The Impact of Radiation on the GABLS3 Large-Eddy Simulation through the Night and during the Morning Transition

Large-eddy simulation in the GABLS3 intercomparison is concerned with the developed stable boundary layer (SBL) and the ensuing morning transition. The impact of radiative transfer on simulations of this case is assessed. By the time of the reversal of the surface buoyancy flux, a modest reduction of the lapse rate in the developed SBL is apparent in simulations that include longwave radiation. Subsequently, with radiation, the developing mixed layer grows significantly more quickly, so that four hours after the transition the mixed layer is roughly 40 % deeper; the resulting profiles of potential temperature and specific humidity are in better agreement with observations. The inclusion of radiation does not substantively alter the shape of turbulent spectra, but it does indirectly reduce the variance of temperature fluctuations in the mixed layer. The deepening of the mixed layer is interpreted as a response to the reduction of the strength of the capping inversion, resulting from cumulative radiative cooling in the residual layer and around the top of the former SBL. Sensitivity studies are performed to separate the two effects. Solar radiative heating of the atmosphere has a smaller impact on the development of the mixed layer than does longwave radiative cooling and slightly reduces its rate of growth, compared to simulations including longwave radiation alone. These simulations demonstrate that nocturnal radiative processes have an important effect on the morning transition and that they should be considered in future large-eddy simulations of the transition.     

Understanding the Surface Temperature Cold Bias in CMIP5 AGCMs over the Tibetan Plateau

The temperature biases of 28 CMIP5 AGCMs are evaluated over the Tibetan Plateau(TP) for the period 1979–2005. The results demonstrate that the majority of CMIP5 models underestimate annual and seasonal mean surface 2-m air temperatures(T_(as)) over the TP. In addition, the ensemble of the 28 AGCMs and half of the individual models underestimate annual mean skin temperatures(T_s) over the TP. The cold biases are larger in T_(as) than in T_s, and are larger over the western TP. By decomposing the T_s bias using the surface energy budget equation, we investigate the contributions to the cold surface temperature bias on the TP from various factors, including the surface albedo-induced bias, surface cloud radiative forcing, clear-sky shortwave radiation, clear-sky downward longwave radiation, surface sensible heat flux, latent heat flux,and heat storage. The results show a suite of physically interlinked processes contributing to the cold surface temperature bias.Strong negative surface albedo-induced bias associated with excessive snow cover and the surface heat fluxes are highly anticorrelated, and the cancelling out of these two terms leads to a relatively weak contribution to the cold bias. Smaller surface turbulent fluxes lead to colder lower-tropospheric temperature and lower water vapor content, which in turn cause negative clear-sky downward longwave radiation and cold bias. The results suggest that improvements in the parameterization of the area of snow cover, as well as the boundary layer, and hence surface turbulent fluxes, may help to reduce the cold bias over the TP in the models.     

The Coupling State of an Idealized Stable Boundary Layer

The coupling state between the surface and the top of the stable boundary layer (SBL) is investigated using four different schemes to represent the turbulent exchange. An idealized SBL is assumed, with fixed wind speed and temperature at its top. At the surface, two cases are considered, first a constant temperature, 20 K lower than the SBL top, and later a constant 2 K h⁻¹ cooling rate is assumed for 10 h after a neutral initial condition. The idealized conditions have been chosen to isolate the influence of the turbulence formulations on the coupling state, and the intense stratification has the purpose of enhancing such a response. The formulations compared are those that solve a prognostic equation for turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and those that directly prescribe turbulence intensity as a function of atmospheric stability. Two TKE formulations are considered, with and without a dependence of the exchange coefficients on stability, while short and long tail stability functions (SFs) are also compared. In each case, the dependence on the wind speed at the SBL top is considered and it is shown that, for all formulations, the SBL experiences a transition from a decoupled state to a coupled state at an intermediate value of mechanical forcing. The vertical profiles of potential temperature, wind speed and turbulence intensity are shown as a function of the wind speed at the SBL top, both for the decoupled and coupled states. The formulation influence on the coupling state is analyzed and it is concluded that, in general, the simple TKE formulation has a better response, although it also tends to overestimate turbulent mixing. The consequences are discussed.     

Turbulence, Radiation and fog in Dutch Stable Boundary Layers

The effect of longwave radiation on the structure the clear stable boundary layer (SBL) is examined. Special emphasis is given to radiative cooling near the surface and the top of the boundary layer and its impact on the heat flux profile. Further, the formation, growth and dissipation of fog in the SBL are studied both from observations and from a one-dimensional ensemble averaged turbulence closure model. The model is compared with detailed observations that were made for both a shallow (about 30 m) radiation fog and a deep (about 200 m) fog layer at the 200-m tower at Cabauw in the Netherlands. The model describes adequately the most important mechanisms occurring during the fog evolution. In this study special attention is given to the parameterization of the vegetation, which is important for a good representation of the (minimum) air temperature. The influence of turbulence transport, longwave radiative cooling and gravitational droplet settling on the fog evolution is described. The study demonstrates the need for more accurate measurements of turbulence quantities, especially the master length scale, in a variety of SBLs.     

Characteristics of intermittent turbulence in the upper stable boundary layer over Greenland

The experiment IGLOS (Investigation of the Greenland Boundary Layer Over Summit) was conducted in June and July 2002 in the central plateau of the Greenland inland ice. The German research aircraft Polar2, equipped with the turbulence measurement system Meteopod, was used to investigate turbulence and radiation flux profiles near research station “Summit Camp”. Aircraft measurements are combined with measurements of radiation fluxes and turbulent quantities made from a 50 m tower at Summit Camp operated by Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich. During all six flight missions, well-developed stable boundary layers were found. Even in high-wind conditions, the surface inversion thickness did not exceed roughly 100 m. The turbulent height of the stable boundary layer (SBL) was found to be much smaller than the surface inversion thickness. Above the surface layer, significant turbulent fluxes occurred only intermittently in intervals on the order of a few kilometres. Turbulent event fraction in the upper SBL shows the same dependence on gradient Richardson number as reported for near-surface measurements. Clear-air longwave radiation divergence was always found to contribute significantly to the SBL heat budget. In low-wind cases, radiative cooling even turned out to be dominant.     

The Arctic surface energy budget as simulated with the IPCC AR4 AOGCMs

Ensembles of simulations of the twentieth- and twentyfirst-century climate, performed with 20 coupled models for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment, provide the basis for an evaluation of the Arctic (70°–90°N) surface energy budget. While the various observational sources used for validation contain differences among themselves, some model biases and across-model differences emerge. For all energy budget components in the twentieth-century simulations (the 20C3M simulation), the across-model variance and the differences from observational estimates are largest in the marginal ice zone (Barents, Kara, Chukchi Seas). Both downward and upward longwave radiation at the surface are underestimated in winter by many models, and the ensenmble mean annual net surface energy loss by longwave radiation is 35 W/m², which is less than for the NCEP and ERA40 reanalyses but in line with some of the satellite estimates. Incoming solar radiation is overestimated by the models in spring and underestimated in summer and autumn. The ensemble mean annual net surface energy gain by shortwave radiation is 39 W/m², which is slightly less than for the observational based estimates, In the twentyfirst-century simulations driven by the SRES A2 scenario, increased concentrations of greenhouse gasses increase (average for 2080–2100 minus average for 1980–2000 averages) the annual average ensemble mean downward longwave radiation by 30.1 W/m². This was partly counteracted by a 10.7 W/m² reduction in downward shortwave radiation. Enhanced sea ice melt and increased surface temperatures increase the annual surface upward longwave radiation by 27.1 W/m² and reduce the upward shortwave radiation by 13.2 W/m², giving an annual net (shortwave plus longwave) surface radiation increase of 5.8 W/m² , with the maximum changes in summer. The increase in net surface radiation is largely offset by an increased energy loss of 4.4 W/m² by the turbulent fluxes.     

Intercomparison of three urban climate models

An intercomparison of the surface energy budgets from three urban climate models was made to assess the comparability of results, and to evaluate the surface energy fluxes from each model. The three models selected spanned the continuum of approaches currently employed in the treatment of the effects of urban geometry. The first model was an urban canopy-layer model which explicitly examined urban canyon geometry. The second model treated the city as a warm, rough, moist plate but included greatly simplified parameterizations of urban geometry. Neither model included a dynamic link to the urban boundary-layer. The third model was a one-dimensional urban boundary-layer model which utilized a simple warm, rough, moist plate approach but included a dynamic coupling of the urban surface layer to the urban boundary-layer.Results showed considerable disagreement between the three models in regards to the individual energy fluxes. Average rankings of the energy fluxes in terms of comparability from high-to-low similarity were: (1) solar radiation, (2) sensible heat flux, (3) conduction, (4) latent heat flux, (5) longwave re-radiation, and (6) longwave radiation input. In general, the urban canopy-layer model provided more realistic results, although each model demonstrated strong and weak points. Results indicate that current urban boundary-layer models may produce surface energy budgets with lower sensible heat fluxes and substantially higher latent heat fluxes than is supported by field evidence from the literature.     

Resolution Sensitivity and Scaling of Large-Eddy Simulations of the Stable Boundary Layer

Large-eddy simulations (LES) of the continuously turbulent quasi-equilibrium stable boundary layer (SBL) are conducted with grid lengths in the range of 12.5 m to 2 m, in order to explore resolution sensitivity, and determine at what point grid convergence occurs. The structure of the mean potential temperature, winds, and turbulent fluxes varies significantly over this resolution range. The highest resolution simulations show a significant degree of convergence. The dimensionless momentum diffusivity asymptotes to a value of 0.06, corresponding to a limiting flux Richardson number of 0.15.Using the converged simulations, some scaling hypotheses underpinning first-order and second-order closure models are revisited. The effective Richardson number stability functions of the LES are compared with the forms often used in numerical weather prediction (NWP). The mixing implied by the LES is less than that used in NWP. The commonly used similarity profiles for heat and momentum fluxes, and the scalings for dissipation and pressure covariances are compared with the LES. This information could provide guidance for the next generation of SBL parametrization schemes.     

Simulation of snow processes beneath a boreal scots pine canopy

A physically-based multi-layer snow model Snow-Atmosphere-Soil-Transfer scheme(SAST)and a land surface model Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme(BATS)were employed to investigate how boreal forests influence snow accumulation and ablation under the canopy.Mass balance and energetics of snow beneath a Scots pine canopy in Finland at different stages of the 2003-2004 and 2004 2005 snow seasons are analyzed.For the fairly dense Scots pine forest,drop-off of the canopy-intercepted snow contributes,in some cases,twice as much to the underlying snowpack as the direct throughfall of snow.During early winter snow melting,downward turbulent sensible and condensation heat fluxes play a dominant role together with downward net longwave radiation.In the final stage of snow ablation in middle spring,downward net all- wave radiation dominates the snow melting.Although the downward sensible heat flux is comparable to the net solar radiation during this period,evaporative cooling of the melting snow surface makes the turbulent heat flux weaker than net radiation.Sensitivities of snow processes to leaf area index(LAI)indicate that a denser canopy speeds up early winter snowmelt,but also suppresses melting later in the snow season. Higher LAI increases the interception of snowfall,therefore reduces snow accumulation under the canopy during the snow season;this effect and the enhancement of downward longwave radiation by denser foliage outweighs the increased attenuation of solar radiation,resulting in earlier snow ablation under a denser canopy.The difference in sensitivities to LAI in two snow seasons implies that the impact of canopy density on the underlying snowpack is modulated by interannual variations of climate regimes.     

Observations Of The Morning Transition Of The Convective Boundary Layer

The morning transition between the stable nocturnal situation and the daytime convective boundary layer (CBL) is of interest both for basic understanding and for initializing prognostic models. While the morning growth phase of the CBL has been studied in detail, relatively little has been published on the transition itself. In this paper, conventional observations of surface temperature, humidity, and turbulent fluxes,and data from a meteorological tower, are combined with measurements of the onset of convection by boundary-layer wind profilers to explore the timing and behaviour of the transition period. The transition is defined here as the period between sunrise and the time at which the depth ofconvection reaches about 200 m AGL. Diagnostic relationships based on surface heat flux, the temperature difference between 2 m and 200 m, and bulk Richardson number are explored. The transition is foundto be enabled by surface heating relaxing the surface stability, while the warming of the layerbetween 2 m and 200 m is in large part due to shear-driven entrainment.     

长波区间太阳辐射对气候模拟的影响

长波区间的太阳辐射在气候模式中往往被忽略。利用国家气候中心BCC_AGCM2.0.1大气环流模式,采用矩阵算子辐射传输算法,研究了长波区间太阳辐射对气候模式辐射通量和温度模拟结果的影响。结果表明,以ISCCP和CERES辐射资料为标准,考虑长波区间太阳辐射后,长波区间晴空大气地表向下辐射通量平均误差减小2.05 W/m2,均方根误差减少1.29 W/m2;长波区间晴空大气模式顶向上辐射通量平均误差减小0.70 W/m2,均方根误差减小0.21 W/m2;长波区间有云大气地表向下辐射通量平均误差减小1.38 W/m2,均方根误差减小1.03 W/m2;长波区间有云大气模式顶向上辐射通量平均误差减小0.99 W/m2,均方根误差减小0.30 W/m2。以ECMWF再分析资料为标准,考虑长波区间太阳辐射后,赤道地区上对流层—下平流层区域温度的冷偏差得到改善,对流层顶温度平均误差减小0.27 K,均方根误差减小0.25 K。     

CMIP6与CMIP5对历史大气层顶和地表辐射收支模拟的时空对比

基于云和地球辐射能量系统观测数据集（CERES),对比分析了耦合模式比较计划第五（CMIP5）和第六阶段（CMIP6）模拟的历史大气层顶和地表辐射收支的年际变化和空间分布,明确了多模式间不确定性大的关键区域。结果表明：在年际尺度上,除地表向上长波辐射外,CMIP6的辐射分量的集合均值较CMIP5更接近于CERES观测值,全球地表向下短波辐射的高估和大气逆辐射的低估在CMIP6中分别降低了1.9 W/m²和3.3 W/m²。除大气逆辐射外,CMIP6的辐射分量在多模式间的一致性较CMIP5提高。在北极,CMIP6对大气层顶反射短波、大气层顶出射长波和地表向下短波辐射的模拟偏差较CMIP5大。在南北纬60°,CMIP6对大气逆辐射的模拟偏差较CMIP5大。其他区域CMIP6的辐射分量更接近CERES观测值。CMIP6模拟的地表向下短波辐射和大气逆辐射的不确定性较大区域面积较CMIP5减小,但不确定性极大区域面积无变化。地表净辐射的不确定性空间分布在两代CMIP间变化甚小。青藏高原、赤道太平洋、热带雨林、阿拉伯半岛和南极洲沿海依然是地球系统模式模拟辐射收支不确定性极大的关键区域。     

华南沿海暖海雾过程中的湍流热量交换特征

湍流交换是海雾中的关键物理过程, 在海雾的热量和水汽平衡过程中起重要作用。本文根据2007年3月24～25日一次海雾的外场观测数据, 分析了海雾过程中近海面湍流热量交换特征; 并在区分风切变机械湍流与雾顶长波辐射冷却热力湍流的基础上, 着重分析了两种不同性质的湍流对海雾发展和维持的作用。结果表明: (1) 本次海雾是在西南低压和变性冷高压的控制下, 来自南海东部暖水区的空气平流在近岸冷海面上形成的暖海雾; 暖海雾中的湍流热量交换过程比冷海雾更为复杂; (2) 在暖海雾的形成和消散阶段, 风切变机械湍流的热量输送起主要作用; 而在发展和维持阶段, 既有风切变机械湍流的热量输送作用, 也有雾顶长波辐射冷却热力湍流的热量输送作用; (3) 风切变机械湍流向冷海面输送热量, 对近海面空气起到降温和增湿作用; 热力湍流同样向冷海面输送热量, 但对雾层起到增温和降湿作用; (4) 暖海雾中的湍流热量交换机制与雾层的非充分混合结构有密切关系。     

考虑气压的晴空大气下行长波辐射参数化方案及其适用性分析

基于Prata晴空大气下行长波辐射参数化方案,针对其在高原地区及可降水量较小地区理论精度较差的缺点,考虑不同高度的大气柱发射的长波辐射量不同,提出了三种考虑气压的大气下行长波辐射参数化方案,通过全球ERA-5再分析数据进行最小二乘拟合确定经验常数并在全球不同区域对其适用性进行了分析.模拟结果表明,考虑气压的参数化方案有...     

Observations of Coherent Turbulence Structures in the Near-Neutral Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Turbulence structures of high Reynolds number flow in the near-neutral atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) are investigated based on observations at Shionomisaki and Shigaraki, Japan. A Doppler sodar measured the vertical profiles of winds in the ABL. Using the integral wavelet transform for the time series of surface wind data, the pattern of a descending high-speed structure with large vertical extent (from the surface to more than 200-m level) is depicted from the Doppler sodar data. Essentially this structure is a specific type of coherent structure that has been previously shown in experiments on turbulent boundary-layer flows. Large-scale high-speed structures in the ABL are extracted using a long time scale (240 s) for the wavelet transform. The non-dimensional interval of time between structures is evaluated as 3.0–6.2 in most cases. These structures make a large contribution to downward momentum transfer in the surface layer. Quadrant analyses of the turbulent motion measured by the sonic anemometer (20-m height) suggest that the sweep motion (high-speed downward motion) plays a substantial role in the downward momentum transfer. In general, the contribution of sweep motions to the momentum flux is nearly equal to that of ejection motions (low-speed upward motions). This contribution of sweep motions is related to the large-scale high-speed structures.     

Calculating downward longwave radiation under clear and cloudy conditions over a tropical lowland forest site: an evaluation of model schemes for hourly data

Field measurements of radiation fluxes—notably downwelling longwave radiation flux (LW flux)—are as yet rare or nonexistent outside a very select number of sites in the tropics. Data gaps can only be filled through the use of estimation schemes based on measurements of other meteorological variables, and there is a need for recommendations on best practice in this area. We selected 18 contrasting semi-empirical estimation schemes for downward longwave radiation, based on air emissivities, combined with six different sky cover estimation schemes and compared the expected longwave flux with hourly observations from a flux tower at Caxiuan? in Brazil. Of all schemes tested, the Dilley–Kimball emissivity scheme combined with Kasten and Czeplak’s sky cover scheme during the day and Dilley and O’Brien’s model B scheme at night proved to be the most reliable, yielding estimates of LW flux generally within 20?W/m² of measurements across all time points.     

A Numerical Study of Sea-Fog Formation over Cold Sea Surface Using a One-Dimensional Turbulence Model Coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model

The formation mechanism of a cold sea-fog case observed over the Yellow Sea near the western coastal area of the Korean Peninsula is investigated using numerical simulation with a one-dimensional turbulence model coupled with a three-dimensional regional model. The simulation was carried out using both Eulerian and Lagrangian approaches; both approaches produced sea fog in a manner consistent with observation. For the selected cold sea-fog case, the model results suggested the following: as warm and moist air flows over a cold sea surface, the lower part of the air column is modified by the turbulent exchange of heat and moisture and the diurnal variation in radiation. The modified boundary-layer structure represents a typical stable thermally internal boundary layer. Within the stable thermally internal boundary layer, the air temperature is decreased by radiative cooling and turbulent heat exchange but the moisture loss due to the downward vapour flux in the lowest part of the air column is compensated by moisture advection and therefore the dewpoint temperature does not decrease as rapidly as does the air temperature. Eventually water vapour saturation is achieved and the cold sea fog forms in the thermal internal boundary layer.     

An Intercomparison of Large-Eddy Simulations of the Stable Boundary Layer

Results are presented from the first intercomparison of large-eddy simulation (LES) models for the stable boundary layer (SBL), as part of the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment Atmospheric Boundary Layer Study initiative. A moderately stable case is used, based on Arctic observations. All models produce successful simulations, in as much as they generate resolved turbulence and reflect many of the results from local scaling theory and observations. Simulations performed at 1-m and 2-m resolution show only small changes in the mean profiles compared to coarser resolutions. Also, sensitivity to subgrid models for individual models highlights their importance in SBL simulation at moderate resolution (6.25 m). Stability functions are derived from the LES using typical mixing lengths used in numerical weather prediction (NWP) and climate models. The functions have smaller values than those used in NWP. There is also support for the use of K-profile similarity in parametrizations. Thus, the results provide improved understanding and motivate future developments of the parametrization of the SBL.     

利用TWP-ICE试验资料对比两种边界层参数化方案

利用高分辨率WRF单气柱模式,选取了两种边界层参数化方案(YSU,MYJ),对TWP-ICE(Tropical Warm Pool International Cloud Experiment)试验期间的个例进行数值模拟,比较了两种方案对边界层结构、云和降水模拟的影响。结果表明:季风活跃期,YSU方案模拟的湍流交换系数较小,湍流混合偏弱,边界层内热通量偏小,使地表热量和水汽不易向上输送,水汽含量在近地表明显偏多,而在边界层及其以上大气层具有显著的干偏差,因此该方案模拟的云中液态水和固态水含量偏低,云量偏少,降水率偏小;MYJ方案对于季风活跃期的边界层结构具有较好的模拟能力,其模拟的云和降水更为准确。季风抑制期,MYJ方案模拟的夜间边界层结构存在较大误差,这是因为该方案模拟的夜间湍流交换系数较大,湍流混合偏强,边界层内热通量偏大,模拟的位温和水汽混合比在边界层内随高度变化较小,而观测廓线在边界层内存在较大梯度。季风抑制期两种方案模拟的云和降水均比观测值偏多,方案之间的差异较小。     

A model of atmospheric boundary-layer flow above an isolated two-dimensional ‘hill’; an example of flow above ‘gentle topography’

A numerical model is developed for two-dimensional turbulent boundary-layer flow above gentle topography — defined as not giving rise to mean flow separation. Although the model is formulated in a framework of mixing length and turbulent energy equation models for the surface layer of the atmospheric boundary layer, it could be modified to include higher-order closure hypotheses and/or extended to model gentle topography for the planetary boundary layer or on the sea bed. Results are presented for flow above a specific shape of hill and the effects of surface roughness and hill height are investigated.