HUMIDITY ENCLOSURE PROCESS ENHANCED BY STREAMWISE VORTICES DEVELOPING OVER THE SEA

To simulate the effect of streamwise vortices on the amount of water vapor entrained to the atmosphere over the sea surface, a wind tunnel experiment was performed. The streamwise vortex structure was visualized over a heated water surface to simulate the streaky cloud structure over the Sea of Japan in winter. It seems that the existence of vortex structure in the flow tends to enhance the amount of water vapor entrained to the surface air. It is possible that this mechanism is one of the reasons the coastal regions bordering on the Sea of Japan have tremendous amounts of snowfall in winter. Detailed measurements of this flow field are being performed, and the heated solid surface data will be compared with meteorological conditions.