Stable Boundary Layers with Subsidence: Scaling and Similarity of the Truly Steady State

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Hauptverfasser: Bon, Thijs, Cal, Raúl Bayoán, Meyers, Johan
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
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author Bon, Thijs
Cal, Raúl Bayoán
Meyers, Johan
author_facet Bon, Thijs
Cal, Raúl Bayoán
Meyers, Johan
contents The stable boundary layer (SBL) subjected to large-scale subsidence is studied through large-eddy simulations (LESs) with fixed surface temperature and a linear subsidence velocity profile. These boundary layers reach a truly steady state, where thermal equilibrium is established by a balance between surface cooling and subsidence-induced heating. We identify three governing dimensionless groups by scaling the governing equations with the geostrophic wind and Coriolis frequency, and systematically investigate the impact of these external parameters on global flow properties and mean profiles in the steady state. The SBL depth, low-level jet, and the magnitude of the turbulent momentum flux are reduced when the subsidence rate or Buoyancy number increases, while surface heat flux is enhanced. The shape of normalized mean profiles of temperature and heat flux is mainly determined by the subsidence rate, while they collapse for varying buoyancy and surface Rossby numbers. We develop empirical correlations for the stability parameter $h_θ/L_O$ and a thermal shape factor, and propose a new unidirectional geostrophic drag law, to form a closed set of equations that estimates relevant flow properties from external parameters. The estimation errors compared to the LES data are less than 5% for friction velocity and surface heat flux, and at most 10% for the SBL depth $h_θ$. Within the surface layer, dimensionless velocity and temperature gradients in the steady SBL with subsidence show acceptable agreement to Monin-Obukhov similarity theory, while the collapse is improved when a recently proposed mixed scaling parameter, that includes $h_θ/L_O$, is used.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2406_01751
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Stable Boundary Layers with Subsidence: Scaling and Similarity of the Truly Steady State
Bon, Thijs
Cal, Raúl Bayoán
Meyers, Johan
Fluid Dynamics
Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
The stable boundary layer (SBL) subjected to large-scale subsidence is studied through large-eddy simulations (LESs) with fixed surface temperature and a linear subsidence velocity profile. These boundary layers reach a truly steady state, where thermal equilibrium is established by a balance between surface cooling and subsidence-induced heating. We identify three governing dimensionless groups by scaling the governing equations with the geostrophic wind and Coriolis frequency, and systematically investigate the impact of these external parameters on global flow properties and mean profiles in the steady state. The SBL depth, low-level jet, and the magnitude of the turbulent momentum flux are reduced when the subsidence rate or Buoyancy number increases, while surface heat flux is enhanced. The shape of normalized mean profiles of temperature and heat flux is mainly determined by the subsidence rate, while they collapse for varying buoyancy and surface Rossby numbers. We develop empirical correlations for the stability parameter $h_θ/L_O$ and a thermal shape factor, and propose a new unidirectional geostrophic drag law, to form a closed set of equations that estimates relevant flow properties from external parameters. The estimation errors compared to the LES data are less than 5% for friction velocity and surface heat flux, and at most 10% for the SBL depth $h_θ$. Within the surface layer, dimensionless velocity and temperature gradients in the steady SBL with subsidence show acceptable agreement to Monin-Obukhov similarity theory, while the collapse is improved when a recently proposed mixed scaling parameter, that includes $h_θ/L_O$, is used.
title Stable Boundary Layers with Subsidence: Scaling and Similarity of the Truly Steady State
topic Fluid Dynamics
Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.01751