Dynamics of a summer Mistral event: Airborne doppler lidar observations and numerical simulations

This paper examines the three-dimensional structure and dynamics of the Mistral at the Rhône valley exit on 28 June 2001. This summer Mistral event was documented in the framework of the ESCOMPTE field experiment, This study investigates the dynamical processes driving the circulation of the Mistral in the Rhône valley and particularly wake formation, vorticity generation and planetary boundary layer inhomogeneity at the scale of Rhône valley delta. Several important data sources are used (air-borne Doppler lidar, radiosoundings and surface stations) as well as non-hydrostatic mesoscale simulations.