A Generation Mechanism of Thorpe‐Detected Turbulence: A Case Study Using WRF Model Simulation

Abstract Turbulence in the free atmosphere has been widely estimated using the Thorpe method, which identifies vertical inversions in potential temperature profiles as evidence of overturning. However, the mechanisms driving Thorpe‐detected turbulence remain poorly understood, due largely to limitations in spatial and temporal resolution of observational and reanalysis datasets. This study presents the first real‐case numerical simulation of Thorpe‐detected turbulence using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The model successfully captures an observed case of moderate‐intensity turbulence, reproducing overturning structures at the correct location and time. A detailed analysis reveals that the turbulence formed below a tropopause elevated by developing convection, which reduced local static stability. The overturning occurred at the cloud top boundary by buoyancy gradients and was amplified through feedback with vorticity generation. The findings demonstrate that high‐resolution simulations can resolve the vertical overturning structures associated with Thorpe‐detected turbulence and provide insights into its physical generation mechanisms.