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The low-level katabatic jet height versus Monin–Obukhov height

  1. B. Grisogono1,*,
  2. L. Kraljević2,
  3. A. Jeričević2

Article first published online: 20 DEC 2007

DOI: 10.1002/qj.190

Issue

Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society

Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society

Volume 133, Issue 629, pages 2133–2136, October 2007 Part B

Additional Information

How to Cite

Grisogono, B., Kraljević, L. and Jeričević, A. (2007), The low-level katabatic jet height versus Monin–Obukhov height. Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc., 133: 2133–2136. doi: 10.1002/qj.190

Author Information

  1. 1

    AMGI Department of Geophysics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia

  2. 2

    MHSC Weather Service, Zagreb, Croatia

*AMGI Department of Geophysics, Faculty of Science, Horvatovac bb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 20 DEC 2007
  2. Article first published online: 20 DEC 2007
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 7 NOV 2007
  4. Manuscript Revised: 5 NOV 2007
  5. Manuscript Received: 30 JUN 2007

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Keywords:

  • stable ABL;
  • drainage flows;
  • katabatic wind;
  • Prandtl model;
  • scaling

Abstract

  1. Top of page
  2. Abstract
  3. References

In this short note we discuss a long-standing problem in modelling the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over complex terrain: namely, an excessive use of the Monin–Obukhov length scale LMO. This issue becomes increasingly relevant with the ever-increasing resolution of numerical weather-prediction and climate models, which typically use LMO in one way or another for parametrizing the surface layer, or at least for formulating the lower boundary conditions. Hence, inevitably, the models under-represent a significant part of the mesoscale flow variability.

We focus here on the stable ABL over land: in particular, sloped cooled flows. However, a qualitatively similar reasoning applies to the corresponding unstable ABL. We show that for sufficiently stratified flows over moderately sloped surfaces, Monin–Obukhov scaling is inadequate for describing the basic ABL dynamics, which is often governed by katabatic and drainage flows. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society

References

  1. Top of page
  2. Abstract
  3. References
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