marine layer

From: Ken Poulton (poulton@zonker.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis)
Date: Mon May 22 1995 - 18:28:03 PDT


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Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 18:28:03 -0700
From: Ken Poulton <poulton@zonker.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis>
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To: wind_talk@zonker.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis
Subject: marine layer


> I just noticed this:
>
> #===== Estimates of marine layer depth:
> #===== Max DP deriv = 1712 m (5617 ft), DP<0C = 1712 m (5617 ft)
> #===== Water<3g/kg = 1712 m (5617 ft) 50% water = 1712 m (5617 ft)
>
> What does it mean? Maybe someone knows on the list. Anyway to correlate
> it to current or predicted windspeeds?

The marine layer is the layer starting near sea level with a high
moisture content which brings us our summer fog and low clouds. In
principle, a thin marine layer (<500 ft?) means very little fog, which
is bad for thermal winds. A thick layer (>3000 ft?) tends to cause
westerly flow over the whole region (as we have had the last several
days). Something in between should be right for funneling marine air in
through the Golden Gate and the San Bruno Gap and creating the summer
thermal winds we crave.

Since this is new, I include 4 estimates from different methods of
calculating the marine layer top from the data.

Since I just started getting the data, I have no experience correlating
this with winds other than occasional comments from NWS forecasters.
Anyone else??

Ken Poulton
poulton@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis

"What is a magician but a practicing theorist?" -- Obi-Wan Kenobi



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