Mixing in Billow Turbulence and Stratospheric Eddy Diffusion

Book excerpt: In order to estimate the rate of vertical transport due to turbulence in the stratosphere, it is necessary to know the degree of mixing that takes place in 'Kelvin-Helmholtz billow events.' This is estimated by means of a discrete model and the results are compared with published experimental observations. From these considerations it is concluded that a very large degree of mixing probably takes place in such events, and that, therefore, one must use the relation between the bulk vertical eddy diffusivity and layer diffusivity originally proposed by Rosenberg and Dewan instead of the simple one usually employed.