This volume presents peer-reviewed papers from the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Atmospheric Boundary Layers held in April 2006. The papers are divided into thematic sessions: nature and theory of turbulent boundary layers; boundary-layer flows: modeling and applications to environmental security; nature, theory and modeling of boundary-layer flows; air flows within and above urban and other complex canopies: air-sea-ice interaction.

Almost half the U.S. population lives along the coast. In another 20 years this population is expected to more than double in size. The unique weather and climate of the coastal zone, circulating pollutants, altering storms, changing temperature, and moving coastal currents affect air pollution and disaster preparedness, ocean pollution, and safeguarding near-shore ecosystems. Activities in commerce, industry, transportation, freshwater supply, safety, recreation, and national defense also are affected. The research community engaged in studies of coastal meteorology in recent years has made significant advancements in describing and predicting atmospheric properties along coasts. Coastal Meteorology reviews this progress and recommends research that would increase the value and application of what is known today.

A two-dimensional time dependent numerical model of the atmospheric boundary layer is formulated and used to investigate various characteristics of air motion when a change occurs in roughness and/or temperature characteristics of the underlying surface. The integrations have been carried out for steady-state situations also. The model incorporates the effects of penetrative convection, diabatic influence associated with small-scale eddy diffusion, and pressure effects induced by horizontal nonuniformity of terrain in temperature and roughness. The results show that warm surfaces do not necessarily increase the height of internal boundary layers in the vicinity of surface discontinuity. The effects of discontinuity are quite appreciable at large fetches downwind from the discontinuity. (Author).