Topics in Micrometeorology. A Festschrift for Arch Dyer

In the micrometeorological literature, reference is sometimes made to the ‘Businger-Dyer Profiles’ or the ‘Dyer-Businger profiles/relations’ without referring to the origin of these relations. For example, in the textbook on ‘Atmospheric Turbulence’ by Panofsky and Dutton (1984) on p. 134, reference is made to the ‘Businger-Dyer formula’. To add to the mystery, these authors refer on p. 141 to the Businger-Dyer-Pandolfo empirical result (Businger, 1966; Pandolfo, 1966) that in unstable air * Z r (1) Ri=-== … L So it seemed to me that it would be appropriate for this issue of Boundary-Layer Meteorology which is dedicated to Arch Dyer, to go back to 1965 and describe the circumstances that led to the above mentioned profiles as I remember them. 2. Aspendale, 1965 In the academic year 1965-1966 I found myself in Australia on a sabbatical leave. The first part of this leave was spent at the CSIRO Division of Meteorological Physics in Aspendale, Victoria. It was in many ways a good choice. The fall is exchanged for spring, SE Australia is a pleasant place to be in spring and summer, and the scientists in the division were hospitable and stimulating. Priestley, Swinbank, Dyer, Webb, McIlroy, Taylor, Clarke, Deacon and several others carried out an active research program.