On the Possible Impact of a Following-Swell on the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

A simple model of the atmospheric boundary layer over the ocean where the swell impact on the atmosphere is explicitly accounted for is suggested. The model is based on Ekman’s equations, where the stress in the wave boundary layer is split into two parts: the turbulent and wave-induced stress. The turbulent stress is parameterized traditionally via the eddy viscosity proportional to the generalized mixing length. The wave-induced stress directed upward (from swell to the atmosphere) is parameterized using the formalism of the wind-over-waves coupling theory. The model can be seen as an extension of the model by Kudryavtsev and Makin (J Phys Oceanogr 34:934–949, 2004) to the scale of the entire atmospheric boundary layer by including the Coriolis force into the momentum conservation equation and generalizing the definition of the mixing length. The regime of low winds for swell propagating along the wind direction is studied. It is shown that the impact of swell on the atmosphere is governed mainly by the swell parameter—the coupling parameter that is the product of the swell steepness and the growth rate coefficient. When the coupling parameter drops below − 1 the impact of swell becomes significant and affects the entire atmospheric boundary layer. The turbulent stress is enhanced near the surface as compared to the no-swell case, and becomes negative above the height of the inner region. The wind profile is characterized by a positive gradient near the surface and a negative gradient above the height of the inner region forming a characteristic bump at the height of the inner region. Results of the model agree at least qualitatively with observations performed in the atmosphere in presence of swell.     

大气对流边界层发展的模拟研究

室内水槽模拟是大气边界层研究的一种重要手段。利用室内模拟水槽对大气边界层的发展进行了模拟,通过处理平均温度廓线和光斑图像得到了对流边界层顶部位置h2和边界层高度zi。结果表明,不同测量方法得到的结果一致性很好,与实际大气的边界层发展情况也较为接近。同时,根据试验情况确定初始条件和边界条件,使用边界层参数化模型进行了数值模拟,其结果与室内模拟的结果也较吻合。     

Fluid Modelling Of Atmospheric Dispersion In The Convective Boundary Layer

A laboratory convection tank has been established following thepioneering work of Willis and Deardorff, but with many improvements and enhancements thattake advantage of modern technology. The main emphasis in the current design was toprovide the ability to conduct a virtually unlimited number of realizations under essentiallyidentical conditions in order to obtain reliable statistics on the dispersion of plumes and puffsreleased within the simulated atmospheric convective boundary layer. Described herein is the tankitself and its auxiliary systems, including a laser-induced-fluorescence and video-imaging system for makingnon-intrusive, full-field measurements of concentrations, and the interfacing of varioussubsystems with a master controller that automates essentially all operation and measurement functions.The current system provides unprecedented resolution, control, and data volumes. Exampleresults are presented from two types of releases: continuous plumes and instantaneous puffs.These data sets clearly show penetration of the highly buoyant plumes and puffs into theinversion above the convective boundary layer, gravity spreading within the inversion, andrapid diffusion within the mixed layer. They also show extreme `spottiness' in the instantaneousconcentration cross-sections.     

Entrainment Processes in the Convective Boundary Layer with Varying Wind Shear

Large-eddy simulations (LES) are performed to investigate the entrainment andthe structure of the inversion layer of the convective boundary layer (CBL) withvarying wind shears. Three CBLs are generated with the constant surface kinematicheat flux of 0.05 K m s^-1 and varying geostrophic wind speeds from 5 to 15m s^-1. Heat flux profiles show that the maximum entrainment heat flux as afraction of the surface heat flux increases from 0.13 to 0.30 in magnitude withincreasing wind shear. The thickness of the entrainment layer, relative to the depthof the well-mixed layer, increases substantially from 0.36 to 0.73 with increasingwind shear. The identification of vortices and extensive flow visualizations nearthe entrainment layer show that concentrated vortices perpendicular to the meanboundary-layer wind direction are identified in the capping inversion layer for thecase of strong wind shear. These vortices are found to develop along the mean winddirections over strong updrafts, which are generated by convective rolls and to appearas large-scale wavy motions similar to billows generated by the Kelvin–Helmholtzinstability. Quadrant analysis of the heat flux shows that in the case of strong windshear, large fluctuations of temperature and vertical velocity generated by largeamplitude wavy motions result in greater heat flux at each quadrant than that inthe weak wind shear case.     

On Modelling the One-Dimensional Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Several commonly used turbulence closure schemes forthe atmospheric boundarylayer (ABL) are applied to simulate neutral, nocturnal and diurnal cyclesituations in a one-dimensional ABL. Results obtained with the differentschemes, E-, E- and its modified versions, and twoversions ofthe q ² Level 2.5, are compared and discussed.     

An Idealized Mean Wind Profile for the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

We test a flexible, idealized mean wind profile for the loweratmosphere that can easily be matched to whatever windobservations may be available. Its intended function is to providea `best guess' wind profile from limited observations, e.g., foruse in dispersion models, and to this end, following earlierauthors, we have matched a Monin–Obukhov layer to a baroclinic Ekman layer.To demonstrate the flexibility of the two-layer wind profile, weoptimize its free parameters to provide best interpolative fits toa sample of multi-level wind profiles. These include model windprofiles extracted from the Canadian Global EnvironmentalMulti-scale weather model (GEM), as well as experimental profilesfrom the Wangara experiment, and from an over-ocean dispersionexperiment (LROD). In most cases the two-layer profile fit issatisfactory.     

我国西部高原大气边界层中的对流活动

利用 1 998年第 2次青藏高原野外试验中的多普勒声雷达探测、低空探测观测以及卫星观测资料对高原大气边界层内的对流现象进行分析研究。声雷达探测到了高原边界层内有强烈的对流活动。这种对流泡中心的垂直速度可超过 1m/s,并存在尺度为 1个多小时的周期性 ,表现为中小尺度的有组织的湍流活动。高原边界层强对流得以发展和维持的物理机制是 :强辐射加热、复杂的地形地貌形成的下垫面不均一性造成边界层斜压性、边界层内的平流活动等 ,这些现象都有利于对流的发展。在这些条件的作用下 ,边界层内可以产生一系列有组织的强湍流大涡旋活动 ,这些大涡旋形成的热泡在向上发展的过程中有的能够发生合并 ,变得更大也更为猛烈 ,达到凝结高度以上可形成对流云 ,并发生充分的对流混合。成云过程凝结潜热释放更有利于对流运动进一步发展 ,使对流云逐步发展成更大的对流云团 ,从而产生卫星云图中显示的云团发展过程。     

大气边界层风速脉动的分形模拟

应用曲线分数维计算方法计算大气边界层实际风速观测资料的分数维值,并根据分形理论构造出一个理论模型来模拟真实的大气边界层风速时间序列。将模拟和真实数据的一些重要的统计特征,例如方差、风速概率分布、谱密度函数和自相关函数等,进行了比较,结果表明二者具有很好的一致性。     

Impact of Different Aerosols on the Evolution of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

The present work analyzes the effect of aerosols on the evolution of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over Shangdianzi in Beijing.A one-dimensional ABL model and a radiative transfer scheme are incorporated to develop the structure of the ABL.The diurnal variation of the atmospheric radiative budget,atmospheric heating rate,sensible and latent heat fluxes,surface and the 2 m air temperatures as well as the ABL height,and its perturbations due to the aerosols with different single-scattering albedo (SSA) are studied by comparing the aerosol-laden atmosphere to the clean atmosphere.The results show that the absorbing aerosols cause less reduction in surface evaporation relative to that by scatting aerosols,and both surface temperature and 2 m temperature decrease from the clean atmosphere to the aerosol-laden atmosphere.The greater the aerosol absorption,the more stable the surface layer.After 12:00 am,the 2 m temperature increases for strong absorption aerosols.In the meantime,there is a slight decrease in the 2 m temperature for purely scattering aerosols due to radiative cooling.The purely scattering aerosols decrease the ABL temperature and enhance the capping inversion,further reducing the ABL height.     

A Similarity Model for Maximum Ground-Level Concentration in a Freely Convective Atmospheric Boundary Layer

A model of buoyancy- and momentum-driven industrial plumes in a freely convective boundary layer is proposed. The development combines the Lagrangian similarity models of Yaglom for non-buoyant releases in the convective surface layer with the Scorer similarity model for industrial plumes. Constraints on the validity of the extension of Yaglom’s model to the entire convective planetary boundary layer, arrived at by consideration of Batchelor’s formulation for diffusion in an inertial subrange, are often met in practice. The resulting formulation applies to an interval of time in which the entrainment of the atmosphere by the plume is balanced by the entrainment of the plume by the atmosphere. It is argued that during this interval, both maximum plume rise and ground contact are achieved. Further examination of the physical interrelationship with the Csanady-Briggs formulation serves to consolidate the model hypotheses, as well as to simplify the derivation of maximum ground-level concentrations. Experimental evidence is presented for the validity of the model, based on Moore’s published data.     

大气边界层强风的阵性和相干结构

我国北方春季冷锋过境后,常骤发强风,甚至起沙扬尘,持续数小时甚至一二天,通过对边界层超声风温仪的资料分析,可知大风常叠加有周期为3～6 min的阵风,较有规律,且有明显的相干结构:阵风风速峰期有下沉运动,谷期有上升运动;阵风扰动以沿平均流的顺风方向分量为主,横向和垂直方向的分量都较小,其本质是低频次声波和重力波的混合;阵风沿顺风向且向下传播.周期小于1 min的脉动在水平面上基本是各向同性的不规则的湍涡.大风期间,无论是平均流、阵风和湍流脉动,至少在120 m高度以下,主要都有西风和北风动量下传,感热上传.平均流的动量下传强于由脉动下传的量,与一般天气情况不同,而且阵风与湍流的动量下传的量值差不多.平均流和阵风在动量传送上起相当大的作用.     

Impacts of Aerosol Shortwave Radiation Absorption on the Dynamics of an Idealized Convective Atmospheric Boundary Layer

We investigated the impact of aerosol heat absorption on convective atmospheric boundary-layer (CBL) dynamics. Numerical experiments using a large-eddy simulation model enabled us to study the changes in the structure of a dry and shearless CBL in depth-equilibrium for different vertical profiles of aerosol heating rates. Our results indicated that aerosol heat absorption decreased the depth of the CBL due to a combination of factors: (i) surface shadowing, reducing the sensible heat flux at the surface and, (ii) the development of a deeper inversion layer, stabilizing the upper CBL depending on the vertical aerosol distribution. Steady-state analytical solutions for CBL depth and potential temperature jump, derived using zero-order mixed-layer theory, agreed well with the large-eddy simulations. An analysis of the entrainment zone heat budget showed that, although the entrainment flux was controlled by the reduction in surface flux, the entrainment zone became deeper and less stably stratified. Therefore, the vertical profile of the aerosol heating rate promoted changes in both the structure and evolution of the CBL. More specifically, when absorbing aerosols were present only at the top of the CBL, we found that stratification at lower levels was the mechanism responsible for a reduction in the vertical velocity and a steeper decay of the turbulent kinetic energy throughout the CBL. The increase in the depth of the inversion layer also modified the potential temperature variance. When aerosols were present we observed that the potential temperature variance became significant already around $0.7z_i$ (where $z_i$ is the CBL height) but less intense at the entrainment zone due to the smoother potential temperature vertical gradient.     

基于探空风资料的大气边界层不同高度风速变化研究

利用1981—2014年我国资料齐全的93个高空气象观测站(距离雷达300、600、900 m高度)的探空风资料,按照气象地理区划,借助GIS分析了边界层内不同高度风速及其趋势的时空变化,得到以下结论:300～900 m,东北和华北地区累年平均风速较大,西南和西北地区累年平均风速较小;边界层内各高度同一地区平均风速的月变化趋势基本一致,但各地区季节风速变化不同,同一地区月平均风速的年较差随高度上升而增大;300 m.各地区年平均风速均显著减小:在600和900 m.华北、西北、华中地区年平均风速呈增加趋势,东北地区年平均风速呈减小趋势,但均未通过显著性水平检验;各高度年平均风速空间分布均为东北地区较大,尤其大兴安岭和东北平原地带;从沿海到内陆,由东至西风速逐渐减小;在300 m.全国年平均风速以减小趋势为主;在600 m,全国大部分地区年平均风速呈增加趋势,尤其是中部、西北和华东沿海地区;在900 m高度,全国年平均风速变化趋势呈现由边界向内部的包围态势,中心地区呈增加趋势,边界地区均呈减小趋势,但是通过显著性水平检验的地区不多。     

一维大气边界层二阶闭合的有限元数值模式 I. 对流边界层模拟

利用有限元法用于二阶湍流闭合大气对流边界层模式,并模拟了Wangara试验33天的对流边界层的发展过程,计算结果表明,该模式能真实的模拟出对流边界层的发展过程,并且准确地反映对流边界层中湍流扩散和输送过程。     

Subfilter-Scale Modelling Using Transport Equations: Large-Eddy Simulation of the Moderately Convective Atmospheric Boundary Layer

We perform large-eddy simulation (LES) of a moderately convective atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) using a prognostic subfilter-scale (SFS) model obtained by truncating the full conservation equations for the SFS stresses and fluxes. The truncated conservation equations contain production mechanisms that are absent in eddy-diffusivity closures and, thus, have the potential to better parametrize the SFS stresses and fluxes. To study the performance of the conservation-equation-based SFS closure, we compare LES results from the surface layer with observations from the Horizontal Array Turbulence Study (HATS) experiment. For comparison, we also show LES results obtained using an eddy-diffusivity closure. Following past studies, we plot various statistics versus the non-dimensional parameter, Λ _w /Δ, where Λ _w is the wavelength corresponding to the peak in the vertical velocity spectrum and Δ is the filter width. The LES runs are designed using different domain sizes, filter widths and surface fluxes, in order to replicate partly the conditions in the HATS experiment. Our results show that statistics from the different LES runs collapse reasonably and exhibit clear trends when plotted against Λ _w /Δ. The trends exhibited by the production terms in the modelled SFS conservation equations are qualitatively similar to those seen in the HATS data with the exception of SFS buoyant production, which is underpredicted. The dominant production terms in the modelled SFS stress and flux budgets obtained from LES are found to approach asymptotically constant values at low Λ _w /Δ. For the SFS stress budgets, we show that several of these asymptotes are in good agreement with their corresponding theoretical values in the limit Λ _w /Δ → 0. The modelled SFS conservation equations yield trends in the mean values and fluctuations of the SFS stresses and fluxes that agree better with the HATS data than do those obtained using an eddy-diffusivity closure. They, however, underpredict considerably the level of SFS anisotropy near the wall when compared to observations, which could be a consequence of the shortcomings in the model used for the pressure destruction terms. Finally, we address the computational cost incurred due to the use of additional prognostic equations.     

A Simple Model for the Vertical Transport of Reactive Species in the Convective Atmospheric Boundary Layer

We have developed a simple, steady-state, one-dimensional second-order closure model to obtain continuous profiles of turbulent fluxes and mean concentrations of non-conserved scalars in a convective boundary layer without shear. As a basic tool we first set up a model for conserved species with standard parameterizations. This leads to formulations for profiles of the turbulent diffusivity and the ratio of temperature-scalar covariance to the flux of the passive scalar. The model is then extended to solving, in terms of profiles of mean concentrations and fluxes, the NO _x –O₃ triad problem. The chemical reactions involve one first-order reaction, the destruction of NO₂ with decay time τ, and one second-order reaction, the destruction of NO and O₃ with the reaction constant k. Since the fluxes of the sum concentrations of NO _x = NO + NO₂ and O₃ + NO₂ turn out to be constant throughout the boundary layer, the problem reduces to solving two differential equations for the concentration and the flux of NO₂. The boundary conditions are the three surface fluxes and the fluxes at the top of the boundary layer, the last obtained from the entrainment velocity, and the concentration differences between the free troposphere and the top of the boundary layer. The equations are solved in a dimensionless form by using 1/(kτ) as the concentration unit, the depth h of the boundary layer as the length unit, the convective velocity scale w _* as the velocity unit, and the surface temperature flux divided by w _* as the temperature unit. Special care has been devoted to the inclusion of the scalar–scalar covariance between the concentrations of O₃ and NO. Sample calculations show that the fluxes of the reactive species deviate significantly from those of non-reactive species. Further, the diffusivities, defined by minus the flux divided by the concentration gradient may become negative for reactive species in contrast to those of non-reactive species, which in the present model are never negative.     

Equilibrium Evaporation and the Convective Boundary Layer

A theory is developed for surface energy exchanges in well-mixed, partlyopen systems, embracing fully open and fully closed systems as limits.Conservation equations for entropy and water vapour are converted intoan exact rate equation for the potential saturation deficit D in a well-mixed, partly open region. The main contributions to changes in D arise from (1) the flux of D at the surface, dependent on a conductance g_q that is a weighted sum of the bulk aerodynamic and surface conductances; and (2) the exchange flux of D with the external environment by entrainment or advection, dependent on a conductance g_e that is identifiable with the entrainment velocity when the partly open region is a growing convective boundary layer (CBL). The system is fully open when g_e/g_q , and fully closed when g_e/g_q 0. The equations determine the steady state surface energy balance (SEB) in a partly open system, the associated steady-state deficit, and the settling time scale needed to reach the steady state. The general result for the steady-state SEB corresponds to the equations of conventional combination theory for the SEB of a vegetated surface, with the surface-layer deficit replaced by the external deficit and with g_q replaced by the series sum (g_q ^-1 + g_e ^-1)^-1. In the fully open limit D is entirely externally prescribed, while in the fully closed limit, D is internally determined and the SEB approaches thermodynamic equilibrium energy partition. In the case of the CBL, the conductances g_q and g_e are themselves functions of D through short-term feedbacks, induced by entrainment in the case of g_e and by both physiological and aerodynamic (thermal stability) processes in the case of g_q. The effects of these feedbacks are evaluated. It is found that a steady-state CBL is physically achievable only over surfaces with at least moderate moisture availability; that entrainment has a significant accelerating effect on equilibration; that the settling time scale is well approximated by h/(g_q + g_e), where h is the CBL depth; and that this scale is short enough to allow a steady state to evolve within a semi-diurnal time scale only when h is around 500 m or less.     

济南章丘大气边界层风温场特征研究

基于章丘气象站2004—2009年实测资料,研究了当地大气边界层风向、风速、气温的时空分布特征,并利用SPSS 17.0数据统计软件的曲线参数估计法,探讨了符合章丘实际的风速随高度变化的拟合曲线及其数学函数关系。结果显示:研究地区大气边界层盛行风向为SSW,且呈现随高度增加沿顺时针方向偏转的特征;风速变化特征在10—300 m和350—1500 m不同高度层存在显著差异,春、夏、秋季和年平均风速随高度变化的指数曲线拟合结果总体好于幂函数曲线,而冬季则相反;气温变化特征四季基本一致,近地面层存在逆温现象,冬季逆温日数最多;逆温强度冬半年的大于夏半年的。