Mountain Lee Waves in the Middle East: Theoretical Calculations Compared with Satellite Pictures

Abstract

Four cases of mountain lee waves in the Middle East are discussed. The wavelengths as observed on satellite pictures are compared with calculations of wavelengths based on several different assumptions. Results show that the theory most applicable in the region is the one assuming an exponential increase in the wind speed with height. However, the best agreement with the measured wavelengths is achieved by the simple ?parcel method,? although the assumptions inherent in this method are not realized in practice. Practically, this result could be applied to deduce the mean wind speed in the layer, as suggested by Fritz, or alternatively, with the help of the mean wind, to deduce the mean static stability in the layer.