9629886 Chen The interactions of atmospheric flows with mountains is an important issue in atmospheric sciences. Orography plays a role in both local weather as well as influencing the larger scale flow. The isolation of the mountainous Island of Hawaii provides a natural laboratory for studies of the impacts of orography. In 1990 a cooperative project among several researchers, the Hawaiian Rainband Project (HaRP), was executed to study the influence of the island on local weather and fundamental mountain/atmospheric flow interactions. The Principal Investigator will continue his analysis of data from the HaRP with a focus on furthering understanding of the impact of local environmental conditions on the formation of rainbands. A specific emphasis will be the evolution of downslope flow on the windward side of the island of Hawaii throughout the night for relatively dry and relatively rainy cases. In addition to downslope flow evolution over land, the deepening of the downslope flow in the Hilo Bay area, the extension of offshore flow over the ocean before sunrise, and the effects of clouds and rains on the downslope flow evolution will be studied. Furthermore, the Principal Investigator will examine the meteorological conditions that affect the daily amounts of nocturnal rainfall west of Hilo and the early morning rainfall along the coast. ***
