The Formation of Lee Reversal Flow and Moisture Distribution Effect on the Characteristics of Precipitation

Abstract

Moist flow over a bell-shaped mountain is investigated using the advanced regional prediction system (ARPS). Three closely related issues are addressed: the upslope precipitation mechanism, periodic evolution of precipitation associated with mountain waves, and lee precipitation induced by reversal flow. The results show that precipitation is strongly the moist distribution and terrain scale dependent. Beginning with the case of uniformly stratified flow over mountain, upslope precipitation and lee wave precipitation pattern are obtained. Most importantly, lee precipitation induced by reversal flow can be caused by layered flow over mountain, wherein lee reversal flow exerts a significant influence on the orographic precipitation.

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J. Liu and Z. Li, "The Formation of Lee Reversal Flow and Moisture Distribution Effect on the Characteristics of Precipitation," Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, Vol. 3 No. 2, 2013, pp. 218-223. doi: 10.4236/acs.2013.32023.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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