Comparison of Kansas Data with High-resolution Large-eddy Simulation Fields

The surface layer of an atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is most accessible to field measurements and hence its ensemble-mean structure has been well established. The Kansas field measurements were the first detailed study of this layer, providing numerous benchmark statistical profiles for a wide range of stability states. Large-eddy simulation (LES), in contrast, is most suitable for studying the mixed layer of the ABL where the energy-containing range of the vertical velocity field is well resolved. In the surface layer, typical large-eddy simulations barely resolve the energy-containing vertical-velocity fields and hence do not provide sufficient data for a detailed analysis.