Atmospheric Processes over Complex Terrain

Dear Colleagues,

The Earth’s surface has a profound impact on atmospheric flows, i.e., it constitutes their lower boundary condition and determines the occurrence and efficiency of exchange processes of energy, mass and momentum from and to the free atmosphere. While over flat terrain, this exchange is largely determined by the state of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL), over complex terrain this exchange is additionally modified by meso-scale flows and, in particular, the interaction between the latter and the (complex) ABL. ABLs over complex topography are intrinsically inhomogeneous and thus violate the basic assumptions, on which our current understanding of ABL turbulence and exchange efficiency is based. Out of necessity, numerical models of all spatial resolutions, except for the very highest (i.e., below the so-called grey zone of turbulence) use ABL parameterizations that are based on previous knowledge from flat and horizontally homogeneous terrain. On the other hand, many aspects of the involved meso-scale flows, such as thermally forced valley winds, are quite well known—but their role in the earth-atmosphere exchange and in particular the interaction with turbulent exchange (efficiency) has received much less attention.

The increase in computing power over the last decades has led to the use of ‘high-resolution (km-scale) numerical modeling’ even in operational settings (numerical weather forecast and climate scenarios). Validation and verification efforts, however, even lack the basic knowledge about the processes those models should be able to reproduce. A number of recent field campaigns have started to address these questions; therefore, it seems timely to establish the current state of affairs in this Special Issue on Atmospheric Processes over Complex Terrain.

Papers are welcome on all aspects of exchange processes over complex terrain, including, but not restricted to:

• Atmospheric boundary layer characteristics and processes over complex terrain

• Wet and dry processes—and their interaction

• Convective initiation in complex terrain

• Gravity waves and their role in atmospheric transport

• Numerical methods over steep and complex terrain

• Physics parameterizations

• Verification strategies in intrinsically inhomogeneous environments

• Experimental methods and data processing

• Exchange efficiency over complex topography

• Theoretical advancements
  

Prof. Dr. Mathias Rotach
Prof. Dr. Dino Zardi
Guest Editors

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