Can Sensitivity Studies Yield Absolute Comparisons for the Effects of Several Processes?

Abstract

Abstract The contribution of a particular process is shown to be strongly dependent upon the other processes under investigation because of synergistic contributions. In general, as the number of relevant factors being investigated increases, the role of any specific factor diminishes because the synergistic interactions with the new factors are extracted. This is illustrated with the variations of the topographic role in the impressive lee cyclone deepening event on 3–5 March 1982 during the Alpine Experiment. When latent heat release, latent heat flux, and sensitive heat flux enter into our comparative study, the topographic contribution to the surface pressure lee cyclone deepening gradually diminishes down to 50% or more.