The dissipation of kinetic energy in the lowest layers of the atmosphere

✍ Scribed by R. J. Taylor

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1952
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 424 KB
• Volume: 78
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0035-9009
• DOI: 10.1002/qj.49707833606

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The supply of kinetic energy to a shallow layer of air is considered. The cases chosen for analysis comprise occasions of comparatively strong wind and of fairly small temperature gradient so that the supply of kinetic energy from the vertical flux of total heat is not important at small heights. In these cases the diffusive flux of kinetic energy is also shown to be negligible. Hence it follows that, on these occasions, the rate of dissipation per unit volume is given by the product of the local values of the shearing stress and vertical gradient of mean velocity when steadiness and horizontal uniformity of the turbulence are assumed. Estimates of the rate of dissipation per unit mass at heights from 1 m to 50 m are made for particular occasions and used, together with the observed energy densities, to provide estimates of the size of the dissipating eddies at the heights of observation according to expressions given by L. F. Richardson and G. I. Taylor.