Description: Das Projekt "Numerische Modellstudien zum Einfluss der Alpen auf das Klima - ein Beitrag zum CLEAR-Programm" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Geographisches Institut durchgeführt. Leading Questions: Validity of General Circulation Models on the regional scale; effects of geographical features on regional climate patterns Beniston, M., Mountain Environment in Changing Climates, Routledge Publishers, London/New York 1994. Abstract: The Alps are a significant barrier to flow dynamics, leading to effects such as lateral wind deflection resulting in regional wind systems, orographically-induced turbulence, wave breaking, and vertical shear forced by the flow deflection. Atmospheric heating is also affected by topography, and meso- and synoptic-scale investigations by different groups have in recent years underlined the significance of the thermal effect of mountains, via vertical turbulent transfers not only of momentum, but also of latent and sensible heat. The research proposed in this study will be to identify the weaknesses of General Circulation Climate Models (GCMs) at various resolutions in the representation of these phenomena, to investigate in more detail the nature of turbulent transfers of heat, moisture, and momentum in the presence of orography using real atmospheric data, any available remote-sensing data, and results from mesoscale atmospheric models being operated by other CLEAR partners. The findings of these investigations will be synthesized in the form of suggestions for improved orographic parameterization techniques in GCMs. Numerous interactions are foreseen within the CLEAR partnership and major climate modeling groups in Europe. This study makes use of advanced numerical models - a high-resolution Atmospheric General Circulation Climate Model and a detailed regional-scale atmospheric model - to try to gain deeper insight into the dynamic and thermodynamic effects of a mountain chain such as the Alps on continental-scale, and possibly also global-scale, climate processes. One of the most important of these processes linked to the presence of the Alps are the so-called 'blocking high pressure episodes' in which a high pressure ridge can stagnate for several days or weeks, significantly modifying the temperature and precipitation regimes over the Alps. This has consequences for hydrology, snow and on economic activities such as winter tourism and hydro-power generation. By investigating numerically these features, in particular their inception and disintegration and their possible predictability, it is hoped that we can forecast their potential frequency in the future, under conditions of increased greenhouse-gas concentrations.
Types:
SupportProgram
Origin: /Bund/UBA/UFORDAT
Tags: Zürich ? Klimatologie ? Thermodynamik ? Wind ? Globales Klimamodell ? Fernerkundungsdaten ? Luftbewegung ? Orographie ? Topographie ? Mathematisches Modell ? Internationale Zusammenarbeit ? Klimamodell ? Atmosphärenmodell ? Mesoklima ? Monitoring ? Naturwissenschaft ? Berg ? Schnee ? Studie ? Zirkulationsmodell ? Luftfeuchtigkeit ? Alpen ? Europa ? Klima ? Atmosphäre ? Niederschlag ? Datenerhebung ? Fernerkundung ? Turbulenz ? Wirtschaft ? Gebirge ? Globale Aspekte ? Physikalische Größe ? Heizung ? Hydrologie ? environmental dynamics ? Wärmetransport ? international level ?
License: cc-by-nc-nd/4.0
Language: Deutsch
Time ranges: 1993-01-01 - 1995-12-31
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