NATS 101-05

Lecture 13

Diurnally and Seasonally Reversing Winds:
Sea breeze, mountain-valley breeze and Monsoons

Divergence and Convergence
Vertical Motion
Force of Friction 2
Flow at Surface Lows and Highs
Combining upper & low level flow: Rising (cloudy) and sinking (clear)
Combining upper & low level flow: Rising (cloudy) and sinking (clear)
Atmospheric Scales of Motion
Review:
Thermally Direct Circulation
Sea Breeze Development
(Courtesy of Mohan Ramamurthy, WW2010)
Sea Breeze Development
(Courtesy of Mohan Ramamurthy, WW2010)
Sea Breeze versus Land Breeze (Courtesy of Mohan Ramamurthy, WW2010)
Stronger Temperature contrast during PM than during AM
Sea breezes are stronger than land breezes

Sea Breeze
Regular feature of many coastal areas
California, Florida, Gulf Coast
Occurs along large lakes-Great Lakes
Typically strongest during Spring-Summer
Can penetrate inland 50 km or more
Temperatures can drop ~10oC
Nose of cool air can trigger thunderstorms
Florida Satellite Loop

Mountain-Valley Breeze
Phoenix-Tucson Diurnal Winds
Thermally Direct Circulation
The Darwin Awards
The Darwin "Natural Selection" Awards are given each year to bestow upon (the remains of) that individual, who through single-minded self-sacrifice, has done the most to remove undesirable elements from the human gene pool.

The Darwin Awards
Larry Walters learned the value of knowing some basic meteorology.
Larry Walters is among the relatively few who have actually turned their dreams into reality.
His story is true (confirmed), though you may find it hard to believe.
He was an armchair pilot (literally)É.
www.darwinawards.com

Monsoon
SEASONAL Reversal of Prevailing Wind
Wind shift often accompanied by
Major Change in Weather
Summer Rains - Often Abrupt Onset
Winter Dryness
Major Monsoon occurs over Asia
Weaker Monsoon occurs in North America

Monsoon
Land mass is colder than ocean in winter
Land-sea temp contrast reverses in summer
Wind forced by seasonal changes in PGF Higher SLP over land in winter FOffshore flow at Surface
Lower SLP over land in summer FOnshore flow at Surface

Monsoon
Onshore flow leads to surface convergence
FRising motion over land during summer
Offshore flow leads to surface divergence
FSinking motion over land during winter
Monsoon is Thermally Direct Circulation
FWarm Air Rises - Cold Air Sinks

Slide 22
Slide 23
Asian Winter
Asian Summer
Monthly Average Rain
Cherrapunji
January
July
Geography of Our Monsoon Region
Terrain
Terrain (300 m)
Steep slopes of Sierra Madre Occidental
Warm Waters

Yecora & Moctezuma PWV 2004 Monsoon Onset
Pre-monsoon event

Monthly Rainfall
Mexican Monsoon
Similar onset
Similar behavior  butÉ
Much less intense
A Wimp Compared   to Asian Monsoon

Percentage of Annual Rainfall
Accounts for up to 70% total rain in monsoon core
Tucson ~50%
Phoenix ~40%

July minus June
Rainfall
Monsoon Evolution from Satellite
CCT < -38oC Frequency
Centered over W. Mexico
June start over Mexico
AZ at northern fringes of heart of monsoon
Rains reach SE Arizona by July

June-July 500 mb Flow
July 900 mb Flow
Diurnal Winds
450 m AGL
Summary
Monsoons
Differential Heating Between Land and Oceans
Seasonal Reversal of Wind
Summer Rain - Winter Aridity
Thermally-Direct Circulation
Regions
Major Monsoon Occurs over SE Asia
Weaker Monsoon Occurs over North America
Africa, Australia, South America in SH

Assignment
Topic- Global Scale Winds
General Circulation
Reading - Ahrens 184-200
Problems - 7.11, 7.12, 7.13