Gap Winds and Wakes: SAR Observations and Numerical Simulations

The nature of terrain-induced gap winds and wakes in the atmosphere is examined using surface wind data from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and the shallow water equations. The shallow water model is used to predict the types of wake-jet wind patterns that might occur behind an idealized pair of bell-shaped hills with a gap between them. A regime diagram is constructed based on the width of the gap and the upstream Froude number. Specific predictions of the model are found to compare moderately well with SAR data from four examples of airflow near Unimak Island in the Aleutian Chain. The model predicts the observed wakes and jets, including jets that exceed the upstream speed. Theoretical analysis considers the relative importance of rising terrain and narrowing valley walls in the acceleration of gap winds. Wind speeds in the wake region are controlled by the Bernoulli function and regional pressure. Gap winds therefore are streams of air that have avoided Bernoulli loss over the terrain by passing through gaps. The speed of gap winds can exceed the upstream speed only in ridgelike situations when the regional leeside pressure is lower than the upstream pressure.