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Abstract

On the basis of measurements over different surfaces, an inertial sublayer (ISL), where Monin‐Obukhov Similarity Theory (MOST) applies, exists above z = 3h, where h is canopy height. The roughness sublayer (RSL) is within h < z < 3h. Most studies of the surface layer (SL) above forests, however, are able to probe only a narrow region above h. Therefore, direct verification of an ISL above tall forests is difficult. In this study we conducted a systematic analysis of unstable turbulence characteristics at heights from 40 to 325 m, measured at an 80‐m and the recently built 325‐m ATTO towers over the Amazon Forest. Our analyses have revealed no indication of the existence of an ISL; instead, the RSL directly merges with the convective mixed layer (ML) above. Implications for estimates of momentum and scalar fluxes in numerical models and observational studies can be significant.