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On Estimation of the Turbulent Mixing Layer Altitude from the Altitude-Time Distributions of the Richardson Number

  • REMOTE SENSING OF ATMOSPHERE, HYDROSPHERE, AND UNDERLYING SURFACE
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Abstract

Time series of the turbulent mixing layer altitude derived from the altitude-time distributions of the turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate and of the gradient Richardson number are compared. We have found that the estimates of the turbulent mixing layer altitude from the altitude-time distributions of the Richardson number and of the turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate are close only under the conditions of atmospheric boundary layer instability due to convection. In other cases, the mixing layer altitude derived from the Richardson number can be significantly underestimated.

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Funding

The work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 19-17-00170-P) in part of creating a set of software programs for estimating parameters characterizing the temperature regime and turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer and studying the altitude of the turbulent mixing layer according to data from wind lidars and a temperature profiler. The measurement technique was developed on the basis of the infrastructure of the Basic Experimental Complex of IAO SB RAS under the financial support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (V.E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. V.E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 634055, Tomsk, Russia

    V. A. Banakh, A. V. Falits, A. M. Sherstobitov, I. N. Smalikho, A. A. Sukharev, E. V. Gordeev & I. V. Zaloznaya

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  1. V. A. Banakh
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  2. A. V. Falits
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  3. A. M. Sherstobitov
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  4. I. N. Smalikho
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  5. A. A. Sukharev
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  6. E. V. Gordeev
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  7. I. V. Zaloznaya
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Correspondence to V. A. Banakh.

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Banakh, V.A., Falits, A.V., Sherstobitov, A.M. et al. On Estimation of the Turbulent Mixing Layer Altitude from the Altitude-Time Distributions of the Richardson Number. Atmos Ocean Opt 36, 30–40 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1024856023020033

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1024856023020033

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