On Integral Measures Of The Neutral Barotropic Planetary Boundary Layer

Two types of neutral planetary boundary layer (PBL) are distinguished:truly neutral – developed against a neutrally stratified free flow, and conventionally neutral – developed against a background stable stratification. Atmospheric PBLs treated asneutral are almost always conventionally neutral. Theoretical reasoning and results from large-eddy simulation (LES) show that A and B coefficients of the Rossby-number similarity theory are not constants. The same is true for thecoefficient C_h in the Rossby–Montgomery formula for the neutral boundary-layer depth h = C_hu*/|f|, where u_* is the friction velocity. Contrary to classical ideas, A, B and C_h depend on the ratio _N N/|f| of the free-flow Brunt–V*auml;isäl ä frequency N to the absolute value of the Coriolis parameter |f|. This new development can explain why atmospheric and LES estimates of A, B and C_h appear inconsistent. It results from neglecting the fact that atmospheric data for _N 10² were compared with LES data for _N = 0, violating an obvious requirement of similarity with respect to _N.