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Control of inversion height by surface heating
Author(s) -
Ball F. K.
Publication year - 1960
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.49708637005
Subject(s) - inversion (geology) , convection , buoyancy , turbulence , mechanics , geology , convective heat transfer , thermal , dissipation , heat transfer , kinetic energy , turbulence kinetic energy , subsidence , boundary layer , geophysics , meteorology , atmospheric sciences , thermodynamics , physics , classical mechanics , seismology , geomorphology , structural basin , tectonics
Viscous dissipation is inadequate to account for the destruction of all the thermal turbulence generated by upward transfer of heat in a deep convection layer. It is suggested that the surplus turbulent kinetic energy is destroyed by buoyancy forces in a region of downward transfer of heat in the upper part of the convection layer. This process is associated with mass transfer downwards through the convection (or subsidence) inversion and also with an upward movement of the inversion, though the latter may be overcome by sufficiently strong subsidence. A simple theory of the process is developed and the results deduced thereby agree well with observations of the diurnal variation of inversion height in Central Australia.