EAS 572: The Atmospheric Boundary Layer (2012)

Announcements

• Final exam (with some feedback)

• Final exam 2.5 hours starting 12:30 on Thursday 6 December.

  A total of four "short answer" questions totalling 35% (no space restriction, so "short" can be interpreted to mean "as much space as you want to use"). Closed book. A number of relevant equations will be provided.

  Two compulsory Questions:

  1. You will be asked how you would measure one or more micrometeorological variables, given specified numbers and types of sensors. The question will define the flow regime (e.g. horizontally-homogeneous, or not) and the source distribution of the property to be measured

  2. You will be asked to convey generalities of the approach of micrometeorology to disturbed flow problems, illustrating with respect to windbreak flow or local advection. You should be familiar with both the measurement side (what would one measure to characterize the problem and/or test models) and basic elements of the theory/modelling side. With repect to the latter, how is the disturbance "driven"? What are key equations, e.g. streamwise mean momentum equation for a windbreak flow; mean temperature and mean humidity for local advection flow.

  For your other three questions, you will choose from the following possibilities:

  • Contrast the micrometeorology of a tall plant canopy (crop or forest) with that of the layer described by Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (inertial sublayer).

  • Illustrate the sequence of assumptions or approximations or simplifications that lead to the Gaussian puff model for dispersion from an instantaneous point source in an unbounded regime of stationary, homogeneous turbulence (i.e. be able to perform the derivation)

  • Discuss the significance and implications of G.I. Taylor's Lagrangian theory of dispersion

  • Describe the hierarchy of turbulence closures used in RANS (Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes) models of turbulent flows

  • Discuss the insights provided by the turbulent kinetic energy equation (which will be given, in a form appropriate to horizontally-homogeneous flows) and its role in theoretical or numerical models of the atmospheric surface layer

• Assignment 3 (specification slightly revised 16 Nov. 2012). Due Thurs 6 Dec. 2012; value 25%

• Final exam Thurs 6 Dec.

• Feedback on Assignment 2. Any document ought to open with a statement as to its purpose - providing a brief orientation for the reader.
• Assignment 2 and data file (eas572_2012_assgn2_data_met_m22.xls). Due 8 Nov. 2012; value 15%

• Assignment 1 and data file (stalbert2011_timeseries13.csv). Due 11 Oct. 2012; value 10%

• The Course booklet and list of Topics to be Covered (links below) will give you an idea of the subject matter of the course. The course is quantitative in the sense that you'll find I am most of the time working through (or in reference to) equations -- not solving them, but they are the essence of the course. Please note that you will not be expected to memorize complex or obscure equations for exams -- the exams will feature a section giving Data and Equations.

• Archive of earlier announcements

Course materials

• Log of content covered (lecture by lecture).

• Course booklet (draft of 6 Nov. 2012). The purpose of the booklet is to give you (up front) a sense of the scope of the course, and to back up material delivered in class. I will correct and update the booklet as term progresses: we may skip some topics, and/or add others. In many places, much more detail will be given than we are likely to need (or have time for) in the course -- such material has been included for completeness, and because you may find it helpful at a later stage.

Background Information

• Course Outline

• Topics to be Covered (adjustments may be made depending on students' particular interests). Diagram of organisation of topics.

• Assignments and exams from previous years

• List of useful reference books

To John Wilson's Homepage (Research in Micrometeorology).

Last Modified: 9 Dec. 2012