Abstract. Results are presented from the first intercomparison of Large-eddy simulation (LES) models for the stable boundary layer (SBL), as part of the GABLS (Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment Atmospheric Boundary Layer Study) initiative. A moderately stable case is used, based on Arctic observations. All models produce successful simulations, inasmuch as they reflect many of the results from local scaling theory and observations. Simulations performed at 1 m and 2 m resolution show only small changes in the mean profiles compared to coarser resolutions. Also, sensitivity to sub-grid models for individual models highlights their importance in SBL simulation at moderate resolution (6.25 m). Stability functions are derived from the LES using typical mixing lengths used in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and climate models. The functions have smaller values than those used in NWP. There is also support for the use of K-profile similarity in parametrizations. Thus, the results provide improved understanding and motivate future developments of the parametrization of the SBL.

Modifications of the widely used K-profile model of the planetary boundary layer (PBL), reported by Troen and Mahrt (TM) in 1986, are proposed and their effects examined by comparison with large eddy simulation (LES) data. The modifications involve three parts. First, the heat flux from the entrainment at the inversion layer is incorporated into the heat and momentum profiles, and it is used to predict the growth of the PBL directly. Second, profiles of the velocity scale and the Prandtl number in the PBL are proposed, in contrast to the constant values used in the TM model. Finally, non-local mixing of momentum was included. The results from the new PBL model and the original TM model are compared with LES data. The TM model was found to give too high PBL heights in the PBL with strong shear, and too low heights for the convection-dominated PBL, which causes unrealistic heat flux profiles. The new PBL model improves the predictability of the PBL height and produces profiles that are more realistic. Moreover, the new PBL model produces more realistic profiles of potential temperature and velocity. We also investigated how each of these three modifications affects the results, and found that explicit representation of the entrainment rate is the most critical.

Abstract. In this paper we present the current version of the Parallelized Large-Eddy Simulation Model (PALM) whose core has been developed at the Institute of Meteorology and Climatology at Leibniz Universität Hannover (Germany). PALM is a Fortran 95-based code with some Fortran 2003 extensions and has been applied for the simulation of a variety of atmospheric and oceanic boundary layers for more than 15 years. PALM is optimized for use on massively parallel computer architectures and was recently ported to general-purpose graphics processing units. In the present paper we give a detailed description of the current version of the model and its features, such as an embedded Lagrangian cloud model and the possibility to use Cartesian topography. Moreover, we discuss recent model developments and future perspectives for LES applications.

No abstract

No abstract

An existing code of a large-eddy simulation (LES) model for the study of turbulent processes in the atmospheric and oceanic boundary layer has been completely recoded for use on massively parallel systems with distributed memory. Parallelization is achieved by two-dimensional domain decomposition and communication is realized by the message passing interface (MPI). Periodic boundary conditions, which are used in both horizontal directions, helped to minimize the parallelization effort. The performance of the new PArallelized LES Model (PALM) is excellent on SGI/Cray-T3E systems and an almost linear speed-up is achieved up to very large numbers of processors. Parallelization strategy and model performance is discussed and validation experiments as well as future applications are presented. Zusammenfassung Für Untersuchungen turbulenter Prozesse in der atmosphärischen und ozeanischen Grenzschicht wurde ein bereits existierender LES-Code zur Nutzung auf massiv parallelen Systemen mit verteiltem Speicher vollständig neu implementiert. Die Parallelisierung geschieht mittels zweidimensionaler Gebietszerlegung, wobei die Kommunikation zwischen den Prozessoren durch das Message Passing Interface (MPI) realisiert ist. Die im Modell in beiden horizontalen Richtungen verwendeten periodischen Randbedingungen tragen dazu bei, den Parallelisierungsaufwand zu minimieren. Auf SGI/Cray-T3E Systemen skaliert das neue PArallelisierte LES Modell (PALM) hervorragend: selbst bis zu einer großen Anzahl verwendeter Prozessoren wird ein nahezu linearer Speed-Up erreicht. In dieser Arbeit werden neben der Parallelisierungsstrategie sowohl die Ergebnisse von Skalierungstests und Validierungsrechnungen präsentiert und diskutiert, als auch zukünftige Anwendungen des Modells aufgezeigt.

Abstract. In this paper, we describe the PALM model system 6.0. PALM (formerly an abbreviation for Parallelized Large-eddy Simulation Model and now an independent name) is a Fortran-based code and has been applied for studying a variety of atmospheric and oceanic boundary layers for about 20 years. The model is optimized for use on massively parallel computer architectures. This is a follow-up paper to the PALM 4.0 model description in Maronga et al. (2015). During the last years, PALM has been significantly improved and now offers a variety of new components. In particular, much effort was made to enhance the model with components needed for applications in urban environments, like fully interactive land surface and radiation schemes, chemistry, and an indoor model. This paper serves as an overview paper of the PALM 6.0 model system and we describe its current model core. The individual components for urban applications, case studies, validation runs, and issues with suitable input data are presented and discussed in a series of companion papers in this special issue.

[1] The development of dust devil-like vortices in the atmospheric convective boundary layer (CBL) is studied using large-eddy simulation (LES). Special focus is placed on the analysis of the spatial structure of the vortices, the vorticity-generating mechanisms, and how the vortices depend on the larger-scale coherent near-surface flow pattern of the CBL. Vortex centers are automatically detected during the simulation, and a tracking method is developed, which allows us to determine the temporally averaged structures of selected vortices. Also, various vorticity budget terms are calculated. A reference study with high resolution (2 m) and large model domain (2000 × 2000 × 500 grid points) is carried out to account for the dependency of vortex generation on the larger-scale CBL flow pattern, i.e., the near-surface hexagonal cells. Vortices predominantly appear within the vertices of the cells. Their vorticity is maintained by a combination of divergence and twisting effects. Flow visualizations by tracers show that the vortices have an inverted cone-like shape, similar to observed dust devils. Simulated vortex characteristics like tangential velocity or vorticity are at the lower limit of observed values. Strength and number of vortices heavily depend on the background wind. A small background wind enhances vortices, but for a mean wind speed of 4.4 m s −1 , vortex generation is significantly reduced, mainly because the near-surface flow changes from a cellular to a more band-like pattern. A new mechanism is suggested, which relates the initial vortex generation to the cellular flow pattern.Citation: Raasch, S., and T. Franke (2011), Structure and formation of dust devil-like vortices in the atmospheric boundary layer: A high-resolution numerical study,