‘Application of a New Spectral Theory of Stably Stratified Turbulence to the Atmospheric Boundary Layer over Sea Ice’

A new spectral closure model of stably stratified turbulence is used to develop a K–ε model suitable for applications to the atmospheric boundary layer. This K–ε model utilizes vertical viscosity and diffusivity obtained from the spectral theory. In the ε equation, the Coriolis parameter-dependent formulation of the coefficient C ₁ suggested by Detering and Etling is generalized to include the dependence on the Brunt-Väisälä frequency, N. The new K–ε model is tested in simulations of the ABL over sea ice and compared with observations from BASE as simulated in large-eddy simulations by Kosovic and Curry, and observations from SHEBA.     

Effects Of Changing Surface Heat Flux On Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Flow Over Flat Terrain

We examine the unsteady response of a neutral atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) of depth h and friction velocity u _* when a uniform surface heat flux is applied abruptly or decreased rapidly over a time scale t<inf>θ</inf> less than about h /(10u _*). Standard Monin–Obukhov (MO) relationships are used for the perturbed eddy viscosity profile in terms of the changes to the heat flux and mean shear. Analytical solutions for changes in temperature, mean wind and shear stress profile are obtained for the surface layer, when there are small changes in h /|L_MO| over the time scale t_MO~|L _MO|/(10u_*) (where L _MO and t _MO are the length and time scales, respectively). They show that a maximum in the wind speed profile occurs at the top of the thermal boundary layer for weak surface cooling, i.e. a wind jet, whereas there is a flattening of the profile and no marked maximum for weak surface heating. The modelled profiles are approximately the same as those obtained from the U.K. Met Office Unified Model when operating as a mesoscale model at 12-km horizontal resolution. The theoretical model is modified when strong surface heating is suddenly applied, resulting in a large change in h /|L _MO| (>>1), over the time scale t _MO. The eddy structure is predicted to change significantly and the addition of convective turbulence increases the shear turbulence at the ground. A low-level wind jet can form, with convective turbulence adding to the mean momentum of the flow. This was verified by our laboratory experiment and direct numerical simulations. Additionally, it is shown that the effects of Coriolis acceleration diminish (rather than as suggested in the literature, amplify) the formation of the wind jets in the situations considered here. Hence, only when the surface heat flux changes over time scales greater than 1/f (where f is the Coriolis parameter) does the ABL adjust monotonically between its equilibrium states. These results are also applicable to the ABL passing over spatially varying surface heat fluxes.     

Determining the optimal soil temperature scheme for atmospheric modelling applications

The treatment of the land surface can have a significant impact on the performance of atmospheric models, influencing the surface energy balance and near surface atmospheric variables. In numerical weather prediction models it is especially important to reproduce the observed diurnal cycle in screen-level temperature, which requires an accurate representation of the surface temperature, and therefore an accurate and computationally efficient representation of soil heat storage and transfer. We present a technique for analysing the accuracy of numerical soil temperature schemes, and a methodology for choosing the optimal layer thicknesses for schemes with a given number of layers. Furthermore, the analysis suggests that first generation land surface schemes, which typically used a layer-average surface temperature, may be more accurate in this respect than the latest land surface schemes, which tend to use a skin surface temperature boundary condition.The British Crowns right to retain a non-exclusive royalty-free license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

亚——非季风区非绝热加热与夏季环流关系的诊断研究

基于热力适应理论,本文利用 ＮＣＥＰ／ ＮＣＡＲ再分析资料对撒哈拉沙漠、青藏高原和孟加拉湾地区的非绝热加热与夏季环流进行了诊断研究。在非洲撒哈拉沙漠地区,以感热输送为主的加热仅局限于近地面层,边界层以上的大气则以辐射冷却占优势。因而除了边界层内存在着浅薄的正涡度和微弱的上升运动以外,整个对流层几乎都维持负涡度并盛行下沉运动。对于青藏高原地区,强大的表面感热通量引起的垂直扩散是近地面大气加热的主要分量,与大尺度上升运动相关的凝结潜热对低层大气的加热也有一定的贡献。长波辐射造成的对流层中、上层大气的冷却则主要由深对流潜热释放来补偿。夏季高原地区总非绝热加热是正值,且最大加热率出现在边界层内。低空大气辐合产生正涡度,而中、高层大气辐散伴有较强的负涡度。因而高原盛行上升运动,最大上升运动位于近地面层。夏季孟加拉湾地区的深对流凝结潜热释放远大于长波辐的冷却作用,因而整个对流层几乎都保持较强的非绝热加热。４００ｈＰａ层附近的最大加热率引起３００－４００ｈＰａ最强的上升运动。对流层上层是负涡度区,而中、低层为正涡度区。结果还表明,垂直和水平辐散环流与大气的热源和热汇区密切相联：在高层,辐散气流从热源区流向热汇区;在低层则相     

On Monin–Obukhov Similarity In The Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Atmospheric measurements from several field experiments have been combined to develop a better understanding of the turbulence structure of the stable atmospheric boundary layer. Fast response wind velocity and temperature data have been recorded using 3-dimensional sonic anemometers, placed at severalheights (1 m to 4.3 m) above the ground. The measurements wereused to calculate the standard deviations of the three components of the windvelocity, temperature, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation andtemperature variance dissipation. These data were normalized and plottedaccording to Monin–Obukhov similarity theory. The non-dimensional turbulencestatistics have been computed, in part, to investigate the generalapplicability of the concept of z-less stratification for stable conditions. From the analysis of a data set covering almost five orders ofmagnitude in the stability parameter = z/L (from near-neutral tovery stable atmospheric stability), it was found that this concept does nothold in general. It was only for the non-dimensional standard deviation oftemperature and the average dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energythat z-less behaviour has been found. The other variables studied here(non-dimensional standard deviations of u, v, and w velocity components and dissipation of temperature variance) did not follow the concept of z-less stratification for the very stable atmospheric boundary layer. An imbalance between production and dissipation of TKE was found for the near-neutral limit approached from the stable regime, which matches with previous results for near-neutral stability approached from the unstable regime.     

Polar ionospheric responses to solar wind IMF changes

Auroral and airglow emissions over Eureka (89° CGM) during the 1997/98 winter show striking variations in relation to solar wind IMF changes. The period January 19 to 22, 1998, was chosen for detailed study, as the IMF was particularly strong and variable. During most of the period, B_z was northward and polar arcs were observed. Several overpasses by DMSP satellites during the four day period provided a clear picture of the particle precipitation producing the polar arcs. The spectral character of these events indicated excitation by electrons of average energy 300 to 500 eV. Only occasionally were electrons of average energy up to 1 keV observed and these appeared transitory from the ground optical data. It is noted that polar arcs appear after sudden changes in IMF B_y, suggesting IMF control over arc initiation. When B_y is positive there is arc motion from dawn to dusk, while B_y is negative the motion is consistently dusk to dawn. F-region (anti-sunward) convections were monitored through the period from 630.0 nm emissions. The convection speed was low (100/150 m/s) when B_z was northward but increased to 500 m/s after B_z turned southward on January 20.     

Studying air pollution with kitt peak solar flux atlas — analysis method and results of observation

For the measurement of atmospheric NO2 vertical column density (VCD), Kitt Peak Solar Flux Atlas can be substituted as an extraterrestrial solar radiation. Compared with differential analysis method, the Taylor expansion of integrated transfer equation underestimates the VCD. This underestimation is as large as 35% when the amount of NO2 is 1 × 1017 cm－2 and observation is conducted with an air mass factor of 10. Even when the VCD is 2 × 1016 cm－2 and the air mass factor is 4, the relative error of the retrieved VCD is still no less than 3%. If the observation is restricted under the small air mass factor condition (≤4), with Kitt Peak Solar spectrum as an extraterrestrial solar radiation, only an atmospheric layer of 2 km thick from ground can be studied, which will make the absorption too weak to be detected by normal instruments.The VCD in winter Tokyo area was observed and analyzed by differential method, which shows a good precision even when the absorption is as low as 3%. The largest average VCD was about 1.3 × 1017 cm－2, and the lowest was about 1.3 × 1016 cm－2. The trend of its variation was almost the same as the ground level observation by Saltzman reagent method.     

Global two dimensional chemistry model and simulation of atmospheric chemical composition

1.IntroductionAgreatchangehastakenplaceinglobalatmosphericchemicalcompositionbecauseofhumanactivitiessinceindustrialrevolution.Numericalsimulationisaneffectivetooltostudythechangeoftracegases.Inthelasttwentyyears,two--dimensionalchemical/transportmodelshavebeenextensivelydevelopedtosimulatethedistributionsoftracers(GidelandCrutzen,1983;Hough,1991;LawandPyle1993).Inordertopredictthefuturepossiblechangesofatmosphericspecies,itisnecessarytohaveabetterunderstandingofprocessessuchasemission,trans…     

Studying Air Pollution with Kitt Peak Solar Flux Atlas—Analysis Method and Results of Observation

l.Introducti0nTwoflightsoftheSAGEIIIinstrumentwereplanedbeinglaunchedinJune2O00byRussianMeteor-3Mandin2002byInternationalSpaceStation(ISS).Itisexpectedthattheywouldofferinformationofalmostglobalcoverage.Theseinstrumentswillutilizetheselfcal-ibratingsolaroccultationtechniquetomeasureprofilesofaerosoIextinctionfrom0to4Okm,ozonefrom6to85km,nitrogendioxidefroml0to5Okm,andwatervaporfrom0to5Okm,andutilizelunaroccultationobservati0nstomonitorthekeynighttimesPecies,nitrogentrioxidefrom22to55k…     

Annual and semiannual variations in the ionospheric F2-layer. I. Modelling

Annual, seasonal and semiannual variations of F2-layer electron density (NmF2) and height (hmF2) have been compared with the coupled thermosphere-ionosphere-plasmasphere computational model (CTIP), for geomagnetically quiet conditions. Compared with results from ionosonde data from midlatitudes, CTIP reproduces quite well many observed features of NmF2, such as the dominant winter maxima at high midlatitudes in longitude sectors near the magnetic poles, the equinox maxima in sectors remote from the magnetic poles and at lower latitudes generally, and the form of the month-to-month variations at latitudes between about 60°N and 50°S. CTIP also reproduces the seasonal behaviour of NmF2 at midnight and the summer-winter changes of hmF2. Some features of the F2-layer, not reproduced by the present version of CTIP, are attributed to processes not included in the modelling. Examples are the increased prevalence of the winter maxima of noon NmF2 at higher solar activity, which may be a consequence of the increase of F2-layer loss rate in summer by vibrationally excited molecular nitrogen, and the semiannual variation in hmF2, which may be due to tidal effects. An unexpected feature of the computed distributions of NmF2 is an east-west hemisphere difference, which seems to be linked to the geomagnetic field configuration. Physical discussion is reserved to the companion paper by Rishbeth et al.