The eddy diffusivity and the temperature of the lower layers of the atmosphere

✍ Scribed by T. G. Cowling; A. White; S. Chapman

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 640 KB
• Volume: 67
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0035-9009
• DOI: 10.1002/qj.49706729106

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Methods of calculating the eddy diffusivity κ are discussed. It is shown that methods which assume that κ can be regarded as independent of the height, even through a shallow layer, lead to erroneous results: in consequence the frequent use in the literature of the approximate equation of transfer of heat κθ^||^=θ is to be deplored. It is also shown that there is a large diurnal variation of κ at any level, and that neglect of this may also lead to incorrect and discordant results. Using the values obtained for κ, it is shown that certain features of the temperature variation cannot be explained by convection alone, and it is suggested that they may possibly be due to radiation.