Local Convection and Turbulence in the Amazonia Using Large Eddy Simulation Model

Abstract

Using a high resolution model of Large Eddies Simulation (LES), named PALM from PArallel LES Model, a set of simulations were performed to understand how turbulence and convection behave in a pasture and forest sites in Amazonia during the dry and rainy seasons. Related to seasonality, dry period presented higher differences of values (40 W m−2) and patterns over the sites, while in the wet period have more similar characteristics (difference of −10 W m−2). The pasture site had more convection than the forest, with effective mixing and a deeper boundary layer (2600 m). The vertical decrease of sensible heat flux with altitude fed convection and also influenced the convective boundary layer (CBL) height. Regarding the components of turbulent kinetic energy equation, the thermal production was the most important component and the dissipation rate responded with higher growth, especially in cases of greatest mechanical production at the forest surface reaching values up to −20.0.