MCC and gull flight behavior

✍ Scribed by E. M. Agee; P. J. Sheu

• Book ID: 104630376
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 268 KB
• Volume: 14
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0006-8314
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00122622

✦ Synopsis

Wintertime observations of mesoscale cellular convection (MCC) over the East China Sea have resulted in criteria that have a remarkable similarity to those reported by Woodcock (1975) in the study of thermals and gull flight behavior. It has been determined that the surface wind speed (V) and the air-sea temperature difference (AT) prescribe unique and compatible conditons for both the occurrence of MCC and soaring by sea gulls. Specifically, the onset of MCC when V is between 5 and 9ms -t is inversely proportional to AT in the range 5 to 7°C. Elsewhere, the onset of MCC occurs under conditions of direct proportionality between V and AT. Necessary conditions for the occurrence of MCC due to heating from below are AT 2 5 "C and V 3 5 m s-r. The boundaries of the convective regime for MCC are discussed and interpreted in accordance with the regime for sea-gull soaring and similarity concepts.