The earth's atmosphere is always in motion, and as the winds blow over the surface of this globe, they maintain a “layer of frictional influence” or atmospheric boundary layer that extends from the surface to heights typically of the order of one kilometer. The atmosphere receives much of its heat and virtually all of its water vapor through turbulent transfer processes in the boundary layer. Furthermore, most atmospheric pollutants are released in the boundary layer, and the quality of our daily environment (we all live inside the boundary layer!) depends strongly on the mixing capabilities of whatever turbulence happens to be around us.
REFERENCES
1.
H. Tennekes, J. L. Lumley, A First Course in Turbulence, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. (1972).
2.
C. H.
Gibson
, G. R.
Stegen
, R. B.
Williams
, J. Fluid Mech.
41
, 153
(1970
).3.
4.
A. A. Townsend, The Structure of Turbulent Shear Flow, Cambridge U.P. (1956).
5.
6.
7.
A. S. Monin, Weather Forecasting as a Problem in Physics, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. (1972).
8.
9.
This content is only available via PDF.
© 1974 American Institute of Physics.
1974
American Institute of Physics
You do not currently have access to this content.
