The Atmospheric Boundary Layer / Edition 1

by J. R. Garratt

Overview

A comprehensive and lucid account of the physics and dynamics of the lowest one to two kilometers of the Earth's atmosphere in direct contact with the Earth's surface, known as the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). Dr. Garratt emphasizes the application of the ABL problems to numerical modeling of the climate, which makes this book unique among recent texts on the subject. He begins with a brief introduction to the ABL before leading to the development of mean and turbulence equations and the many scaling laws and theories that are the cornerstone of any serious ABL treatment. Modeling of the ABL is crucially dependent for its realism on the surface boundary conditions, so chapters four and five deal with aerodynamic and energy considerations, with attention given to both dry and wet land surfaces and the sea. The author next treats the structure of the clear-sky, thermally stratified ABL, including the convective and stable cases over homogeneous land, the marine ABL, and the internal boundary layer at the coastline. Chapter seven then extends this discussion to the cloudy ABL. This is particularly relevant to current research because the extensive stratocumulus regions over the subtropical oceans and stratus regions over the Arctic have been identified as key players in the climate system. In the final chapters, Dr. Garratt summarizes the book's material by discussing appropriate ABL and surface parameterization schemes in general circulation models of the atmosphere that are being used for climate stimulation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521467452
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/21/1994
Series:	Cambridge Atmospheric and Space Science Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.81(w) x 9.76(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

1. The atmospheric boundary layer; 2. Basic equations for mean and fluctuating quantites; 3. Scaling laws for mean and turbulent quantites; 4. Surface roughness and local advection; 5. Energy fluxes at the land surface; 6. The thermally stratified ABL; 7. The cloud topped boundary layer; 8. ABL modelling and parameterisation schemes; 9. The impact of the ABL on climate.

Editorial Reviews

"...an excellent review of the current state of affairs on boundary-layer meteorology research....will be an asset to the bookshelf of any scientist active in boundary-layer meteorology or in the related fields." F.T.M. Nieuwstadt, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

"...a valuable addition to the recent literature in this area." Leo J. Donner, EOS

"The presentation of the covered topics is clear and easy to follow, with numerous plots and diagrams providing good illustrations to the text....the book is a valuable and recommendable reference to all interested in the boundary layer problems, particularly in the numerical modeling." Szymon P. Malinowski, Pageoph

From the Publisher