Boundary-Layer Meteorology

, Volume 22, Issue 1, pp 21–48 | Cite as

Observations in the nocturnal boundary layer

  • J. R. Garratt
Article
Revised:

Abstract

Low-latitude observations of the stably-stratified planetary boundary layer (SBL) above rough terrain are compared to observations of the mid-latitude SBL mainly through the depth h and its dependence upon surface fluxes. This involves the quantity h/L and the similarity prediction h = γ(u*L/f)1/2.

Mid-latitude observations are consistent with model calculations for nighttime-averaged quantities and their deviations, as functions of latitude and surface roughness, from the equilibrium values found at large t. The above applies to horizontally-homogeneous terrain.

Low-latitude observations of % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGafq4SdCMbae% baaaa!37AB!\[\bar \gamma \] and h/L are significantly smaller than mid-latitude values, apparently the result of katabatic flows at the site and not the differences in latitude. This is consistent with model calculations for non-zero slope terrain.

Keywords

Boundary Layer Surface Roughness Model Calculation Planetary Boundary Layer Surface Flux 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© D. Reidel Publishing Co 1982

Authors and Affiliations

  • J. R. Garratt
    • 1
  1. 1.National Center for Atmospheric ResearchBoulderUSA

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