

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Systems Analysis and Design