The role of topography on the local circulation and formation of fog at Perth Airport

Abstract

Perth Airport is located on a coastal plain in the south-west of Australia, with the Indian Ocean to the west and the Darling Scarp running approximately parallel to the coast to the east. On average, there are approximately nine fog events per year at the airport, typically occurring during the cooler months in the early morning hours. Onshore winds bringing moisture from the Indian Ocean can combine with nocturnal cooling in stable atmospheres to encourage fog formation. A previous climatological study of fog at Perth Airport found that the majority of events had north to north-easterly 10-m winds at fog onset time. Two case studies are presented to gain a better understanding of the physical processes associated with the north to north-easterly near-surface flow and their influence on the development of fog. The hypothesis is that the escarpment is blocking the moist environmental flow, resulting in light northerly near-surface winds. This was tested through numerical experiments including altered terrain. The main finding from the case studies was that the northerly winds stem from a blocking of the airmass in the lower level of the atmosphere by the Darling Scarp in moderate wind situations. During calm or very light wind occasions, the winds below the surface inversion level can tend northerly regardless of topography. The trapped airmass and light winds in the near surface layer in combination with nocturnal surface cooling and moisture from the environmental flow, create conditions favourable for the development of fog at Perth Airport.