VHF Radar observations of a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a subtropical jet stream |
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| Authors: | R Rüuster J Klostermeyer |
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| Institution: | Max-Planck-lnstitut für Aeronomie , D-3411 Katlenburg-Lindau, West Germany |
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| Abstract: | Abstract In connection with the large dish at the Arccibo Observatory (Puerto Rico), the mobile SOUSY VHF Radar has been used to carry out velocity measurements in the troposphere with height and time resolutions of a few hundreds of meters and some tens of seconds, respectively. During the passage of a strong subtropical jet stream, vertical velocity oscillations have been observed at heights of maximum wind shear. The height and time variations of the velocity and the background wind profile deduced from radiosonde data indicate that a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI), with a period of 340s, a wavelength of 12 km and a velocity amplitude of about 1 ms?1 was the source of the oscillations. Model calculations show good agreement with the observed quantities. |
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