Adiabatic atmospheric boundary layers: A review and analysis of data from the period 1880–1972

Abstract

A review and analysis of the meteorological literature on fully developed adiabatic boundary layers is presented. Many inconsistencies are shown to have existed in earlier presentations and reviews, particularly with respect to quantifying the power indices and turbulence intensities appropriate to rougher terrains, and the variation of the turbulence length scales with height and terrain type. These are resolved by defining from the data four distinct terrain types. The variation of the power index, turbulence intensity and Reynolds stresses with these terrain types is shown to follow the same law. It is also shown that the longitudinal length scale of turbulence decreases with increase of terrain roughness: a simple law is also proposed for its variation with both height and terrain type.