Analysis and forecasting of meteorological motions usually is based on observations 100 miles or more apart and, therefore, only reflect the behavior of large-scale motions. However, motions exist on all scales, down to perhaps a millimeter. Further, since the basic equations of meteorology are nonlinear, the small-scale motions interact with the large-scale features of the atmosphere by their ability to mix air with different largescale characteristics. Sometimes meteorologists define turbulence as small-scale motion, i.e. motion on too small a scale to be described by ordinary weather data. On the other hand, students of fluid mechanics require their turbulence to have certain definite properties, such as important nonlinear effects, large random vorticity, and the ability to diffuse contaminants. Fortunately, most of the small-scale motion is of this character; yet certain small-scale phenomena, such as internal waves, should not be classed as turbulence.
Distribution of turbulence
M...
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Bibliography
Anon, 1975. Lectures on Air Pollution and Environmental Impact Analyses, 1975. American Meterological Society.
Arya, S.P., 1998. Air Pollution Meteorology and Dispersion. New York: Oxford University Press.
Panofsky, H.A., and Dutton, J.A., 1984. Atmospheric Turbulence. New York: Wiley-Interscience.
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Air Pollution Climatology
Boundary Layer Climatology
Cloud Climatology
Lapse Rate
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Panofsky, H.A. (2005). Turbulence and Diffusion. In: Oliver, J.E. (eds) Encyclopedia of World Climatology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht . https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3266-8_216
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