TY - JOUR
T1 - LES of laminar flow in the PBL
T2 - A potential problem for convective storm simulations
AU - Markowski, Paul M.
AU - Bryan, George H.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (Grants AGS-1157646 and AGS-1536460); the National Science Foundation's support of the National Center for Atmospheric Research also is acknowledged. The first author is indebted to the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Laboratory of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, who hosted his visit during June 2015.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 American Meteorological Society.
PY - 2016/5/1
Y1 - 2016/5/1
N2 - In idealized simulations of convective storms, which are almost always run as large-eddy simulations (LES), the planetary boundary layers (PBLs) are typically laminar (i.e., they lack turbulent eddies). When compared with turbulent simulations, theory, or simulations with PBL schemes, the typically laminar LES used in the severe-storms community produce unrealistic near-surface vertical wind profiles containing excessive vertical wind shear when the lower boundary condition is nonfree slip. Such simulations are potentially problematic given the recent interest within the severe storms community in the influence of friction on vorticity generation within tornadic storms. Simulations are run as LES that include surface friction but lack well-resolved turbulent eddies, thus they probably overestimate friction's effects on storms.
AB - In idealized simulations of convective storms, which are almost always run as large-eddy simulations (LES), the planetary boundary layers (PBLs) are typically laminar (i.e., they lack turbulent eddies). When compared with turbulent simulations, theory, or simulations with PBL schemes, the typically laminar LES used in the severe-storms community produce unrealistic near-surface vertical wind profiles containing excessive vertical wind shear when the lower boundary condition is nonfree slip. Such simulations are potentially problematic given the recent interest within the severe storms community in the influence of friction on vorticity generation within tornadic storms. Simulations are run as LES that include surface friction but lack well-resolved turbulent eddies, thus they probably overestimate friction's effects on storms.
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U2 - 10.1175/MWR-D-15-0439.1
DO - 10.1175/MWR-D-15-0439.1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84966269475
SN - 0027-0644
VL - 144
SP - 1841
EP - 1850
JO - Monthly Weather Review
JF - Monthly Weather Review
IS - 5
ER -