Handbook of Physical Constants and Functions for Use in Atmospheric Boundary Layer Studies

• Main Author: Andreas, Edgar L.
• Other Authors: ENGINEER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER HANOVER NH COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: Fluid Mechanics; *BOUNDARY LAYER; AIR; HANDBOOKS; SEA WATER; ATMOSPHERIC DENSITY; TRACE GASES; BEAUFORT SEA; WATER VAPOR; MOLECULAR PROPERTIES; VISCOSITY; THERMODYNAMICS; Beaufort Sea
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA440352; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA440352

Studies of the atmospheric boundary layer always require values for the dynamic and thermodynamic properties of the fluids present: namely, air, water vapor, and other trace gases. Studies of the marine boundary layer frequently require similar properties for the ocean, in addition. This handbook collects functions for calculating the values for these dynamic and thermodynamic variables. For example, it includes equations for air density, water vapor density, and seawater density. It also describes various humidity variables and shows how to convert among these. It includes equations for the specific heats of dry air, water vapor, moist air, seawater, and ice and for the latent heats of water in its various phases. The handbook goes on to show how to calculate the molecular transport properties such as the thermal conductivity of air and the diffusivities of heat, water vapor, and several environmentally important gases in air. This discussion naturally includes values for the molecular Prandtl and Schmidt numbers. Finally, the handbook concludes with summaries of several wind force scales that descriptively categorize winds on land and sea: the Beaufort Scale, the Saffir-Simpson Scale for hurricanes, and the Fujita Scale for tornadoes. The original document contains color images.