The hurricane boundary layer thickness as determined through the uniform constant BL depth model and varying prescribed BL depth model presented by Smith and Vogl (2008) is compared to the Troen and Mahrt (1986) method. Smith and Vogl presented the uniform constant BL depth approach from Emanual (1986) and a spatially varying prescribed BL depth based on inertial stability from the gradient wind. The Troen and Mahrt method of diagnosing the boundary layer thickness using the Richardson number is a basis for the Hong and Pan or MRF boundary layer schemes available in many hurricane models including WRF and MM5. .Hurricane Isabel (2003) is analyzed from dropwindsondes and GFDL model output. An additional hurricane, developed in the CM1 without a specified boundary layer formulation, is analyzed for comparing methods in determining the boundary layer thickness. The in situ observations did not lead to any conclusive results, however the modeled environments did show patterns in the boundary layer depth which support a spatially varying depth. The inertial stability method and the Troen and Mahrt method of determining the boundary layer thickness differed with depths increasing with increasing radius away from the radius of maximum wind for the inertial stability method and depths decreasing with increasing radius away from the radius of maximum wind with the Troen and Mahrt method. / A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Meteorology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science. / Fall Semester, 2009. / October 30, 2009. / Richardson Number, Isabel, CM1, GFDL, Boundary Layer, Hurricane / Includes bibliographical references. / Paul Ruscher, Professor Directing Thesis; T. N. Krishnamurti, Committee Member; Carol Anne Clayson, Committee Member.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_180582 |
Contributors | Paget, Aaron Christopher (authoraut), Ruscher, Paul (professor directing thesis), Krishnamurti, T. N. (committee member), Clayson, Carol Anne (committee member), Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
Source Sets | Florida State University |
Language | English, English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Text, text |
Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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