Assessing the shear-sheltering theory applied to low-level jets in the nocturnal stable boundary layer

This paper investigates the existence of shear sheltering on turbulence data over a quasi-ideal experimental site in Oklahoma, USA. Originally developed for engineering flows, the shear-sheltering theory is predicated upon the idea of low-level jets blocking large eddies aloft, preventing them from propagating to the surface. In this scenario, suppression of low-frequency turbulence energy and reduction of surface fluxes would be expected. Results from the Oklahoma experiment show instead an enhancement of surface turbulence intensity and of the relative contribution of large scales to total (co)variances for low-level jet cases with strong shear, thus suggesting the absence of shear sheltering at the site. The results underline the complexity of surface-atmosphere interactions in nocturnal stable conditions. Atmospheric modeling of exchange using various scenarios of surface characteristics, flow regimes, and low-level jet properties is suggested to further assess the potential applicability of the shear-sheltering theory to atmospheric flows.