Observations of a Drainage Flow Event on a High-Altitude Simple Slope

Abstract

Observations of a drainage flow event on a high-altitude simple slope were made for a few hours during a five-day field study that was otherwise characterized by high and gusty winds blowing across the face of the slope believed due to the presence of a nocturnal jet. A simple slope in the Jemez Mountains of north-central New Mexico was instrumented with meteorological surface stations and 10 m masts. Data collected during the drainage flow event indicate a depth ranging from greater than 10 m at the bottom of the slope to near zero at the top. At the bottom of the slope, the wind speed varied from 2.5 m s?1 at 1.5 m above ground to 0.5 m s?1 at a height of 10 m.