An examination of atmospheric lids during COPS

An examination of atmospheric lids during

COPSAndrew Russell and Geraint Vaughan

Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Manchester

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Introduction

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

What are lids?

• Halt convection

• Warmer than surroundings

• Names: Lids(Capping) InversionsRegions of CIN

Stable layers

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

What are lids?

• Halt convection

• Warmer than surroundings

• Names: Lids(Capping) InversionsRegions of CIN

Stable layers

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

What are lids?

• Halt convection

• Warmer than surroundings

• Names: Lids(Capping) InversionsRegions of CIN

Stable layers

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

What are lids?

Why study lids?

• Inhibition of convection

• Allow CAPE to accumulate

• Where do they come from?

• Is there more to lids than meets the eye? i.e. fractal structure of atmospheric layers

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Why study lids?

• Inhibition of convection

• Allow CAPE to accumulate

• Where do they come from?

• Is there more to lids than meets the eye? i.e. fractal structure of atmospheric layers

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Why study lids?

• Inhibition of convection

• Allow CAPE to accumulate

• Where do they come from?

• Is there more to lids than meets the eye? i.e. fractal structure of atmospheric layers

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Why study lids?

• Inhibition of convection

• Allow CAPE to accumulate

• Where do they come from?

• Is there more to lids than meets the eye? i.e. fractal structure of atmospheric layers

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Research priorities

• Boundary layer structure

• Lid statistics

• Synoptic origin of lids

• Model representation of lids

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Research priorities

• Boundary layer structure

• Lid statistics

• Synoptic origin of lids

• Model representation of lids

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Research priorities

• Boundary layer structure

• Lid statistics

• Synoptic origin of lids

• Model representation of lids

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Research priorities

• Boundary layer structure

• Lid statistics

• Synoptic origin of lids

• Model representation of lids

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Data sources

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

COPS Radiosonde sites…

…plus some extra DWD, Meteo-France, Meteo-Swiss, KNMI and more when available.

Achern Sewage works/COPS Supersite R

Example case: IOP7b

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

IOP 7b

Temperature

Theta

Lifted surface parcel

Temperature inversions

CIN

Ri < 0.25

ECMWF O3 on 700hPa

IOP 7b

ECMWF PV on 315K

Next steps…

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Lid analysis

• Collection of as much radiosonde data as possible

• Systematic analysis leading to 4D maps of lid height/occurrence

• Case studies of lid origin

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Lid analysis

• Collection of as much radiosonde data as possible

• Systematic analysis leading to 4D maps of lid height/occurrence

• Case studies of lid origin

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Lid analysis

• Collection of as much radiosonde data as possible

• Systematic analysis leading to 4D maps of lid height/occurrence

• Case studies of lid origin

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

Contact details:[email protected]

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]

IOP 8b

IOP 8b

28th June 2007

Contact details:[email protected]

6th COPS Workshop 27th-29th February 2008 [email protected]