The dependence of the power-law exponent on surface roughness and stability in a neutrally and stably stratified surface boundary layer

Abstract

The dependence of the wind profile power-law exponent (p) on surface roughness and atmospheric stability is depicted assuming a height variation of p (Huang, 1979; Hanafusa et al., 1986) and using the formulation of Zilitinkevich (1989) for determining the velocity profiles in a neutrally and stably stratified planetary boundary layer. The theoretical estimates of the power-law exponent compare perfectly with the power-law exponent data from various sources and the theoretical analysis from Irwin (1979). It is recognized that more work is necessary before the validity of the suggested methodology can be fully established.