An examination of atmospheric lids during COPS Andrew Russell and Geraint Vaughan Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Manchester 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Introduction 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

What are lids? Halt convection Warmer than surroundings Names:Lids (Capping) Inversions Regions of CINStable layers 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

What are lids? Halt convection Warmer than surroundings Names:Lids (Capping) Inversions Regions of CINStable layers 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

What are lids? Halt convection Warmer than surroundings Names:Lids (Capping) Inversions Regions of CINStable layers 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

What are lids?

Why study lids? Inhibition of convection Allow CAPE to accumulate Where do they come from? Is there more to lids than meets the eye? i.e. fractal structure of atmospheric layers 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Why study lids? Inhibition of convection Allow CAPE to accumulate Where do they come from? Is there more to lids than meets the eye? i.e. fractal structure of atmospheric layers 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Why study lids? Inhibition of convection Allow CAPE to accumulate Where do they come from? Is there more to lids than meets the eye? i.e. fractal structure of atmospheric layers 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Why study lids? Inhibition of convection Allow CAPE to accumulate Where do they come from? Is there more to lids than meets the eye? i.e. fractal structure of atmospheric layers 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Research priorities Boundary layer structure Lid statistics Synoptic origin of lids Model representation of lids 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Research priorities Boundary layer structure Lid statistics Synoptic origin of lids Model representation of lids 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Research priorities Boundary layer structure Lid statistics Synoptic origin of lids Model representation of lids 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Research priorities Boundary layer structure Lid statistics Synoptic origin of lids Model representation of lids 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Data sources 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

COPS Radiosonde sites… …plus some extra DWD, Meteo-France, Meteo-Swiss, KNMI and more when available.

Achern Sewage works/COPS Supersite R

Example case: IOP7b 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

IOP 7b

Temperature

Theta

Lifted surface parcel

Temperature inversions

CIN

R i < 0.25

ECMWF O 3 on 700hPa IOP 7b ECMWF PV on 315K

Next steps… 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Lid analysis Collection of as much radiosonde data as possible Systematic analysis leading to 4D maps of lid height/occurrence Case studies of lid origin 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Lid analysis Collection of as much radiosonde data as possible Systematic analysis leading to 4D maps of lid height/occurrence Case studies of lid origin 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Lid analysis Collection of as much radiosonde data as possible Systematic analysis leading to 4D maps of lid height/occurrence Case studies of lid origin 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

Contact details: 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008

IOP 8b

28 th June 2007

Contact details: 6 th COPS Workshop 27 th -29 th February 2008