A Power Law Representation of the Heat Transfer in the Lowest 100 metres of the Atmosphere

Abstract

On the assumptions that the flux of heat in the air is governed by an interchange coefficient which can be represented by a simple power law of the height above the surface, that the flux of heat in the ground is by molecular processes and that during the daylight hours the variation of temperature can be represented by a sine function, the phase angle of the diurnal temperature wave is calculated and is shewn to be in good agreement with observations. The phase angle of the annual temperature wave is also discussed. Calculations of KHk the coefficient of eddy conductivity of heat and of its mode of variation with height in unstable conditions suggest that it is approximately equal to KM the coefficient of eddy viscosity.