BOUNDARY LAYER METEOROLOGY FALL 2007

Course prerequisites: Dynamics I and A&F I are co requisites 

Goals of the course: By the end of this course you will:

• Have an increased understanding of the important physical processes that occur in the boundary layer
• Have an increased understanding of the importance of the boundary layer and its relationship with the free atmosphere
• Better understand how are lives are affected by boundary layer processes
• Have an increased understanding of how boundary layers are resolved in NWP models 

Required text:  None.  The online notes will serve as the text.  I encourage you to print them out before class so they may be annotated during lecture.

Reference Texts for further reading:

1. An Introduction to Boundary Layer Meteorology by R.B. Stull

2. Introduction to Micrometeorology by S. Pal Arya

Many of the online notes follow the content of Stull's book closely.

Other relevant references will be mentioned at the time a particular topic is being covered.

Grading:  

Your grade will be based on laboratory assignments only.  There will be no papers or tests.

Makeups and late assignments:  

The lab assignments MUST be turned in on time.  On time means no later than 10 minutes after the start of class that has been identified as the due date.

Attendance and Academic Honesty:   As per Lyndon State College Catalog

BOUNDARY LAYER METEOROLOGY COURSE TOPICS

Section 1 -  Boundary Layer Definition and Importance

• boundary layer definition and scale
• forcing mechanisms
• meteorological scales
• comparison with the free atmosphere
• significance of the boundary layer
• related areas of study

Section 2 -  General Characteristics and Evolution of the Boundary Layer

• Winds in the boundary layer

• Turbulence and Taylors Hypothesis

• Thermodynamic Variables

• Boundary Layer Depth and Structure

• Introduction to Evolution over Land

• Daytime Convectively Mixed Boundary Layer

• Nocturnal Boundary Layer

• Summary of Boundary Layer Features

Section 3 -  Introduction to Turbulence, TKE, and fluxes

• Introduction to Turbulence 

• Mean and Turbulent parts

• Turbulence Intensity and TKE

• Kinematic and Eddy Fluxes

Section 4 -  Turbulence Kinetic Energy Budget and Stability

• Turbulence Kinetic Energy (TKE) budget

• Convective and Dynamic Stability

Section 5 - Boundary Conditions and Surface Forcings

• Turbulent and molecular fluxes near the ground - the effective flux
• Surface heat budget
• Surface radiation budget

Section 6 - Approximating Surface Fluxes

• Fluxes at interfaces and approximating surface heat, moisture and momentum fluxes
• Basics of a soil layer model

Section 7 - Turbulence Closure Techniques

• Turbulence closure
• Example - The Ekman Spiral

Section 8 - Observations of the Boundary Layer

• Overview of Observing Systems
• Ground-based In Situ
• Remote Sensing

Section 9 - Boundary Layer Phenomena

• coastal fronts
• sea/land breeze circulations
• lake breezes
• gust fronts
• boundary layer convection - horizontal rolls, open/closed cell convection
• urban heat island
• local circulations due to land heterogeneity
• valley/drainage flows

Section 10 - The Boundary Layer in NWP Models

Last update: August 27, 2007 08:59