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Behavior of turbulence statistics in the convective boundary layer

Journal Article · · J. Appl. Meteorol.; (United States)
Velocity variances in the convective boundary layer are examined using data derived in PBL experiments over land (Minnesota) and ocean (the Coral Sea) supported by data from the Kansas study of the surface boundary layer. In the freely convective limit, the data clearly support scaling of sigma/sub w/ by the convective velocity w/sub asterisk/ instead of u/sub asterisk/, as is common in modern treatments. The freely convective limit appears to be 0.59 for both sigma/sub w//w/sub asterisk/ and sigma/sub ..nu..//w/sub asterisk/. The available data are compatible with relationships based on additive contributions to total variance by mechanical and buoyant forces. The resulting relations are sigma/sub w/ = (1.2u/sup 2//sub asterisk/+0.35w/sup 2//sub asterisk/)/sup 1/2/, sigma/sub ..nu../ = (3.6u/sup 2//sub asterisk/+0.35w/sup 2//sub asterisk/)/sup 1/2/. These relations collapse back to the neutral values derived from the Kansas experiment. Similar analyses for temperature variance are somewhat less revealing; however, the available data indicate that scaling by convective properties alone is quite adequate. Hence, sigma/sub T/roughly-equal1.8theta/sub asterisk/, where theta/sub asterisk/ = H/rhoc/sub p/w/sub asterisk/. These relations appear to apply over the bulk of the convective PBL, from z/z/sub i/roughly-equal0.1 to at least z/z/sub i/ = 0.6, but extend downwards to very near the surface in the case of sigma/sub ..nu../.
Research Organization:
Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, NOAA, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830
OSTI ID:
5413057
Journal Information:
J. Appl. Meteorol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Meteorol.; (United States) Vol. 24:6; ISSN JAMOA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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