Snowdrift suspension and atmospheric turbulence. Part II: Results of model simulations

An atmospheric surface-layer model is used to investigate the interaction between suspended snow particles and the near-surface flow. The model incorporates the effects of upward diffusion, gravitational settling and sublimation of snow particles in 48 size classes, the effects of snowdrift sublimation on the heat and moisture budget of the surface layer, and the buoyancy destruction of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) caused by the presence of suspended particles. A new term in the E-epsilon closure model representing the buoyancy destruction due to suspended particles is included in the prognostic equation for TKE. Generally, model results indicate that the presence of suspended particles causes significant decreases in TKE, the dissipation rate, turbulent length scales and eddy exchange coefficients (up to 40%). It is found that the reduction in the eddy exchange coefficients is due mainly to reductions in turbulent length scales. The associated particle Richardson number peaks near the saltation-suspension interface, but at higher levels in the surface layer the particle-induced buoyancy can also significantly affect the flow. A detailed analysis of the various snowdrift quantities, the TKE budget and the particle buoyancy effects on the flow is presented.