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The Effect of Gravity Wave Drag on Near-Surface Winds and Wind Profiles in the Nocturnal Boundary Layer over Land

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Abstract

During overnight cooling of the planetary boundary layer overland, near-surface wind speeds have been found to decrease approximately linearly with screen temperature. However numerical models incorporating only near-surface form drag or increased roughness length suggest that inertial oscillations in the stable layer limit the decrease in wind speed. A simple gravity-wave parametrization imposes a strong drag force that has been found to give reasonable quantitative agreement with surface observations and to agree qualitatively with vertical wind-profile changes measured on several evenings of observation. The vertical wind profiles clearly show the effect of an increasingly strong drag force in the lower atmospheric levels as the surface cools.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the help of staff members of the Meteorological Research Unit at Cardington in making the measurements and Mr S. Smart for operating the tethered balloon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Met. Office Research Unit, Field Site, Cardington Airfield, Shortstown, Bedford, MK42 0SY, UK

    A. Lapworth, B. M. Claxton & J. R. McGregor

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  1. A. Lapworth
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  2. B. M. Claxton
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  3. J. R. McGregor
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Correspondence to A. Lapworth.

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Lapworth, A., Claxton, B.M. & McGregor, J.R. The Effect of Gravity Wave Drag on Near-Surface Winds and Wind Profiles in the Nocturnal Boundary Layer over Land. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 156, 325–335 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-015-0026-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-015-0026-8

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