Nomogram for the Height of the Daytime Mixed Layer

A method to construct a nomogram of the daytime mixed-layer-height evolution is presented. The nomogram will be specific for a given location and land surface type and is intended to be an easy tool to achieve a general understanding of mixed-layer behaviour. Also it is a pedagogical graphical one-pager that displays the bulk of data that controls the evolution of the mixed layer. Nomograms from northern, central and southern Europe are presented and discussed. Comparison with data from two sites shows good agreement although the nomograms overestimated the mixing height when it was low.     

Long-Term Mean Wind Profiles Based on Similarity Theory

We provide general forms for long-term mean wind profiles from similarity-based wind profiles, beginning with a probabilistic adaptation of Monin–Obukhov similarity theory. We develop an analytical formulation for the stability distributions prevailing in the atmospheric surface layer, which in turn facilitates the derivation of a long-term mean wind profile based on Monin–Obukhov similarity theory. The modelled stability distributions exhibit good agreement with measurements from sites having different local conditions. The long-term wind profile formulation is further extended to include the influence of the depth of the atmospheric boundary layer (h), which becomes relevant for heights above h/3, and the resultant long-term ‘tall’ profile form also matches observations.     

An applied model for the height of the daytime mixed layer and the entrainment zone

A model is presented for the height of the mixed layer and the depth of the entrainment zone under near-neutral and unstable atmospheric conditions. It is based on the zero-order mixed-layer height model of Batchvarova and Gryning (1991) and the parameterization of the entrainment zone depth proposed by Gryning and Batchvarova (1994). However, most zero-order slab type models of mixed-layer height may be applied. The use of the model requires only information on those meteorological parameters that are needed in operational applications of ordinary zero-order slab type models of mixed-layer height: friction velocity, kinematic heat flux near the ground and potential temperature gradient in the free atmosphere above the entrainment zone. When information is available on the horizontal divergence of the large-scale flow field, the model also takes into account the effect of subsidence, although this is usually neglected in operational models of mixed-layer height owing to lack of data. Model performance is tested using data from the CIRCE experiment.     

Energy Balance Of A Sparse Coniferous High-Latitude Forest Under Winter Conditions

Measurements carried out in Northern Finland on radiation and turbulent fluxes over a sparse, sub-arctic boreal forest with snow covered ground were analysed. The measurements represent late winter conditions characterised by low solar elevation angles. During the experiment (12–24 March 1997) day and night were about equally long. At low solar elevation angles the forest shades most of the snow surface. Therefore an important part of the radiation never reaches the snow surface but is absorbed by the forest. The sensible heat flux above the forest was fairly large, reaching more than 100 W m^-2. The measurements of sensible heat flux within and above the forest revealed that the sensible heat flux from the snow surface is negligible and the sensible heat flux above the forest stems from warming of the trees. A simple model for the surface energy balance of a sparse forest is presented. The model treats the diffuse and direct shortwave (solar) radiation separately. It introduces a factor that accounts for the shading of the ground at low solar elevation angles, and a parameter that deals with the partial transparency of the forest.Input to the model are the direct and diffuse incoming shortwave radiation.Measurements of the global radiation (direct plus diffuse incoming shortwaveradiation) above the forest revealed a considerable attenuation of the globalradiation at low solar elevation. A relation for the atmospheric turbidity asfunction of the solar elevation angle is suggested. The global radiation wassimulated for a three month period. For conditions with a cloud cover of lessthan 7 oktas good agreement between model predictions and measurementswere found. For cloud cover 7 and 8 oktas a considerable spread can beobserved. To apply the proposed energy balance model, the global radiationmust be separated into its diffuse and direct components. We propose a simpleempirical relationship between diffuse shortwave and global radiation asfunction of cloud cover.     

Marine Boundary Layer And Turbulent Fluxes Over The Baltic Sea: Measurements And Modelling

Two weeks of measurements of the boundary-layer height over a small island (Christiansø) in the Baltic Sea are discussed. The meteorological conditions are characterised by positive heat flux over the sea. The boundary-layer height was simulated with two models, a simple applied high-resolution (2 km × 2 km) model, and the operational numerical weather prediction model HIRLAM (grid resolution of 22.5 km × 22.5 km). For southwesterly winds it was foundthat a relatively large island (Bornholm) lying 20-km upwind of the measuring site influences the boundary-layer height. In this situation the high-resolution simple applied model reproduces the characteristics of the boundary-layer height over the measuring site. Richardson-number based methods using data from simulations with the HIRLAM model fail, most likely because the island and the water fetch to the measuring site are about the size of the grid resolution of the HIRLAM model and therefore poorly resolved. For northerly winds, the water fetch to the measuring site is about 100 km. Both models reproduce the characteristics of the height of the marine boundary layer. This suggests that the HIRLAM model adequately resolves a water fetch of 100 km with respect to predictions of the height of the marine boundary layer.     

Modelling Internal Boundary-Layer Development in a Region with a Complex Coastline

The purpose of this paper is to test the ability of two quite different models to simulate the combined spatial and temporal variability of the internal boundary layer in an area of complex terrain and coastline during one day. The simple applied slab model of Gryning and Batchvarova, and the Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modelling System (CSU-RAMS) are tested by comparison with data gathered during a field study (called Pacific '93) of photochemical pollution in the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada. The data utilised here are drawn from tethered balloon flights, free flying balloon ascents, and downlooking lidar operated from an aircraft flown at roughly 3500 m above sea level. Both models are found to represent the temporal and spatial development of the internal boundary-layer depth over the Lower Fraser Valley very well, and reproduce many of the finer details revealed by the measurements.     

Precipitation and evaporation budgets over the Baltic Proper: observations and modelling

Precipitation and evaporation budgets over the Baltic Sea were studied in a concerted project called PEP in BALTEX (Pilot study of Evaporation and Precipitation in the Baltic Sea), combining extensive field measurements and modelling efforts. Eddy-correlation-measurements of turbulent heat flux were made on a semi-continuous basis for a 12 month period at four well-exposed coastal sites in the Baltic Proper (the main basin of the Baltic Sea). Precipitation was measured at land-based sites with standard gauges and on four merchant ships travelling between Germany and Finland with the aid of specially designed ship rain gauges (SRGs). The evaporation and precipitation regime of the Baltic Sea was modelled for a 12 month period by applying a wide range of numerical models: the operational atmospheric High Resolution Limited Area Model (HIRLAM, Swedish and Finnish versions), the German atmospheric REgional-scale MOdel, REMO, the operational German Europe Model (only precipitation), the oceanographic model PROBE-Baltic, and two models that use interpolation of ground-based data, the Swedish MESAN model of SMHI and a German model of IFM-GEOMAR Kiel. Modelled precipitation was compared with SRG measurements on board the ships. A reasonable correlation was obtained, but the regional-scale models and MESAN gave some 20% higher precipitation over the sea than is measured. Bulk parameterisation schemes for evaporation were evaluated against measurements. A constant value of C_HN and C_EN with wind speed, underestimated large fluxes of both sensible and latent heat flux. The limited area models do not resolve the influence of the height of the marine boundary layer in coastal zones and the entrainment (on the surface fluxes), which may explain the observed low correlations between modelled and measured latent heat fluxes. Estimates of evaporation, E, and precipitation, P, for the entire Baltic Proper were made with several models for a 12 month period. While the annual variation was well represented by all predictions, there are still important differences in the annual means. Evaporation ranges from 509 to 625 mm year^-1 and precipitation between 624 and 805 mm year^-1 for this particular 12 month period. Taking the results of model verification from the present study into account, the best estimate of P-E is about 100 ± 50 mm for this particular 12 month period. But the annual mean of P-E varies considerably from year to year. This is reflected in simulations with the PROBE-Baltic model for an 18 year period, which gave 95 mm year^-1 for the 12 month period studied here and 32 mm year^-1 as an average for 18 years.     

Progress in understanding of land surface/atmosphere exchanges at high latitudes

Summary  This paper summarises some of the key results from two European field programmes, WINTEX and LAPP, undertaken in the Boreal/Arctic regions in 1996–98. Both programmes have illustrated the very important role that snow plays within these areas, not only in the determination of energy, water and carbon fluxes in the winter, but also in controlling the length of the summer active season, and hence the overall carbon budget. These studies make a considerable advance in our knowledge of the fluxes from snow-covered landscape and the interactions between snow and vegetation. Also some of the first measurements of greenhouse gas fluxes (carbon dioxide and methane) are reported for the European arctic and sub-arctic. The measurements show a considerable variability across the arctic, with very high instantaneous values from sub-arctic birch and fen areas and extremely low fluxes reported from the polar desert in the high arctic. The overall annual budgets are everywhere limited by the very short active season in these regions. The heat flux over a high latitude boreal forest during late winter was found to be high. At low solar angles the forest shades most of the snow surface, therefore an important part of the radiation never reaches the snow surface but is absorbed by the forest. This indicates that in areas with sparse vegetation and low solar angles, absorption of direct solar radiation is due to an apparent vegetation cover, which is much greater than the actual one. The first steps are taken in using these measurements to improve models, both point soil/vegetation/atmosphere transfer schemes and 3D meteorogical models. The results are encouraging; increasing the realism progressively improves the representation of the fluxes. A start is made in developing landscape, or catchment scale models. There seems to be some hope that comparatively simple relationships between evaporation and photosynthesis and leaf area may be sufficiently robust to allow the use of remotely sensed images to investigate the areally averaged exchanges. It is suspected that high latitude regions will experience considerable climatic and environmental change in the coming decades. A well found prediction of how these regions will respond requires a comprehensive knowledge of how vegetation will respond and how the changed vegetation will interact with the snow cover and the atmosphere. The studies from the LAPP and WINTEX programmes presented in this volume are an important contribution to this understanding and provide a useful foundation for future research. Received March 6, 2001     

Author Index

Authors Index

Author Index volume 103     

Mixing Height Over Water And Its Role On The Correlation Between Temperature And Humidity Fluctuations In The Unstable Surface Layer

Results from an experimental investigation of themixing height over inner Danish waters carriedout from September 1990 to October 1992, are discussed.The statistical analysis of the mixed-layer height (z_i)over the sea does not exhibit the dailyvariation that is characteristic of the mixed layerover land, but it is nearly constant over a24-hour cycle. During summer, the mixed layer ishigher than during winter. A second inversionwas often observed.A case study of the development of the mixed layerover the sea under near-neutral and unstableatmospheric conditions during six consecutivedays is presented. A zero-order mixed-layer heightmodel is applied. In addition to momentum and heatfluxes the effect of subsidence was found to be importantfor the evolution of the mixed layer over the sea. Themodelled evolution of z_i compared successfullywith measurements.We have investigated the influence of themixed-layer height on the correlation coefficient R_qTbetween temperature and humidity fluctuations usingthe values obtained with the model.We found that the evolution of R_qT follows theevolution of the mixing height. An empirical modellinking the surface values of R_qT to z_i and the Obukhov scaling length L has been suggested. The modelreproduces the experimental features.