A note on scalar-gradient sharpening in the stable atmospheric boundary layer
J.A. Antoon van Hooft (TU Delft - Atmospheric Remote Sensing)
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Abstract
The scalar front generated by the horizontal self advection of a dipolar vortex through a mod-est scalar gradient is investigated. This physical scenario is an idealization of the emergenceof strong temperature ramps in the stable atmospheric boundary layer. The proposed mecha-nism is discussed and a two-dimensional analogy is studied in depth using direct numericalsimulation. More specifically, the scalar-gradient sharpening is investigated as a function ofthe Reynolds number. It appears that the process of gradient sharpening at large-eddy scalesmay be challenging for turbulence-resolving methods applied to the stable-boundary-layerregime.
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