Simulating the unsteady stable boundary layer with a stochastic
stability equation
Abstract
Turbulence in stable boundary layers is typically unsteady and
intermittent. The study implements a stochastic modelling approach to
represent unsteady mixing possibly associated with intermittency of
turbulence and with unresolved fluid motions such as dirty waves or
drainage flows. The stochastic parameterization is introduced by
randomizing the mixing lengthscale used in a Reynolds average
Navier-Stokes (RANS) model with turbulent kinetic energy closure,
resulting in a stochastic unsteady RANS model. The randomization alters
the turbulent momentum diffusion and accounts for sporadic events of
possibly unknown origin that cause unsteady mixing. The paper shows how
the proposed stochastic parameterization can be integrated into a RANS
model used in weather-forecasting and its impact is analyzed using
neutrally and stably stratified idealized numerical case studies. The
simulations show that the framework can successfully model intermittent
mixing in stably stratified conditions, and does not alter the
representation of neutrally stratified conditions. It could thus present
a way forward for dealing with the complexities of unsteady flows in
numerical weather prediction or climate models.