ACPD Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ACPD 1680-7375 Copernicus GmbH Göttingen, Germany 10.5194/acpd-8-14311-2008 Implementation of a boundary layer heat flux parameterization into the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) McGrath-Spangler E. L. 1 Denning A. S. 1 Corbin K. D. 1 Baker I. T. 1 Department of Atmospheric Science 1371 Campus Delivery Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 80523-1371, USA 25 07 2008 8 4 14311 14346 This is an open-access article ditributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. This article is available from http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/8/14311/2008/acpd-8-14311-2008.html The full text article is available as a PDF file from http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/8/14311/2008/acpd-8-14311-2008.pdf

The response of atmospheric carbon dioxide to a given amount of surface flux is inversely proportional to the depth of the boundary layer. Overshooting thermals that entrain free tropospheric air down into the boundary layer modify the characteristics and depth of the lower layer through the insertion of energy and mass. This alters the surface energy budget by changing the Bowen ratio and thereby altering the vegetative response and the surface boundary conditions. Although overshooting thermals are important in the physical world, their effects are unresolved in most regional models. A parameterization to include the effects of boundary layer entrainment was introduced into a coupled ecosystem-atmosphere model (SiB-RAMS). The parameterization is based on a downward heat flux at the top of the boundary layer that is proportional to the heat flux at the surface. Results with the parameterization show that the boundary layer simulated is deeper, warmer, and drier than when the parameterization is turned off. These results alter the vegetative stress factors thereby changing the carbon flux from the surface. The combination of this and the deeper boundary layer change the concentration of carbon dioxide in the boundary layer.

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