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Observations and Simulations of a Breaking Mountain Wave
Associated with an Aircraft Accident Induced by Clear-Air Turbulence
F. M. Ralph,
P. J. Neiman,
D. Levinson (CIRES),
W. D. Hall (NCAR),
T. L. Clark (NCAR),
A. Marroquin (CIRA),
S. G. Benjamin
Introduction
Motivation:
Observations of a mountain wave were being made at the same
time a cargo jet lost an engine and part of a wing in extreme clear-air
turbulence. The data offer a unique opportunity to document the cause
of a potentially deadly aircraft accident and the breaking of a mountain
wave in the lower stratosphere. Very few observations of mountain wave
breaking, which is a key factor influencing the global atmospheric
momentum, have been made.
Method:
Use a suite of remote sensors to
observe both the structure and evolution of a strong mountain wave.
Collaborate on the diagnosis of turbulence from an operational numerical
model, and on the simulation of the event with a high-resolution (300 m)
3-D numerical model using time-dependent lateral boundary conditions.
Unique conditions:
The stratosphere was
rich in volcanic aerosols from the Mt. Pinatubo eruptions of June 1991,
which extended the vertical range of the lidar.
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ETL /
Review /
Observations and Simulations of a Breaking Mountain Wave
Associated with an Aircraft Accident Induced by Clear-Air Turbulence
/ Figure:
Introduction,
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Conclusion
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