Theoretical Studies of Convectively Forced Mesoscale Flows in Three Dimensions. Part II: Shear Flow with a Critical Level

Abstract

Convectively forced mesoscale flows in a shear flow with a critical level are theoretically investigated by obtaining analytic solutions for a hydrostatic, nonrotating, inviscid, Boussinesq airflow system. The response to surface pulse heating shows that near the center of the moving mode, the magnitude of the vertical velocity becomes constant after some time, whereas the magnitudes of the vertical displacement and perturbation horizontal velocity increase linearly with time. It is confirmed from the solutions obtained in present and previous studies that this result is valid regardless of the basic-state wind profile and dimension. The response to 3D finite-depth steady heating representing latent heating due to cumulus convection shows that, unlike in two dimensions, a low-level updraft that is necessary to sustain deep convection always occurs at the heating center regardless of the intensity of vertical wind shear and the heating depth. For deep heating across a critical level, little change occurs in the perturbation field below the critical level, although the heating top height increases. This is because downward-propagating gravity waves induced by the heating above, but not near, the critical level can hardly affect the flow response field below the critical level. When the basic-state wind backs with height, the vertex of V-shaped perturbations above the heating top points to a direction rotated a little clockwise from the basic-state wind direction. This is because the V-shaped perturbations above the heating top is induced by upward-propagating gravity waves that have passed through the layer below where the basic-state wind direction is clockwise relative to that above.