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High-Resolution Large-Eddy Simulations of Flow in the Complex Terrain of the Canadian Rockies

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dc.contributor.authorRohanizadegan, Mina
dc.contributor.authorPetrone, Richard
dc.contributor.authorPomeroy, John W.
dc.contributor.authorKosovic, Branko
dc.contributor.authorMuñoz-Esparza, Domingo
dc.contributor.authorHelgason, Warren
dc.date.accessioned2023-10-13T20:08:57Z
dc.date.available2023-10-13T20:08:57Z
dc.date.issued10/25/2023
dc.description.abstractImproving the calculation of land-atmosphere fluxes of heat and water vapor in mountain terrain requires better resolution of thermally driven diurnal winds (i.e., valley, slope winds) due to differential heating by terrain and radiative fluxes. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting model is used to simulate flow in large-eddy simulation (LES) mode over the complex terrain of the Fortress Mountain and Marmot Creek research basins, Kananaskis Valley, Canadian Rockies, Alberta in mid-summer. The model was used to examine the temporal and spatial evolution of local winds and near-surface boundary layer processes with variability in topography and elevation. Numerically resolving complex terrain wind flow effects require smaller grid cell size. However, the use of terrain-following coordinates in most numerical weather prediction models results in large numerical errors when flow over steep terrain is simulated. These errors propagate through the domain and can result in numerical instability. To avoid this issue when simulating flow over steep terrain a local smoothing approach was used, where smoothing is applied only where slope exceeds some predetermined threshold. LES results from local smoothing were compared with a mesoscale model and LES with global smoothing. Simulations are evaluated using sounding data and meteorological stations. The differences in flow patterns and reversals in two mountain basins suggest that valley geometry and volume is relevant to the break up of inversion layers, removal of cold-air pools, and strength of thermally driven winds.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipCanada First Research Excellence Fund's Global Water Futures Programme, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Alberta Innovates, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and the NSERC CREATE program in Water Securityen_US
dc.description.versionPeer Revieweden_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1029/2023EA003166
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10388/15176
dc.publisherEarth and Space Science
dc.subjectLarge-eddy simulations in complex terrain utilizing smoothing techniques resolve thermally driven mountain flowsen_US
dc.subjectMesoscale flow interactions with mountainous terrain can influence valley windsen_US
dc.subjectTopographical differences in mountain basins affects local flows and cold-air poolingen_US
dc.titleHigh-Resolution Large-Eddy Simulations of Flow in the Complex Terrain of the Canadian Rockiesen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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