Katabatic winds are very frequent but poorly understood or simulated over steep slopes. This study focuses on a katabatic jet above a steep alpine slope. We assess the buoyancy terms in both the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) and the Reynolds shear-stress budget equations. We specifically focus on the contribution of the slope-normal and along-slope turbulent sensible heat fluxes to these terms. Four

An experimental field campaign is designed to unveil mechanisms responsible for turbulent exchange processes when mechanical and thermal effects are entwined. The focus is an urban street canyon with a mean aspect ratio H/W of 1.65 in the business centre of a mid-size Italian city (H is the mean building height and W is the mean canyon width). The exchange processes can be characterized by time scales

The precise determination of evapotranspiration rate is challenging because it is a quantity that is difficult to measure and to parametrize. Direct estimates include the determination of the change of mass of a volume of soil and vegetation that evapotranspirates using lysimeters, or direct measurements of turbulent water vapour fluxes by eddy-covariance systems. Parametrized estimates that make use

We review the efforts made by the scientific community in more than seventy years to elucidate the behaviour of concentration fluctuations arising from localized atmospheric releases of dynamically passive and non-reactive scalars. Concentration fluctuations are relevant in many fields including the evaluation of toxicity, flammability, and odour nuisance. Characterizing concentration fluctuations

The \(\hbox {CO}_2\) flux from spume droplets occurs in two steps. First, the initial droplet–air gas concentration gradient \(\nabla C\) is immediately removed with no change in the droplet solubility. Then, the solubility changes with droplet temperature T and radius r evolution, but the flux maintains the condition \(\nabla C=0\). The gas content of a droplet can be determined by \(\nabla C=0\)

Mesoscale-to-microscale coupling (MMC) aims to address the limited scope of traditional large-eddy simulations by driving the microscale flow with information concerning large-scale weather patterns provided by mesoscale models. We present a new offline MMC technique for horizontally homogeneous microscale flow conditions, in which internal forcing terms are computed based on mesoscale time–height

Surface turbulent fluxes provide a key boundary condition for the prediction of weather, hydrology, and atmospheric carbon dioxide. The turbulence cospectrum is assumed to typically follow a −7/3 power-law scaling, which is used for the high-frequency spectral correction of eddy-covariance data. The derivation of this scaling is mostly grounded on dimensional analysis. The dimensional analysis or cospectral

Atmospheric boundary-layer dynamics over heterogeneous surfaces is significant to a wide array of geophysical and engineering applications. Yet, despite over five decades of intense efforts by the research community, numerous open research questions remain. This underlines the complexity of the physical processes that are excited by heterogeneity, the multitude of patterns and manifestations that it

The stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer (SBL) has been found in previous studies to display distinct regimes of behaviour. In particular, a contrast is often drawn between the weakly (wSBL) and very (vSBL) stable boundary layers. Time series of SBL regime affiliation obtained from hidden Markov model analyses of data from three different towers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory are used

An overview is given of 50-year Cabauw observations and research on the structure and dynamics of the atmospheric boundary layer. It is shown that over time this research site with its 200-m meteorological tower has grown into an atmospheric observatory with a comprehensive observational program encompassing almost all aspects of the atmospheric column including its boundary conditions. This is accomplished

Two well-developed sea-breeze cases in the La Plata River region, selected from a 5-month summer period, are studied using local observations, satellite images, and hydrostatic boundary-layer model simulations. Both the northern and southern coast cases are characterized by offshore regional flow that help develop stronger sea breezes due to enhanced horizontal convergence by the opposing flow. The

Physical processes represented by the Monin–Obukhov bulk formula for momentum are investigated with field observations. We discuss important differences between turbulent mixing by the most energetic non-local, large, coherent turbulence eddies and local turbulent mixing as traditionally represented by K-theory (analog to molecular diffusion), especially in consideration of developing surface-layer

A sonic anemometer is employed to investigate turbulent statistical characteristics and meteorological properties associated with a local windstorm known as the Vento Norte (Portuguese for north wind), which is observed in central Rio Grande do Sul state situated in southern Brazil. The Vento Norte consists of persistent and warm northerly gusts of moderate to strong magnitude that occur just downstream

In polar regions, where the boundary layer is often stably stratified, atmospheric models produce large biases depending on the boundary-layer parametrizations and the parametrization of the exchange of energy at the surface. This model intercomparison focuses on the very stable stratification encountered over the Antarctic Plateau in 2009. Here, we analyze results from 10 large-eddy-simulation (LES)

In the original publication, Figures 1 and 2 are subject to Crown Copyright.

During nocturnal cooling over land, the 10-m wind speed falls to very low values in many parts of the world while the absolute sensible heat flux increases initially after sunset but reaches a maximum before decreasing later in the night. In contrast, a one-dimensional numerical model predicts that the nocturnal wind speed is constant after an initial reduction at the evening transition. The difference

Boundary-layer schemes are essential components of numerical weather-forecasting and climate models. From simple beginnings 50 years ago, they have grown in sophistication and detail. Here, we review development and discuss the key processes to be represented and how they have most commonly been parametrized. We conclude by discussing the challenges posed by ever-increasing model resolution and a growing

Large-eddy simulation (LES) experiments have been performed using the Parallelized LES Model (PALM). A methodology for validating and understanding LES results for plume dispersion and concentration fluctuations in an atmospheric-like flow is presented. A wide range of grid resolutions is shown to be necessary for investigating the convergence of statistical characteristics of velocity and scalar fields

A simple analytical model is developed for the flow downwind of a step change of the aerodynamic roughness length in the atmospheric boundary layer. The region downwind of the roughness transition is assumed to be composed of two equilibrium layers, corresponding to the downwind and upwind conditions, and separated by a third, transition, layer. The key assumption in deriving the model is that the

The problem of realizability of the second-order turbulence closure models (parametrization schemes) is addressed through the consideration of the so-called “stability functions”. The emphasis is on the turbulence kinetic energy–scalar variance (TKESV) closure scheme that carries prognostic transport equations for the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) and for the variances and covariance of two quasi-conservative

On the Greenland ice sheet, the sensible heat flux is the second largest source of energy for surface melt. Yet in atmospheric models, the surface turbulent heat fluxes are always indirectly estimated using a bulk turbulence parametrization, which needs to be constrained by long-term and continuous observations. Unfortunately, such observations are challenging to obtain in remote polar environments

The literature includes a wide variety of definitions or perceptions of non-stationarity. Non-stationarity can be expressed in terms of turbulence statistics or variability of the forcing of the turbulence such as time changes of the wind vector, the horizontal pressure gradient, or the surface heat flux. Our survey emphasizes the development of non-equilibrium turbulence caused by non-stationary forcing

A recently developed explicit algebraic Reynolds-stress (EARS) model is validated for an idealized representation of the night-time high-latitude stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer. The simulations are made with four surface cooling rates that result in weakly to moderately stratified stable boundary layers. The predictions of the EARS model are compared to high-resolution large-eddy simulations

In the first half of the twentieth century the measurement of rates of exchange of momentum, heat, and especially water between the terrestrial surface and the atmosphere was an elusive challenge. A wide variety of methods evolved, ranging from reliance on drag plates, evaporation pans, and weighed lysimeters to a variety of methods based on measurement of vertical gradients in the air. None of these

Quantitative knowledge of the surface energy balance is essential for the prediction of weather and climate. However, a multitude of studies from around the world indicate that the turbulent heat fluxes are generally underestimated using eddy-covariance measurements, and hence, the energy balance is not closed. This energy-balance-closure problem, which has been heavily covered in the literature for

We apply well-established flux–gradient relationships to deduce the aerodynamic and radiative properties of a winter wheat crop, using a neglected 1971 dataset (hourly averages), only recently resurrected as part of a historical review of precision CO2 measurements in Australia (Pearman et al. in Hist Rec Aust Sci 28:111–125, 2017). The aerodynamic roughness length (seasonal variation between 0.07

A computational steady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes model is developed for a neutrally-stratified unidirectional flow in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over generic two-dimensional cosine-shaped hills. Simulations are performed for a hill of a constant height and three different hill slopes. The hill surface is treated as smooth and aerodynamically rough. Atmospheric-boundary-layer inflow

We use large-eddy simulations with an immersed boundary method to study the performance of wind turbines and wind farms in hilly terrain. First, we analyze the performance of wind turbines in the vicinity of a two-dimensional hill. For turbines that are significantly taller than the hill, the performance improves as the flow speeds up over the hill. For turbines that have approximately the same or

All notation is as defined in the original article.

A synthetic-turbulence and temperature-fluctuation-generation method is developed and embedded in large-eddy simulations to investigate the effects of weak stable stratification (i.e. Richardson number \(Ri\le 1\)) on turbulence and dispersion following a simulated rural-to-urban transition. The modelling approach is validated by comparing predictions of mean velocity, turbulent stresses, and point-source

There are two models for the surface layer in the convective boundary layer (CBL). First is the standard Monin–Obukhov similarity theory, and second is the McNaughton–Laubach model (Laubach and McNaughton 2009, Boundary-Layer Meteorology 133:219–252; hereafter MNL model) developed based on the complex dynamical system approach to address characteristics of the unstable surface layer. The fundamental

We study the convective boundary layer (CBL) through low-order topological properties of updrafts and downdrafts, that is, based solely on the sign of the vertical velocity. The geometric representation of the CBL as a pair of two-dimensional cubical complexes, one each for updrafts and downdrafts, is exemplarily obtained from two simulations of the CBL, a realistic daily cycle and an idealized quasi-steady

A comparison between the spectral microphysics cloud scheme (MiStra) and the parametrized cloud scheme (PaStra) is presented. The main feature of MiStra consists of the treatment of aerosol particles, cloud droplets, and drizzle particles in a joint two-dimensional particle size distribution, whereas PaStra consists of a two-moment scheme for cloud droplets combined with a one-moment scheme for drizzle

The genesis and evolution of a sea-breeze front associated with a shallow convection episode at Fuerteventura Island (Canaries archipelago) are investigated using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) numerical model. Three local and two non-local planetary boundary layer (PBL) parametrization schemes are used, and results of the numerical simulations are compared with observations from the local

Large-eddy simulations are widely used to study flows in the atmospheric boundary layer. As atmospheric boundary-layer flows of different atmospheric stratification have very different flow characteristics on different length scales, well-resolved simulations of these flows require very different meshes. The Parallelized Large-Eddy Simulation Model combined with a realizable dynamic subgrid model is

Recent research indicates that non-orthogonal sonic anemometers underestimate vertical wind velocity and consequently eddy-covariance fluxes of mass and energy. Whether this is a general problem among all non-orthogonal sonic anemometers, including those calibrated for flow-shadowing effects, is unknown. To investigate this, we test two sonic anemometer designs, orthogonal (3Vx-probe, Applied Technologies

Widespread and persistent summer multi-day episodes of dense wildfire smoke affected western Canada in 2017 and 2018. These events often occurred under otherwise clear-sky, anticyclonic weather conditions and can have significant impacts on surface temperatures, air quality, and surface radiation and energy budgets. Based on upward-pointing lidar observations, vertical temperature soundings and numerical

A method is proposed to estimate the threshold wind speed for dust emissions as a function of soil moisture in arid regions. This method, which is applicable at the local scale, employs a model of the surface heat budget to estimate the spatial distribution of thermal inertia-derived soil moisture (TISM) and an analytical footprint model to estimate dust source areas. It incorporates readily available

The present laboratory study is focused on the role of convective rolls in the enhancement of the heat flux from the sea and triggering of the process of rapid intensification of tropical cyclones. The appearance of coherent convective structures such as thermals and rolls is registered by different optical techniques and temperature measurements. Two-dimensional velocity fields are used for the investigation

A semi-empirical approach based on surface-renewal theory for estimating the friction velocity is tested for measurements taken in the inertial sublayer. For unstable cases, the input requirements are the mean wind speed and the high-frequency trace (10 or 20 Hz) of the air or sonic temperature. The method has been extended to traces of water vapour (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. For

A number of studies have indicated that non-stationarity of the wind field over the sea significantly disrupts the equilibrium between the wind, stress, and wave fields. However, no studies have systematically examined the impact of non-stationarity using a large dataset. Here, we examine the effect of non-stationarity of the wind field on the stress by analyzing six years of turbulent flux data from

A central-moments-based lattice Boltzmann model for large-eddy simulation of neutrally-stratified turbulent flows is described. Through comparative simulations of the airflow within and above a homogeneous plant canopy, the performance of the model is evaluated with respect to a conventional large-eddy-simulation model based on the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Simulated turbulence statistics

The atmospheric boundary layer undergoes transitions between stable and convective states. Over land, in undisturbed conditions, these transitions occur daily in the morning and late afternoon or early evening. Though less well studied and presenting more challenges than the fully stable and fully convective states, such transitions have been the subject of growing interest over the last few decades

Eddy-covariance fluxes serve as an essential benchmark for Earth system models and remote sensing data. However, two challenges prevent model-data intercomparisons from fully utilizing eddy-covariance fluxes. The first challenge stems from the differing and variable spatial representativeness of the eddy-covariance measurements, or footprint bias and transience. The second originates from the phenomenon

The scalar front generated by the horizontal self advection of a dipolar vortex through a modest scalar gradient is investigated. This physical scenario is an idealization of the emergence of strong temperature ramps in the stable atmospheric boundary layer. The proposed mechanism is discussed and a two-dimensional analogy is studied in depth using direct numerical simulation. More specifically, the

We investigate the temporal evolution of the planetary boundary-layer (PBL) height over the basin of Athens, Greece, during a 6-year period (2011–2016), using data from a Raman lidar system. The range-corrected lidar signals are selected around local noon (1200 UTC) and midnight (0000 UTC), for a total of 332 cases: 165 days and 167 nights. In this dataset, the extended-Kalman filtering technique is

Knowledge of the effects of small-scale fluctuations in temperature on light transmission in the atmosphere is necessary for the calibration of remote sensing instruments as well as for the understanding of turbulent heat transport in the atmospheric boundary layer. Recent developments in small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) have allowed for direct, spatial in situ estimation of temperature in the

While the increasing availability of computational power is enabling finer grid resolutions in numerical-weather-prediction models, representing land–atmosphere exchange processes remains challenging. This partially results from the fact that land-surface heterogeneity exists at all spatial scales, and its variability does not necessarily ‘average’ out with decreasing size. The work presented here

A comprehensive investigation is carried out to establish best practice guidelines for the modelling of statistically steady-state non-neutral urban boundary layers (UBL) using large-eddy simulation (LES). These steady-state simulations enable targeted studies under realistic non-neutral conditions without the complications associated with the inherently transient nature of the UBL. An extensive set

Cold-air outbreaks (CAO) lead to intense air–sea interactions, the appropriate representation of which are fundamental for climate modelling and numerical weather forecasting. We analyze a CAO event with low-level wind speeds of approximately 25 m s\(^{-1}\) observed in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. The marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) was sampled with an aircraft equipped for turbulence

The growth of the daytime convective atmospheric boundary layer, which plays a pivotal role in the vertical mixing and dispersal of water vapour and pollutants, is modulated by cloud radiative effects. Assessment of this cloud effect is sparse in any geographical region and non-existent over tropical coastal regions. We investigate the effect of clouds on the diurnal evolution of boundary-layer height

We assess the performance of turbulence closures of varying degrees of sophistication in the prediction of the mean flow and the thermal fields in a neutrally-stratified Ekman layer. The Reynolds stresses that appear in the Reynolds-averaged momentum equations are determined using both eddy-viscosity and complete differential Reynolds-stress-transport closures. The results unexpectedly show that the

Abstract Field experiments were undertaken in the summer of 2015 in Manchester, UK, to investigate the dispersion behaviour and infiltration into buildings of gas-phase pollutants over horizontal distances of 1–5 km. Inert cyclic perfluorocarbon tracers were released for 15 min at either one or three release points and samples taken in locations indoors and outdoors up to 2 km downwind. Background

Abstract High-frequency measurements are available at five heights within and above a row-gap trellised vineyard located on a 7\(^{\circ }\) slope in the Southern Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. During a 3-week campaign in July 2016, approximately 17% of the nocturnal conditions exhibit drainage flow along the local slope. Drainage conditions are characterized by temperature inversions beginning

Abstract Four cases of an overlying inversion imposed on a stable boundary layer are investigated, extending the earlier work of Hancock and Hayden (Boundary-Layer Meteorol 168:29–57, 2018), where no inversion was imposed. The inversion is imposed to one or other of two depths within the layer: midway or deep. Four cases of changed surface condition are also investigated, and it is seen that the surface

Abstract The Hong Kong Observatory conducted six flights in the atmospheric boundary layer of five tropical cyclones: tropical storm Jebi (1309), typhoon Kalmaegi (1415), severe tropical storm Linfa (1510), typhoon Mujigae (1522), and severe typhoon Nida (1604). Three-dimensional wind data with a 20-Hz sampling rate are available for a height range of 500–670 m, with the mean wind speed from these

Abstract We investigate the flow characteristics around step-up street canyons with various building aspect ratios (ratio of along-canyon building length to street-canyon width, and upwind building height to downwind building height) using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. Simulated results are validated against experimental wind-tunnel results, with the CFD simulations conducted under the

Abstract We propose a new phenomenological model to represent the impact of wind-waves on the dissipation of turbulence kinetic energy near the sea surface. In this model, the momentum flux at a given height results from the averaged contribution of eddies attached to the sea surface whose sizes are related to the surface geometry. This yields a coupling between long wind-waves and turbulence at heights

Abstract Two-wavelength scintillometer systems can provide much needed measurements of area-averaged sensible and latent heat fluxes. However, these devices rarely have been deployed on canopy-covered complex terrain, and never in the circumpolar boreal biome, where large-scale fluxes are essential to hydroclimate modellers. We present a comparison of fluxes measured above a boreal-forested valley

Abstract The eddy-covariance (EC) technique is used to determine mass and energy fluxes between the Earth’s surface and the lower atmosphere at high temporal resolution. Despite the frequent and successful use of the EC technique at terrestrial sites, its application over water surfaces is rare. We present one season of EC measurements conducted on the Rappbode Reservoir, Germany’s largest drinking