Abstract
Statistical analyses of the seasonal and temporal distributions of turbulence events in the Santiago (Chile)–Mendoza (Argentina) route region are constructed using automated in situ turbulence observation measurements of the vertical acceleration in flights from LATAM Airlines aircraft. The VRTG database contains 2485 records over 22 months, from March 2018 to December 2019. Although winter in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) was the period with the greatest occurrence of turbulence in the Andes, severe turbulence was more frequent in the summer and early autumn in SH. Through synoptic-scale analysis generated by the post-processing of the Global Forecasting System, it was possible to determine that the unusual severe turbulence events are not related to either convectively induced turbulence or mountain wave turbulence, but to the upper-level atmospheric mechanisms that caused severe clear air turbulence by an interaction tripod between the Bolivian high, upper-level jet stream, and topography.
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Source: adapted from CPTEC (http://satelite.cptec.inpe.br/); b streamlines (blue lines), wind speed (kt) (black dotted line), and vertical wind shear (10−3 s−1) (hatched area in color) for the FL300; c vertical section at 31.5° S from 1000 to 100 hPa between 64° W and 70° W of the wind (kt) on dewlap, potential temperature (k) (red lines), and vertical speed (m/s) (hatched area in color). The study area is highlighted in the rectangle, and in “x” the positioning of the aircraft that registered the VRTG class 3
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Acknowledgements
This study is funded by the Department of Airspace Control (DECEA), through the Brazilian Organization for the Scientific and Technological Development of Airspace Control (CTCEA) (Grant: 002-2018/Foundation for the Coordination of Projects, Research and Technological Studies (COPPETEC)_CTCEA). In addition, the authors thank LATAM Airlines Brazil for providing VRTG data.
Funding
This study is funded by the Department of Airspace Control (DECEA), through the Brazilian Organization for the Scientific and Technological Development of Airspace Control (CTCEA) (Grant: 002-2018/Foundation for the Coordination of Projects, Research and Technological Studies (COPPETEC)_CTCEA).
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Menegardo-Souza, F., França, G.B., Menezes, W.F. et al. Synoptic Patterns of Unusual Severe Turbulence Events in the Santiago (Chile)–Mendoza (Argentina) Route Region in Summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Pure Appl. Geophys. 178, 3629–3643 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-021-02809-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-021-02809-9