{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/33725"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/33725","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"A time-varying subsidence parameterization for the atmospheric boundary layer","abstract":"This study examines the effect of a time-varying parameterization for subsidence in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) on a one-dimensional coupled land-atmosphere model. Measurements of large-scale divergence in the ABL are scarce and often marred by error, providing the motivation to model this important physical process and estimate its values from indirect but related observations. Constant parameterizations of-large- scale divergence and/or subsidence velocity are adequate for periods within a characteristic synoptic time scale, but longer studies require a parameterization that yields to local atmospheric change. After confirming the potential significance of subsidence in the ABL, this experiment investigates two key areas: (1) the ability to model subsidence change as a response to estimated time-varying model error and (2) the net improvement and potential benefits of this enhancement. This study indicates a consistent reduction of root-mean-square error scores for the time-varying subsidence (divergence) parameter scheme versus a constant parameterization for the 2 m specific humidity measurement, with negligible change to the 2 m temperature measurement.","abstract_html":"This study examines the effect of a time-varying parameterization for subsidence in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) on a one-dimensional coupled land-atmosphere model. Measurements of large-scale divergence in the ABL are scarce and often marred by error, providing the motivation to model this important physical process and estimate its values from indirect but related observations. Constant parameterizations of-large- scale divergence and/or subsidence velocity are adequate for periods within a characteristic synoptic time scale, but longer studies require a parameterization that yields to local atmospheric change. After confirming the potential significance of subsidence in the ABL, this experiment investigates two key areas: (1) the ability to model subsidence change as a response to estimated time-varying model error and (2) the net improvement and potential benefits of this enhancement. This study indicates a consistent reduction of root-mean-square error scores for the time-varying subsidence (divergence) parameter scheme versus a constant parameterization for the 2 m specific humidity measurement, with negligible change to the 2 m temperature measurement.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Flagg, David D. (David Douglas)"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Dara Entekhabi."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2005,"date_issued":"2005","date_published":"2005","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:58Z","subjects":["Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33725","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Dara Entekhabi."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Flagg, David D. 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They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33725"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2005.","Includes bibliographical references (p. 46-49)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study examines the effect of a time-varying parameterization for subsidence in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) on a one-dimensional coupled land-atmosphere model. Measurements of large-scale divergence in the ABL are scarce and often marred by error, providing the motivation to model this important physical process and estimate its values from indirect but related observations. Constant parameterizations of-large- scale divergence and/or subsidence velocity are adequate for periods within a characteristic synoptic time scale, but longer studies require a parameterization that yields to local atmospheric change. After confirming the potential significance of subsidence in the ABL, this experiment investigates two key areas: (1) the ability to model subsidence change as a response to estimated time-varying model error and (2) the net improvement and potential benefits of this enhancement. This study indicates a consistent reduction of root-mean-square error scores for the time-varying subsidence (divergence) parameter scheme versus a constant parameterization for the 2 m specific humidity measurement, with negligible change to the 2 m temperature measurement.","(cont.) Model error does not improve explicitly, in spite of the presumed improvement to model physics. However, the unknown nature of the model error precludes an accurate diagnose of change, thus leaving the root-mean-square-error scores as the principal tool of evaluation and hence the justifying the potential usefulness of the time-varying parameterization."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.M."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A time-varying subsidence parameterization for the atmospheric boundary layer"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Dara Entekhabi."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences."],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences."],"dc:creator":["Flagg, David D. 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After confirming the potential significance of subsidence in the ABL, this experiment investigates two key areas: (1) the ability to model subsidence change as a response to estimated time-varying model error and (2) the net improvement and potential benefits of this enhancement. This study indicates a consistent reduction of root-mean-square error scores for the time-varying subsidence (divergence) parameter scheme versus a constant parameterization for the 2 m specific humidity measurement, with negligible change to the 2 m temperature measurement.","(cont.) Model error does not improve explicitly, in spite of the presumed improvement to model physics. However, the unknown nature of the model error precludes an accurate diagnose of change, thus leaving the root-mean-square-error scores as the principal tool of evaluation and hence the justifying the potential usefulness of the time-varying parameterization."],"dc:description.degree":["S.M."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33725"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences."],"dc:title":["A time-varying subsidence parameterization for the atmospheric boundary layer"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:58Z"}