Boundary Layer Composition
Thin layer of fluid bounded by a surface
What is boundary layer?
Supercomputers used to simulate climate
What is General Circulation Model or Global Climate Model ?
Surface layer parameterizations are based on this theory developed by two Soviet scientists
What is Monin Obukhov Similarity Theory or MOST
Surface fluxes are assumed to be constant with height in this layer
What is surface layer?
Higher and higher modeling resolutions are being achieved through a rapid increase observed in this type of power
What is computing power?
Layers of PBL during daytime
What is surface layer, mixed layer, and entrainment zone?
Components of earth and their interactions can be simulated in a GCM using this
What is mathematical equations?
Describes a change of a quantity over a spatial area
What is gradient?
Large grid spacings in climate models make it difficult to capture this particular part of Earth's surface
What is landscape?
Atmospheric processes in climate models are represented better when this type of aspect is increased
What is resolution?
The air above the PBL height
What is "free atmosphere"?
Globe is divided or separated into several of these in a GCM
What is 3D grid cells?
What is bulk transfer coefficient or C_phi?
Momentum flux has this particular set of units
What is kg/m^2/s
Resolution can be describe through two particular ways
What is spatial and temporal resolution?
Lowest 10% of the boundary layer
What is surface layer?
Components of the earth in a GCM exchange heat, moisture, and momentum through this
What is flux?
Occurs when a turbulent air mass mixes with a non turbulent one
What is Entrainment?
Zone where PBL eddies/turbulence are partially resolved
What is Gray Zone?
A "lid" which prevents turbulent mixing into the free atmosphere
What is Entrainment Zone?
Units of a flux
What is quantity per unit area per unit time?
The flux gradient relationship method is based on this specific type of model developed by Prandtl
What is mixing length model?
The dimensionless stability parameter, Zeta, is defined mathematically as
Lack of this results in boundary layers over cryospheres being represented and understood poorly
What is observations?