The Response of the Planetary Boundary Layer to Time Varying Pressure Gradient Force

Abstract The equations for horizontally homogeneous planetary boundary layer flow with constant eddy viscosity are integrated in time and height. The special case for which the direction of the pressure gradient force is a periodic function of time is studied in detail. The nondimensional number F=z(4Kt)−½ is seen to be the proper scale which describes the flow response to the boundary layer.