The study of small-scale meteorological processes associated with the interaction of the atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The lower boundary condition for the atmosphere and the upper boundary condition for the underlying soil or water are determined by interactions occurring in the lowest atmospheric layers. Momentum, heat, water vapor, various gases, and particulate matter are transported vertically by turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer and thus establish the environment of plants and animals at the surface. These exchanges are important in supplying energy and water vapor to the atmosphere, which ultimately determine large-scale weather and climate patterns. Micrometeorology also includes the study of how air pollutants are diffused and transported within the boundary layer and the deposition of pollutants at the surface.