Cloud–Environment Interface Instability: Rising Thermal Calculations in Two Spatial Dimensions

Abstract

High resolution two-dimensional numerical experiments of rising thermals in a stably stratified environment were performed to study the cloud boundary instability. Unstable modes develop on the leading edge of the rising thermal, which are driven by the buoyant production of vorticity and lead to the type of entraining eddies that are thought to be responsible for observed dilution of convective clouds. These instabilities develop on the complex and evolving base state characterized by a nonparallel flow near the interface with a contractional component across the interface and a stretching component along it. An analytical model is presented which describes the temporal evolution of the shear layer prior to the onset of the instability. It is shown that the flow pattern associated with the thermal rise leads to an exponential increase of the shear normal to the interface and exponential decrease of the shear-layer depth, which at a certain stage can lead to the onset of shearing instabilities. T... Abstract High resolution two-dimensional numerical experiments of rising thermals in a stably stratified environment were performed to study the cloud boundary instability. Unstable modes develop on the leading edge of the rising thermal, which are driven by the buoyant production of vorticity and lead to the type of entraining eddies that are thought to be responsible for observed dilution of convective clouds. These instabilities develop on the complex and evolving base state characterized by a nonparallel flow near the interface with a contractional component across the interface and a stretching component along it. An analytical model is presented which describes the temporal evolution of the shear layer prior to the onset of the instability. It is shown that the flow pattern associated with the thermal rise leads to an exponential increase of the shear normal to the interface and exponential decrease of the shear-layer depth, which at a certain stage can lead to the onset of shearing instabilities. T...