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Surface Layer
The surface layer is in direct contact with the earth's surface.
The lowest few centimeters of air in the surface layer is often called the microlayer, or interfacial
layer.
The interfacial layer is at most, a few centimeters deep.
Within this layer, molecular transport of heat, moisture, and momentum is much more effective
than turbulent transport.
This makes some sense since this layer is in direct contact with the ground.
Above the interfacial layer, in the heart of the surface layer, turbulent transport dominates.
Gradients of temperature, moisture and winds can be very large in the surface layer, especially in
the interfacial layer.
The lapse rate within the surface layer tends to be super-adiabatic.
Mixed Layer
This layer is located above the surface layer and below the entrainment zone.
Heat, moisture and momentum are uniformly mixed within the mixed layer. This is accomplished
by turbulence within the mixed layer.
Turbulence within the mixed layer is largely convectively driven from two main sources:
1. heat transfer from the warm ground to the interfacial layer via conduction and then
convective transport of this heat by thermals up into the mixed layer.
2. radiative cooling from the top of the cloud layer creating "upside down" thermals of cool,
sinking air.
wind shear can also generate mechanical turbulence within the mixed layer
The mixed layer begins to grow vertically approximately 1/2 hour after sunrise. It grows rapidly
during the morning hours and reaches a maximum depth in the afternoon
Mixed Layer
Entrainment Layer
As shown in the above figures, the entrainment layer (zone) is a stable layer above the mixed
layer.
It acts as a lid to rising thermals
It is often an inversion layer, but not always.
Waves can often be seen propagating on top of the mixed layer within and above the entrainment
zone.
Boundary layer meteorologists roughly divide the PBL into three region
The layer extending from the top of the viscous sub-layer to about
10% of the depth of the PBL
Characterized by: -vertical momentum transfer by turbulent eddi
-not directly dependent on Coriolis and PG for