A Numerical Study of Coupling Between the Boundary Layer and Free Atmosphere in an Accelerated Low-Latitude Flow

Abstract

The influence of advective accelerations in the low-latitude boundary layer and coupling between this boundary layer and the free atmosphere are numerically examined for steady longitudinally invariant flow. Pressure adjustments in a one-layer representation of the free atmosphere are induced by vertical fluxes of mass, momentum and latent heat out of a multi-level boundary layer model. It is found that vertical motions, resulting from advective accelerations in the boundary layer, can strongly influence pressure adjustments and flow development. As a result, the steady pressure field, generated by specified heating or parameterized latent heating, is quite different than would he predicted by linear boundary layer theory.