Journal article
Do Cold Pools Propagate According to Theory?
Journal of the atmospheric sciences, Vol.82(8), pp.1481-1497
08/2025
DOI: 10.1175/JAS-D-24-0136.1
Abstract
This study evaluates a popular density current propagation speed equation using a large, novel set of radiosonde and dropsonde observations. Data from pairs of sondes launched inside and outside of cold pools along with the theoretical density current propagation speed equation are used to calculate sonde-based propagation speeds. Radar/satellite-based propagation speeds, assumed to be the truth, are calculated by manually tracking the propagation of cold pools and correcting for advection due to the background wind. Several results arise from the comparisons of the theoretical sonde-based speeds with the radar/satellite-based speeds. First, sonde-based and radar-based propagation speeds are strongly correlated for US High Plains cold pools, suggesting the density current propagation speed equation is appropriate for use in midlatitude continental environments. Second, cold pool Froude numbers found in this study are in agreement with previous studies. Third, sonde-based propagation speeds are insensitive to how cold pool depth is defined, since the preponderance of negative buoyancy is near the surface in cold pools. Fourth, assuming an infinite channel depth and assuming an incompressible atmosphere when deriving the density current propagation speed equation can increase sonde-based propagation speeds by up to 20% and 11%, respectively. Finally, sonde-based propagation speeds can vary by ~300% based on where and when the sondes were launched, suggesting sub-mesoscale variability could be a major influence on cold pool propagation.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Do Cold Pools Propagate According to Theory?
- Creators
- Nicholas M. Falk - Colorado State UniversityLeah D. Grant - Colorado State UniversitySusan C. van den Heever - Colorado State UniversityBenjamin D. Ascher - Colorado State UniversityTyler W. Barbero - Colorado State UniversityCharles M. Davis - Colorado State UniversityJacob A. Escobedo - Colorado State UniversitySean W. Freeman - Colorado State UniversityBrian K. Heffernan - Colorado State UniversityGabrielle R. Leung - Colorado State UniversityAlexandra C. Mazurek - Colorado State UniversityChristine A. Neumaier - Colorado State UniversityErin A. Sherman - Colorado State UniversityG. Alexander Sokolowsky - Colorado State UniversityDaniel Veloso-Aguila - Colorado State UniversityPaul J. DeMott - Colorado State UniversitySonia M. Kreidenweis - Colorado State UniversityRussell J. Perkins - Colorado State UniversityElizabeth A. Stone - University of Iowa, Chemistry
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of the atmospheric sciences, Vol.82(8), pp.1481-1497
- DOI
- 10.1175/JAS-D-24-0136.1
- ISSN
- 0022-4928
- eISSN
- 1520-0469
- Publisher
- AMER METEOROLOGICAL SOC
- Grant note
- NSF: AGS-2029611, AGS-2105938, AGS-2106370 NASA: 80NSSC18K0149
This work was supported by NSF Grants AGS-2029611, AGS-2105938, and AGS-2106370 and NASA Grant 80NSSC18K0149. The authors thank the entire C3LOUD-Ex, BACS, and CAMP2Ex teams for their work collecting data used in this study. We would like to acknowledge support for the BACS campaign from the U.S. Department of Agriculture agency of Agricultural Research Services by providing site access at the Central Plains Experimental Range. Special thanks to Amy Bibbey, Troy Bauder, and other staff at the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station for their help in supporting and scheduling facilities at the Semi-Arid Grasslands Research Center for the BACS campaign. We would also like to thank Rachael Auth, Dr. Jennie Bukowski, Zoe Douglas, Eric Goldenstern, Mitchell Gregg, and Casey Zoellick for participating in the experiment to estimate radar-based propagation speed uncertainty. We thank the three anonymous reviewers who provided insightful comments that benefited this work.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 06/03/2025
- Date published
- 08/2025
- Academic Unit
- Chemistry; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984843599802771
Metrics
3 Record Views