Turbulence closure in boundary-layer theory —An invitation to debate

Abstract

Turbulence in the Planetary Boundary Layer has been a topic of research for a long time. Its theory, however, is hampered by the fact that we have fewer fundamental equations than unknowns when dealing with turbulent motions. The search for additional “laws” to match the number of equations with the number of unknowns in turbulence theory is commonly labelled the turbulent closure problem. Despite considerable effort, this problem has not been solved. There is a variety of approaches available. However, these have not converged towards a commonly accepted PBL theory, like the Monin-Obukhov similarity for the surface layer. The Working Group on Boundary Layer Dynamics and Air-Sea interaction of ICDM/IAMAP therefore invites the scientific community to discuss these problems and possible solutions. The present paper intends to stimulate such a discussion.