Numerical simulations of gravity waves and turbulence during the ATReC campaign

Abstract

During the Atlantic THORPEX Regional Campaign (ATReC) the NOAA Gulfstream-IV weather reconnaissance aircraft experienced severe clear-air turbulence while above a region of active moist convection, to the east of a surface low pressure system off the north-east coast of the United States. In-situ measurements of this encounter are presented, along with turbulence parameters derived from spectral analysis of the measurements. Results from a multiply-nested numerical simulation of the event are also presented. These simulations show that the turbulence occurred in a region of low background Richardson number. This region of low Richardson number is perturbed by vertically propagating gravity w..