WMOD00275

• Contract/Permit #: 85-5071
• Title: Cooperative Weather Modification Research Program - 1985 Analysis Plan
• Date: 1/1/1985
• State: UT
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

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Experiment 1: Mesoscale atmospheric kinematics

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Lead Scientist: Alexis B.
Participating Scientists:

Long, DRI
Patricia A. Walsh, DRI
Robert A. Kropfli, WPL
Don A. Griffith, NAWC

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The objective is to descroibe the airflow on the smaller mesoscale

in the vicinity of the Tushar Mtns to establish the kinematic context on

this scale of cloud formation alnd precipitation development. NCAR C-

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band radar Doppler radial vell:>city data will be primary. Similar data

from the WPL Ka-band radar m.ay be used to confirm wind estimates near

that radar, and trajectories of constant volume balloons will provide

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independent supplementary information on wind velocities. The radar

data will be examined for effE~cts of the Tushar Mtns barrier on the

speed and direction of the airflow at various levels.

Of particular

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interest is any channeling of the flow, for example, in a low level jet

around the mountains instead of up and over them. Convection present in

the upper parts of the clouds over the mountains may be observed to have

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a similar effect. These blocking effects may also be observed in calcu-

lated values of air convergence in the vicinity of the mountains. The

radar data will also be examined for changes of wind speed and direction

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with height not induced by topography. Such changes may be related to

the advection of warm or cold air into the research area at various

levels due to synoptic scale systems but as modified by local mesoscale

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disturbances. Wind shifts seen in the radar data may be used to confirm

frontal passages through the research area identified from other data

sources.

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