What Is Boundary Layer?
The bottom part of the atmosphere, usually the lowest few thousand feet, where the ground's heating, cooling and friction stir the air. In technical terms: The layer adjacent to the surface, typically 100 m at night to 1-3 km on a sunny afternoon, in which turbulent fluxes of heat, moisture and momentum from surface forcing dominate; capped by an entrainment zone or inversion.
Also called: Planetary Boundary Layer, PBL
Boundary Layer In Plain English
The bottom part of the atmosphere, usually the lowest few thousand feet, where the ground's heating, cooling and friction stir the air.
The Technical Definition
The layer adjacent to the surface, typically 100 m at night to 1-3 km on a sunny afternoon, in which turbulent fluxes of heat, moisture and momentum from surface forcing dominate; capped by an entrainment zone or inversion.
