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General Characteristics of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

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Fundamental Principles of Environmental Physics

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Abstract

This chapter includes a general characterization of the atmospheric boundary layer with an analysis of micro, macro, and synoptic atmospheric scales in the troposphere. The dimensional scales and frequencies of average flow, turbulence, and atmospheric waves are discussed in relation to the transport of scalar and vector variables. The conditions of atmospheric stability and instability, associated with the vertical adiabatic gradient of actual and potential temperatures with daily variation of the structure of the atmospheric boundary layer, were evaluated. The dynamics of atmospheric boundary layers, top inversion, mixed layer, and surface layers along with subsidence and divergency play a significant role as discussed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UTI, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Oeiras, Portugal

    Abel Rodrigues

  2. Carnaxide, Portugal

    Raul Albuquerque Sardinha

  3. IST—Mechanical Engineering, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Gabriel Pita

Authors
  1. Abel Rodrigues
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  2. Raul Albuquerque Sardinha
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  3. Gabriel Pita
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abel Rodrigues .

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Rodrigues, A., Sardinha, R.A., Pita, G. (2021). General Characteristics of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer. In: Fundamental Principles of Environmental Physics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69025-0_1

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