The structure of the Arabian heat low. Part I: surface energy budget.

Abstract

Automated surface stations are used to collect continuous measurements of radiative fluxes, state parameters, and the subsurface thermal profiles. These data are synthesized in order to estimate the radiation properties of the desert surface within the vortex of the Arabian heat low and to obtain an estimate of sensible heat exchange that would characterize the lower boundary of the heat low during the spring/summer transition season coinciding with the onset period of the Southwest Summer Monsoon. Results demonstrate how radiative exchange both controls the mean properties of the desert surface and responds to perturbations in the heat low environment. The foremost characteristic of surface energy exchange is the well-balanced diurnal regularity. -from Author