Generalizing Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (1954) for complex atmospheric turbulence

Abstract

Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (MOST) stands at the center of understanding of atmospheric surface-layer turbulence. Based on the hypothesis that a single length scale determined by surface fluxes governs the turbulent exchange of momentum, mass, and energy between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere, MOST has been widely used in parametrizations of turbulent processes in virtually all numerical models of atmospheric flows. However, its inherent limitations to flat and horizontally homogeneous terrain, the non-scaling of horizontal velocity variances, and stable turbulence have plagued the theory since its inception. Thus, the limitations of MOST, and its use beyond its intended range of validity contribute to large uncertainty in weather, climate, and air-pollution models, particularly in polar regions and over complex terrain. Here we present a first generalized extension of MOST encompassing a wide range of realistic surface and flow conditions. The novel theory incorporates information on the directionality of turbulence exchange (anisotropy of the Reynolds stress tensor) as a key missing variable. The constants in the standard empirical MOST relations are shown to be functions of anisotropy, thus allowing a seamless transition between traditional MOST and its novel generalization. The new scaling relations, based on measurements from 13 well-known datasets ranging from flat to highly complex mountainous terrain, show substantial improvements to scaling under all stratifications. The results also highlight the role of anisotropy in explaining general characteristics of complex terrain and stable turbulence, adding to the mounting evidence that anisotropy fully encodes the information on the complexity of the boundary conditions.