Modeling of Cloud-top Entrainment

Abstract

Our long term goals are to understand the dynamics of atmospheric motions on scales of order 10 m - 10 km in sufficient detail to be able to provide a consistent subgrid scale turbulent closure for models across a range of scales, and to be able to utilize simulated variances as a measure of forecast predictability. The chief objective of the present grant is to better understand the physical processes which control the rate of entrainment fluxes of heat and moisture across the capping inversion of the atmospheric boundary layer, and to formulate a closure model for cloud-top entrainment that is consistent for a broad range of boundary layer conditions and forcings. Ideally, this closure model would allow one to produce a simulation at any desired level of resolution, with the results of lower resolution simulations being approximately similar to results obtained by appropriate spatial filtering of the higher resolution simulation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2000
Accession Number
ADA610161

Entities

People

  • David C. Lewellen
  • W. S. Lewellen

Organizations

  • West Virginia University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atmospheric Motion
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Boundaries
  • Boundary Layer
  • Climate Change
  • Decoupling
  • Dynamics
  • Entrainment
  • Heat Energy
  • Heat Flux
  • High Resolution
  • Inversion
  • Latent Heat
  • Layers
  • Simulations
  • Temperature Gradients
  • West Virginia

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Remote Sensing.
  • Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design