INTERACTIONS BETWEEN UPPER AND LOWER TROPOSPHERIC GRAVITY-WAVES ON SQUALL LINE STRUCTURE AND MAINTENANCE

Based on an observed squall line environment, the modeled troposphere has been divided into 3 distinct thermodynamic layers. These consist of an absolutely stable atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), an elevated well-mixed layer, and an upper tropospheric layer of intermediate stability. We find the mixed layer to have a dual role; it has a reduced stability and thus provides abundant buoyancy for the convective scale updrafts, and it provides an ideal layer to trap mesoβ-scale (20-200km) wave energy generated in the stable layers. The generated waves thus have a significant and lasting impact on the simulation. We also find this thermodynamic structure to be conducive to both strong surface wind perturbations and long-lived squall lines. -from Authors