The book gives a comprehensive and lucid account of the science of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). There is an emphasis on the application of the ABL to numerical modelling of the climate. The book comprises nine chapters, several appendices (data tables, information sources, physical constants) and an extensive reference list. Chapter 1 serves as an introduction, with chapters 2 and 3 dealing with the development of mean and turbulence equations, and the many scaling laws and theories that are the cornerstone of any serious ABL treatment. Modelling of the ABL is crucially dependent for its realism on the surface boundary conditions, and chapters 4 and 5 deal with aerodynamic and energy considerations, with attention to both dry and wet land surfaces and sea. The structure of the clear-sky, thermally stratified ABL is treated in chapter 6, including the convective and stable cases over homogeneous land, the marine ABL and the internal boundary layer at the coastline. Chapter 7 then extends the discussion to the cloudy ABL. This is seen as particularly relevant, since the extensive stratocumulus regions over the subtropical oceans and stratus regions over the Arctic are now identified as key players in the climate system. Finally, chapters 8 and 9 bring much of the book's material together in a discussion of appropriate ABL and surface parameterization schemes in general circulation models of the atmosphere that are being used for climate simulation.

The book is a moderately advanced text dealing with the physics and dynamics of the atmospheric boundary layer.
Reviews
'An excellent review of the current state of affairs on boundary-layer meteorology research.' Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
'I find that it compares favourably to good texts that have appeared recently; I strongly recommend it as a synthesis of present thinking on physical processes in the atmospheric boundary layer.' Waves in Random Media.



Book Information
ISBN 9780521467452
Author J. R. Garratt
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 590g
Dimensions(mm) 248mm * 173mm * 28mm