A Prognostic Model for the Surface Temperature, Height of the Atmospheric Boundary layer, and Surface Wind

Abstract

A prognostic one-dimensional bulk model of the atmospheric boundary layer is described for the surface temperature, height of the atmospheric boundary layer, and surface wind. Heat conduction into the ground is accounted for using a ?force-restore? equation. Longwave and shortwave radiation are calculated for clear, overcast or partly cloudy skies. Surface fluxes of momentum, heat and water vapor are computed using generalized similarity theory. The procedures are applied to mean July conditions at Inuvik, Edmonton and Port Hardy. Integrations are performed for three days and reproduce the diurnal cycles reasonably well. Sensitivity tests show that the surface emissivity is an important variable.