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Numerical Simulation Of Sea Breezes with Vertical Wind Shear during Dry Season at Cape of Three Points, West Africa

S. Cautenet, R. Rosset

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Abstract

The airflow over Cape of Three Points (Gulf of Guinea: 4.5°N, 2°W) has been simulated using a three-dimensional mesoscale model in order to investigate the sea breeze developing in synoptic vertical wind shears during the 1979 dry season. Two different meteorological situations, characterized by two contrasted wind profiles between 500 and 2000 m have been studied, with two types of transitions between the lower circulation (SW monsoon) and the upper African easterly jet (AEJ). The first one is a veering case (6 January) and the second is a backing case (23 January). Calculations of CAPE (convective available potential energy) show that whereas instability is a maximum at both sides of the cape, the site of enhanced convection is determined by the wind shear in the 500–2000 m layer. Numerical results confirm satellite observations.

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What this paper is about

The airflow over Cape of Three Points (Gulf of Guinea: 4.5°N, 2°W) has been simulated using a three-dimensional mesoscale model in order to investigate the sea breeze developing in synoptic vertical wind shears during the 1979 dry season. Two different meteorological situations, characterized by two contrasted wind profiles between 500 and 2000 m have been studied, with two types of transitions between the lower circulation (SW monsoon) and the upper African easterly jet (AEJ). The first one is a veering case (6 January) and the second is a backing case (23 January). Calculations of CAPE (convective available potential energy) show that whereas instability is a maximum at both sides of the cape, the site of enhanced convection is determined by the wind shear in the 500–2000 m layer. Numerical results confirm satellite observations.

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Available abstract

The airflow over Cape of Three Points (Gulf of Guinea: 4.5°N, 2°W) has been simulated using a three-dimensional mesoscale model in order to investigate the sea breeze developing in synoptic vertical wind shears during the 1979 dry season. Two different meteorological situations, characterized by two contrasted wind profiles between 500 and 2000 m have been studied, with two types of transitions between the lower circulation (SW monsoon) and the upper African easterly jet (AEJ). The first one is a veering case (6 January) and the second is a backing case (23 January). Calculations of CAPE (convective available potential energy) show that whereas instability is a maximum at both sides of the cape, the site of enhanced convection is determined by the wind shear in the 500–2000 m layer. Numerical results confirm satellite observations.

Key concepts: Sea breeze, Mesoscale meteorology, Convective available potential energy, Cape, Wind shear, Geology, African easterly jet, Airflow

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