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Balanced boundary layers used in hurricane models
Author(s) -
Smith Roger K.,
Montgomery Michael T.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.296
Subject(s) - eye , advection , boundary layer , rotational symmetry , mechanics , range (aeronautics) , momentum (technical analysis) , vortex , boundary (topology) , work (physics) , meteorology , physics , mathematics , mathematical analysis , tropical cyclone , aerospace engineering , engineering , finance , economics , thermodynamics
Abstract We examine the formulation and accuracy of various approximations made in representing the boundary layer in simple axisymmetric hurricane models, especially those that assume strict gradient wind balance in the radial direction. Approximate solutions for a steady axisymmetric slab boundary‐layer model are compared with a full model solution. It is shown that the approximate solutions are generally poor in the inner core region of the vortex, where the radial advection term in the radial momentum equation is important and cannot be neglected. These results affirm some prior work and have implications for a range of theoretical studies of hurricane dynamics, including theories of potential intensity, that employ balanced boundary‐layer formulations. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society