Precipitable water vapor around orographically induced convergence line

Abstract

During the winter monsoon, a convergence line called the Boso Front often appears in the area between the Kanto Plain and the Izu Islands, Japan. Two typical cases of high-level Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) are observed along the convergence line in the lee of Chubu Mountains by the aid of latest techniques of Global Positioning System (GPS). Statistic analysis of GPS derived Precipitable Water Vapor (GPS-PWV) indicates that the prevailing wind direction controls the position of the high-level PWV in the lee of Chubu Mountains. A numerical model simulates the behavior of water vapor, namely, the temporal variation of simulated PWV and surface wind, which suggest the reasons for the high PWV near the convergence line. The convergence of surface wind gathers moisture, and trapped moisture by reduced wind velocity may also contribute the high-level PWV.