Articles | Volume 4, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-725-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-725-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
31 Aug 2023
Research article |
| 31 Aug 2023
| 31 Aug 2023
Adverse impact of terrain steepness on thermally driven initiation of orographic convection
Matthias Göbel
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Atmospheric and Cryospheric Sciences, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Regional Office Salzburg and Upper Austria, GeoSphere Austria, Salzburg, Austria
Stefano Serafin
Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Mathias W. Rotach
Department of Atmospheric and Cryospheric Sciences, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Cited
17 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Decoding the cooling potential of urban green spaces: A cross-city investigation of driving factors in 311 Chinese cities under varying climate zones Y. Lu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2025.106410
- Impacts of wildfire smoke PM2.5, greenspace and terrain ruggedness on life expectancy in the contiguous United States Y. Cao & J. Wu https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178584
- Invited perspectives: Thunderstorm intensification from mountains to plains J. Fischer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-2629-2025
- Persistent signatures of meteorological parameters and variation along topographic setup of NWH region V. Anjana & C. Singh https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181286
- Elevation-driven biases in seasonal weather forecasts: Insights from the Alpine region S. Uttarwar et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2025.103957
- Assessing Rainfall Variability in A Tropical Monsoon Watershed: Evidence from The Brantas Watershed, Indonesia N. Waskitho et al. https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/202520101001
- Disentangling atmospheric transport and mixing processes over mountains: overview of the preliminary field campaigns of the project DECIPHER A. Rajput et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42865-026-00149-x
- Semi-confined terrain concurrently amplifies heat stress and ozone pollution in Northern China Y. Miao et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.113653
- Assessing cooling and carbon mitigation co-benefits of urban blue–green spaces: A multi-city evaluation in the Yangtze River Economic Belt R. Deng et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2026.107388
- A New Methodology for Detecting Deep Diurnal Convection Initiations in Summer: Application to the Eastern Pyrenees T. Rigo & F. Vilar-Bonet https://doi.org/10.3390/geomatics5040072
- Evaluating microphysics scheme impacts on summer precipitation in Northwestern China using a convection permitting WRF model Y. Huang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108691
- Evaluating Seasonal Forecast Models for Cambodia’s Northern Tonle Sap Basin L. Brigadier et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13143-025-00393-9
- Physics-guided, interpretable machine learning for 30 m ERA5-Land temperature downscaling across the Caspian–Alborz coastal-mountainous gradient V. Nourani et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2026.104931
- Steep orographic effects on local precipitation in the Hengduan Mountain region: Insights from an idealized modeling perspective M. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4931
- Implications of WRF model resolutions on resolving rainfall variability with topography over East Africa A. Mwanthi et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2024.1311088
- Valley floor inclination affecting valley winds and transport of passive tracers in idealised simulations J. Mikkola et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-511-2025
- Impact of natural urban terrain on the pedestrian wind environment in neighborhoods: A CFD study with both wind and buoyancy-driven scenarios T. Talwar & C. Yuan https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111746
17 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Decoding the cooling potential of urban green spaces: A cross-city investigation of driving factors in 311 Chinese cities under varying climate zones Y. Lu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2025.106410
- Impacts of wildfire smoke PM2.5, greenspace and terrain ruggedness on life expectancy in the contiguous United States Y. Cao & J. Wu https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178584
- Invited perspectives: Thunderstorm intensification from mountains to plains J. Fischer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-2629-2025
- Persistent signatures of meteorological parameters and variation along topographic setup of NWH region V. Anjana & C. Singh https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181286
- Elevation-driven biases in seasonal weather forecasts: Insights from the Alpine region S. Uttarwar et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2025.103957
- Assessing Rainfall Variability in A Tropical Monsoon Watershed: Evidence from The Brantas Watershed, Indonesia N. Waskitho et al. https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/202520101001
- Disentangling atmospheric transport and mixing processes over mountains: overview of the preliminary field campaigns of the project DECIPHER A. Rajput et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42865-026-00149-x
- Semi-confined terrain concurrently amplifies heat stress and ozone pollution in Northern China Y. Miao et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.113653
- Assessing cooling and carbon mitigation co-benefits of urban blue–green spaces: A multi-city evaluation in the Yangtze River Economic Belt R. Deng et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2026.107388
- A New Methodology for Detecting Deep Diurnal Convection Initiations in Summer: Application to the Eastern Pyrenees T. Rigo & F. Vilar-Bonet https://doi.org/10.3390/geomatics5040072
- Evaluating microphysics scheme impacts on summer precipitation in Northwestern China using a convection permitting WRF model Y. Huang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108691
- Evaluating Seasonal Forecast Models for Cambodia’s Northern Tonle Sap Basin L. Brigadier et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13143-025-00393-9
- Physics-guided, interpretable machine learning for 30 m ERA5-Land temperature downscaling across the Caspian–Alborz coastal-mountainous gradient V. Nourani et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2026.104931
- Steep orographic effects on local precipitation in the Hengduan Mountain region: Insights from an idealized modeling perspective M. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4931
- Implications of WRF model resolutions on resolving rainfall variability with topography over East Africa A. Mwanthi et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2024.1311088
- Valley floor inclination affecting valley winds and transport of passive tracers in idealised simulations J. Mikkola et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-511-2025
- Impact of natural urban terrain on the pedestrian wind environment in neighborhoods: A CFD study with both wind and buoyancy-driven scenarios T. Talwar & C. Yuan https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111746
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 09 Nov 2026
Short summary
On summer days over mountains, upslope winds transport moist air towards mountain tops and beyond, making local rain showers more likely. We use idealized simulations to investigate how mountain steepness affects this mechanism. We find that steeper mountains lead to a delayed onset and lower intensity of the storms, because less moisture accumulates over the ridges and the thermal updraft zone at the top is narrower and thus more prone to the intrusion of dry air from the environment.
On summer days over mountains, upslope winds transport moist air towards mountain tops and...
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