Dr. Haroldo Fraga de Campos Velho-March 12

Transition boundary layer modeling: decay and growth of convective boundary layer

Turbulent flow is challenging for modelers. In atmospheric boundary layers, two mechanisms

are coupled in producing the turbulence: thermodynamic forcing and wind shear. Different thermodynamic conditions imply different types of boundary layer. On the sunny days, with heat transfer from the surface to the atmosphere, a convective boundary layer is found. During nocturnal period, the atmosphere is warmer than the surface, establishing conditions to the development of stable boundary layer. The Taylor’s statistical theory of turbulence will be presented and applied for the parameterization for all stability conditions in the atmospheric boundary layer. The Taylor’s theory will be also employed for two transition boundary layer regimes: the decay and growth of convective boundary layer. A comparison with applied parameterization and results obtained from large eddy simulations will be shown.