Sensible heat flux

Turbulent kinetic energy

Surface-atmosphere turbulent heat exchange is parameterised using a bulk aerodynamic formula with Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (see [48], Equation 9; and [17]):

\[F_{\text{sens}} = \rho c_p C_d u (T_{\text{surf}} - T_{\text{atm}})\]

where $\rho$ is air density, $c_p$ is specific heat capacity, $u$ is wind speed, $T_{\text{surf}}$ is surface temperature, $T_{\text{atm}}$ is the temperature of the lowest atmospheric layer, and $C_d$ is the drag coefficient:

\[C_d = \left(\frac{\kappa}{\ln(h/z_0)}\right)^2\]

where $\kappa$ is the von Kármán constant (0.4), $h$ is the height of the lowest atmospheric layer, and $z_0$ is the surface roughness length [15].

Bibliography for this page

[15]
U. Högström. Non-dimensional wind and temperature profiles in the atmospheric surface layer: A re-evaluation. Boundary-Layer Meteorology 42, 55–78 (1988).
[17]
R. Pierrehumbert. Principles of planetary climate (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge New York, 2010).
[48]
L. Nicholson and D. I. Benn. Calculating ice melt beneath a debris layer using meteorological data. J. Glaciol. 52, 463–470 (2006).