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A numerical study of the nocturnal atmospheric boundary layer
Author(s) -
Delage Yves
Publication year - 1974
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.49710042507
Subject(s) - geostrophic wind , planetary boundary layer , atmospheric sciences , turbulence , environmental science , turbulence kinetic energy , boundary layer , inversion (geology) , surface layer , meteorology , mechanics , geology , physics , materials science , layer (electronics) , geomorphology , structural basin , composite material
The evolution of the structure of the atmospheric boundary layer during the cooling phase of the diurnal cycle is studied with the help of a one‐dimensional numerical model. The model uses a turbulent energy equation for the determination of the eddy exchange coefficients, which also involve the local value of the Monin‐Obukhov length. The surface temperature is prescribed as a function of time and the geostrophic wind is held constant. Results are presented in nondimensional form and cover a wide range of possible values for the external parameters. After several hours of cooling the inversion layer is found to reach a maximum depth, which depends strongly upon the magnitude of the geostrophic wind and, to a lesser extent, on the cooling rate of the ground surface.