A More General Paradigm for Understanding the Decoupling of Stratocumulus‐Topped Boundary Layers: The Importance of Horizontal Temperature Advection
Abstract Most prior studies on decoupling of a stratocumulus‐topped boundary layer (STBL) are focused on subtropics where cold air advection with moderate strength is dominant. This study expands across a wider spectrum of temperature advection spanning from moderately strong warm air advection to e...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2020-07-01
|
| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL087697 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849328006238044160 |
|---|---|
| author | Youtong Zheng Daniel Rosenfeld Zhanqing Li |
| author_facet | Youtong Zheng Daniel Rosenfeld Zhanqing Li |
| author_sort | Youtong Zheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Most prior studies on decoupling of a stratocumulus‐topped boundary layer (STBL) are focused on subtropics where cold air advection with moderate strength is dominant. This study expands across a wider spectrum of temperature advection spanning from moderately strong warm air advection to extremely strong cold air advection. A STBL undergoing warm advection is found to be more mixed than a STBL undergoing cold advection. This finding is consistent with the cold advection facilitating turbulent mixing in the boundary layer. When cold advection becomes sufficiently strong (<−5 K/day), the STBL becomes more stably stratified again because of emergence of the cumulus‐coupled STBL regime induced by the “deepening‐warming” mechanism. Such a “deepening‐warming” induced STBL decoupling, however, is still much weaker than that caused by warm advection flows (even weak ones), suggesting that the direction and strength of temperature advection must be considered for any STBL decoupling studies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f7671fc2e4bf4228922dcbf979cf4b98 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-f7671fc2e4bf4228922dcbf979cf4b982025-08-20T03:47:41ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072020-07-014714n/an/a10.1029/2020GL087697A More General Paradigm for Understanding the Decoupling of Stratocumulus‐Topped Boundary Layers: The Importance of Horizontal Temperature AdvectionYoutong Zheng0Daniel Rosenfeld1Zhanqing Li2Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park MD USAInstitute of Earth Science Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem IsraelEarth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park MD USAAbstract Most prior studies on decoupling of a stratocumulus‐topped boundary layer (STBL) are focused on subtropics where cold air advection with moderate strength is dominant. This study expands across a wider spectrum of temperature advection spanning from moderately strong warm air advection to extremely strong cold air advection. A STBL undergoing warm advection is found to be more mixed than a STBL undergoing cold advection. This finding is consistent with the cold advection facilitating turbulent mixing in the boundary layer. When cold advection becomes sufficiently strong (<−5 K/day), the STBL becomes more stably stratified again because of emergence of the cumulus‐coupled STBL regime induced by the “deepening‐warming” mechanism. Such a “deepening‐warming” induced STBL decoupling, however, is still much weaker than that caused by warm advection flows (even weak ones), suggesting that the direction and strength of temperature advection must be considered for any STBL decoupling studies.https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL087697boundary layer decouplingstratocumulus cloudstemperature advection |
| spellingShingle | Youtong Zheng Daniel Rosenfeld Zhanqing Li A More General Paradigm for Understanding the Decoupling of Stratocumulus‐Topped Boundary Layers: The Importance of Horizontal Temperature Advection Geophysical Research Letters boundary layer decoupling stratocumulus clouds temperature advection |
| title | A More General Paradigm for Understanding the Decoupling of Stratocumulus‐Topped Boundary Layers: The Importance of Horizontal Temperature Advection |
| title_full | A More General Paradigm for Understanding the Decoupling of Stratocumulus‐Topped Boundary Layers: The Importance of Horizontal Temperature Advection |
| title_fullStr | A More General Paradigm for Understanding the Decoupling of Stratocumulus‐Topped Boundary Layers: The Importance of Horizontal Temperature Advection |
| title_full_unstemmed | A More General Paradigm for Understanding the Decoupling of Stratocumulus‐Topped Boundary Layers: The Importance of Horizontal Temperature Advection |
| title_short | A More General Paradigm for Understanding the Decoupling of Stratocumulus‐Topped Boundary Layers: The Importance of Horizontal Temperature Advection |
| title_sort | more general paradigm for understanding the decoupling of stratocumulus topped boundary layers the importance of horizontal temperature advection |
| topic | boundary layer decoupling stratocumulus clouds temperature advection |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL087697 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT youtongzheng amoregeneralparadigmforunderstandingthedecouplingofstratocumulustoppedboundarylayerstheimportanceofhorizontaltemperatureadvection AT danielrosenfeld amoregeneralparadigmforunderstandingthedecouplingofstratocumulustoppedboundarylayerstheimportanceofhorizontaltemperatureadvection AT zhanqingli amoregeneralparadigmforunderstandingthedecouplingofstratocumulustoppedboundarylayerstheimportanceofhorizontaltemperatureadvection AT youtongzheng moregeneralparadigmforunderstandingthedecouplingofstratocumulustoppedboundarylayerstheimportanceofhorizontaltemperatureadvection AT danielrosenfeld moregeneralparadigmforunderstandingthedecouplingofstratocumulustoppedboundarylayerstheimportanceofhorizontaltemperatureadvection AT zhanqingli moregeneralparadigmforunderstandingthedecouplingofstratocumulustoppedboundarylayerstheimportanceofhorizontaltemperatureadvection |