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Low-Level Easterly Winds Blowing Through the Tsugaru Strait, Japan

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Low-Level Easterly Winds Blowing Through the Tsugaru Strait, Japan 3806 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW VOLUME 138 Low-Level Easterly Winds Blowing through the Tsugaru Strait, Japan. Part I: Case Study and Statistical Characteristics Based on Observations TERUHISA SHIMADA Ocean Environment Group, Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan MASAHIRO SAWADA AND WEIMING SHA Atmospheric Science Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan HIROSHI KAWAMURA Ocean Environment Group, Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan (Manuscript received 22 January 2010, in final form 17 May 2010) ABSTRACT This study has investigated structures and diurnal variations of the easterly surface winds blowing throughout the east–west passage comprising the Tsugaru Strait, Mutsu Bay, and circumjacent terrestrial gaps in northern Japan during the summer months. Based on observational and reanalysis data, a representative case study in June 2003 and supplemental statistical analyses are presented. The cool easterly winds ac- companied by clouds and fog are blocked by the central mountain range. This condition increases an along- strait sea level pressure (SLP) gradient, which induces strong winds in the west of the strait. The along-strait SLP gradient is enhanced by the developed Okhotsk high and by low pressure systems passing along the southern coast of Japan or over the Japan Sea. Stronger (weaker) and easterly (east-northeasterly) winds are observed during the nighttime (daytime), corresponding to the cool air intrusion from the east (retreat from west). Differences in SLP observed at meteorological observation stations on the east and west can be a good indicator of wind speed in the west of the strait. Meanwhile, the winds over the land also show diurnal variations specific to the times of the prevailing cool easterly winds. The easterly winds over the land are stronger and more divergent across the strait during the daytime than nighttime. This indicates the possibility that the diurnal wind variations are thermally induced. Reduction of diurnal air temperature changes in the east increases east–west thermal contrast. Additionally, the cool air over the strait and the bay can enhance land–sea thermal contrast across the coast. 1. Introduction caused severe cold-weather damage (e.g., Ninomiya and Mizuno 1985a,b; Kojima et al. 2006; Takai et al. 2006; A cool easterly wind intermittently blows toward Kodama et al. 2009). The easterly wind is accompanied northern Japan from the high pressure system over the by maritime cool and humid air, and low-level stratus Okhotsk Sea (Okhotsk high) during the summer months, clouds and fogs, and can persist for several days. The especially in June–July. This cool easterly wind, commonly low-level atmosphere is characterized by an inversion knownasYamase,hasbeenanobjectofstudysincethe capping a thin mixed layer. Consequently, the low-level early twentieth century because it has dominated sum- wind and clouds are mostly blocked by the mountain mertime climate over northern Japan and sometimes ranges of Tohoku and Hokkaido (Fig. 1). The dammed clouds reduce insolation on the east (Pacific) side of the Corresponding author address: Teruhisa Shimada, Ocean Envi- mountain ranges. A visible composite image in Fig. 1 ronment Group, Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Aramaki Aza serves as an example for the above-mentioned charac- Aoba 6-3, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan. teristics. The easterly winds prevail and the clouds cover E-mail: [email protected] the low-altitude area on the east side of northern Japan. DOI: 10.1175/2010MWR3354.1 Ó 2010 American Meteorological Society Unauthenticated | Downloaded 10/04/21 04:13 PM UTC OCTOBER 2010 S H I M A D A E T A L . 3807 FIG. 2. Topography and geographical names referred to in this paper. Solid circles and squares indicate meteorological observation FIG. 1. (a) MODIS visible composite image (R/G/B: band 1/4/3) at stations (solid circle, WOS; solid square, AMeDAS). The triangle 1216 JST 8 Jun 2003. Overlaid vectors are ocean surface winds indicates a buoy in Mutsu Bay. Abbreviations in the immediate vi- measured by SeaWinds/ADEOS2 at 1033 JST 8 Jun 2003. The square cinity of these symbols are for the WOS names: Hachinohe (HC), indicates the study area. Mutsu (MU), Hakodate (HK), Aomori (AO), Fukaura (FK), and Esashi (ES). In stark contrast to the mountain ranges in Tohoku and Hokkaido (Fig. 1), there is the only east–west-oriented the central part of the bay, resulting in strong wind shear passage of low-level winds in northern Japan. It consists on both sides. Wind statistics at the center of Mutsu Bay of the Tsugaru Strait, Mutsu Bay, and several circum- shows high directionality in east and west throughout jacent low-level terrestrial gaps (Fig. 2). The Tsugaru the year due to the topographic effect (Kawai et al. 2006). Strait is an international strait between Tohoku and Kawai et al. (2006) have also pointed out the importance Hokkaido, connecting the Japan Sea with the northwest- of solar heating over the land and of the distribution ern Pacific Ocean. The east–west distance is about 100 km of land and sea for the local atmospheric circulation. andthewidthrangesfrom20to40km.Asemienclosed Shimada and Kawamura (2007) have first mentioned the bay, called Mutsu Bay, is open to the Tsugaru Strait strong easterly winds exiting from the Tsugaru Strait and through a narrow (10 km) channel on its northwest side their diurnal variation with stronger (weaker) and easterly (Fig. 2). These topographic features make low-level routes (east-northeasterly) winds during the nighttime (day- for the cool easterly winds from the Pacific to the Japan time). This diurnal variation is quite a contrast to that of Sea. Understanding of the low-level winds blowing winds over the land with stronger (weaker) winds dur- throughout this passage is essential for forecasts of ing the daytime (nighttime; Rikiishi and Sasaki 1990). weather and sea state and for regional climate research. The impact of the strong winds on wave development Also, the wind has important social and economic im- is examined by using numerical simulations (Shimada pacts. However, little attention has been given to the and Kawamura 2009). low-level winds in this passage, and their structure and However, we have not yet had a comprehensive vision evolution have not been documented. Because most of of the structure and evolution of these winds in the the previous studies of the cool easterly wind focus on passage. First, the previous studies on the winds in this the wind offshore east of northern Japan, studies on region have conventionally focused only on one side of local winds in the vicinity of this passage have been left the strait (e.g., Rikiishi and Sasaki 1990; Yamaguchi and behind despite a long study history of the cool easterly Kawamura 2005; Takai et al. 2006; Kawai et al. 2006). winds during the summer months. We have to capture the entire picture of the low-level Recently, the high-resolution capability of satellite ob- winds blowing throughout the Tsugaru Strait, Mutsu servations and numerical simulations has shed light on the Bay, and circumjacent low-level terrestrial gaps. Also, structure and evolution of the cool easterly wind in the no studies have ever tried to investigate the generation vicinity of the passage. Yamaguchi and Kawamura (2005) mechanism of the strong winds in the west of the strait and have shown that the southeasterly wind entering Mutsu to obtain a measure for the prediction of strong winds. Bay from its southeastern low-level gap blows throughout The atmospheric and orographic settings of the present Unauthenticated | Downloaded 10/04/21 04:13 PM UTC 3808 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW VOLUME 138 study subject are favorable for the generation of gap- direction from the objective analysis data called grid- exiting winds, which are induced by a large pressure point value (GPV). The GPV data are output from the gradient along a gap mostly due to cold air surges (e.g., Mesoscale Nonhydrostatic Model (MSM) of the Japan Bond and Stabeno 1998; Colle and Mass 2000; Sharp and Meteorological Agency (JMA) with 10-km and 6-hourly Mass 2004). Furthermore, the diurnal variations over the spatiotemporal resolutions. In Fig. 1, we show a visible land and sea have been pointed out merely based on slight composite image from the Moderate Resolution Imag- evidence (Rikiishi and Sasaki 1990; Shimada and Kawa- ing Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board Aqua at 1216 mura 2007). We have to compile wind data in the entire JST 8 June 2003 (R/G/B: band 1/4/3) together with the study area to examine causes of different diurnal vari- SeaWinds wind vectors. ations of the low-level winds over the land and sea while We use in situ data from two types of meteorological the cool easterly winds are prevailing. observation stations operated by JMA over the land. This study investigates the structure and evolution of One is called a weather observation station (WOS) and the easterly low-level winds blowing throughout the the other is a station that has automatic observation passage consisting of the Tsugaru Strait, Mutsu Bay, and facilities called Automated Meteorological Data Ac- the circumjacent low-level terrestrial gaps. Using ob- quisition System (AMeDAS). There are 6 WOSs and 25 servational and reanalysis data, we present a case study AMeDAS stations in the study area (Fig. 2). Hourly in June 2003 and statistical analyses. We especially focus surface winds and air temperatures are observed at these on the sustained easterly wind event on 5–10 June 2003 stations. The WOSs also observe hourly air pressure. We based on the previous studies (Shimada and Kawamura also use 12-hourly upper-air observations at station 2007, 2009).
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