Influence of sea-land breeze on the formation and dissipation of severe dense fog and its burst reinforcement in the Yellow Sea coastal area, China

Based on the global reanalysis data of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research, the surface meteorological observation data, sounding data and satellite observation data, this paper comprehensively analyzes the evolution process and formation mechanism of a persistent severe dense fog process occurred on February 15–17, 2015 in Yancheng, eastern China. Through the numerical simulation experiment of Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model, we further analyze the impact of sea-land breeze on the formation and burst reinforcement of fog. Results show that the precipitation caused by the southwesterly airflow in front of the upper-level trough and the low-pressure inverted trough are conducive to the formation of early rain fog, while the nighttime clear radiance under the control of surface cold high and the infiltration of weak cold advection are conducive to the formation and development of later radiation-advection fog. The WRF model simulates the fog evolution process, which is basically consistent with the actual fog area, and the simulation results are credible to a certain extent. The simulation results show that the establishment of sea breeze has an advection cooling effect on the near surface layer, which is conducive to the formation and development of the inversion layer on the near surface, providing stable stratification conditions for the formation and burst reinforcement of fog. On one hand, the strengthening of sea breeze circulation can continuously transport water vapor to the study area. On the other, the occurrence of ultra-low level jet is favorable for the accumulation of low-level water vapor. At the same time, the inversion intensity further strengthens, which is in favor of the burst reinforcement and long-term maintenance of fog.