The Behavior of the Atmosphere in the Desert Planetary Boundary Layer.
Abstract
One of the aims of this investigation was to develop a limited area planetary boundary layer desert model for computers of limited power. We derived a general system of vertically integrated equations, including a dust concentration equation and an inversion height equation. The boundary layer was divided into a constant flux layer, a transition layer, and an inversion layer. The model equations predict the mean (vertically averaged) winds in the transition layer, the potential temperature at the top of the surface layer, the potential temperature at the ground, the height of the inversion layer, the dust concentration at the top of the surface layer, the moisture at the top of the surface layer, and the soil moisture at the ground. The radiation flux is also calculated as a function of time. Initially, the one-dimensional version was tested (no horizontal advection). All fields showed reasonable evolution for a twenty-four hour prediction. Data (dust concentration, inversion height) are now being gathered for verification. The two dimensional version was first run with a time step of two minutes and boundary conditions held fixed in time. Although the interior fields, starting from artificial initial data, developed reasonably, the calculations blew up after 4 hours, probably due to the restrictive boundary conditions. When the radiation boundary conditions were used, the model ran for 6 hours, did not blow up, but developed unrealistically near the boundaries.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 14, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA151286
Entities
People
- L. Berkofsky