Structure of turbulence in stratified media

Abstract

The structure of a homogeneous turbulence in a stably stratified medium is developed under the assumption that the stratification is accompanied by anisotropy, reflecting the uniqueness of the vertical direction. Energy transfer is considered in the light of this assumption, and the absence of turbulence generation is noted. The abstraction of turbulent energy by buoyancy forces and the associated production of density deviations suggest a further assumption, namely, that the rate of energy transfer may be a rapidly decreasing function of the wave number. The turbulence spectra and the spectra of turbulently mixed passive contaminants are developed for this case.