What’s next: Boundary layer prediction methods

Boundary layer models are computer programs that solve equations to predict boundary layer dynamics. This chapter presents the basics of boundary layer modeling, including governing equations, computational grids, parameterizations, boundary conditions, and input data. The two major paradigms of boundary layer models – mesoscale and microscale models – are discussed in terms of resolved atmospheric processes, specifically boundary layer turbulence. Mesoscale models capture synoptic and regional scale weather features but are too coarse to capture turbulence. Instead, they fully parameterize turbulent effects using planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes. Microscale models, on the other hand, explicitly capture the energy-containing scales of turbulent motion and use large-eddy simulation (LES) to parameterize the unresolved scales. With this in mind, “what’s next” for boundary layer prediction depends both on increases in computing power, which will allow for finer model resolution, and new scientific understanding, which will lead to better parameterizations for unresolved processes.