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Model Simulations of the Boundary-Layer Evolution over an Arid Andes Valley

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Abstract

The boundary layer of the Elqui valley in the arid north of Chile exhibits several interesting phenomena, such as a very shallow convective boundary layer (CBL) during the day. In the morning, warming is observed in and above the CBL, while the humidity decreases in the CBL. At midday, in and above the CBL of the valley, the temperature stagnates. In the afternoon in the CBL the temperature decreases and humidity increases, although the latent heat flux is very low. Because the characteristic features of the valley atmosphere are hard to interpret from observations alone, model simulations were applied. The simulations indicate that all components of the budget equations, i.e. the turbulent flux divergences, advection via the sea breeze, the upvalley and upslope wind systems, as well as subsidence, contribute to the evolution of the valley atmosphere.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Scientific Computing, Karlsruhe Research Centre, Postfach 3640, 76021, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Inge Bischoff-Gauß

  2. Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Research Centre/University of Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Norbert Kalthoff & Samiro Khodayar

  3. Departamento de Matemática, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile

    Melitta Fiebig-Wittmaack

  4. Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Aridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile

    Melitta Fiebig-Wittmaack & Sonia Montecinos

Authors
  1. Inge Bischoff-Gauß
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  2. Norbert Kalthoff
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  3. Samiro Khodayar
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  4. Melitta Fiebig-Wittmaack
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  5. Sonia Montecinos
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Correspondence to Inge Bischoff-Gauß.

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Bischoff-Gauß, I., Kalthoff, N., Khodayar, S. et al. Model Simulations of the Boundary-Layer Evolution over an Arid Andes Valley. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 128, 357–379 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-008-9293-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-008-9293-y

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