Note on Estimating the Height of the Convective Internal Boundary Layer Near Shore

摘要

When cool air flows from the sea over a warm coast, the air is thermally modified. It is shown that h=c(sqrt of x), where h is the height (in meters) of this thermal or convective internal boundary layer (CIBL) over the coast, X is the distance downwind (in meters) from the shoreline (i.e., the fetch), and c is a coefficient that relates to the shear velocity and wind speed inside the CIBL. This equation is a simplification of a theoretical equation and is supported by three similar formulations based on thermodynamic and dimensional analyses. Pertinent field experiments conducted near shorelines in France, Sweden, and Japan indicate that c is approximately 1.91, with a standard deviation of 0.38. All observations are within 95% confidence limits.