Long-term study of coherent structures in the atmospheric surface layer

A long-term study of coherent turbulence structures in the atmospheric surface layer has been carried out using 10 months of turbulence data taken on a 30-m tower under varying meteorological conditions. We use an objective detection technique based on wavelet transforms. The applied technique permits the isolation of the coherent structures from small-scale background fluctuations which is necessary for the development of dynamical models describing the evolution and properties of these phenomena. It was observed that coherent structures occupied 36% of the total time with mean turbulent flux contributions of 44% for momentum and 48% for heat. The calculation of a transport efficiency parameter indicates that coherent structures transport heat more efficiently than momentum. Furthermore, the transport efficiency increases with increasing contribution of the structures to the overall transport.     

Coherent structures and flux contribution over an inhomogeneously irrigated cotton field

The turbulence data measured at two levels (i.e., 8.7 and 2.7?m) in the Energy Balance Experiment (EBEX), which was conducted in San Joaquin Valley in California during the period from July 20 to August 24, 2000, are used to study the characteristics of coherent structures over an irrigated cotton field. Patch-to-patch irrigation in the field generated the dry-to-wet horizontal advection and the oasis effects, leading to the development of a stably internal boundary layer (SIBL) in the late mornings or the early afternoons. The SIBL persisted in the rest of the afternoons. Under this circumstance, a near-neutral atmospheric surface layer (ASL) developed during the period with a stratification transition from the unstable to stable conditions during the daytime. Therefore, EBEX provides us with unique datasets to investigate the features of coherent structures that were generated over the patches upstream and passed by our site in the unstable ASL, the near-neutral ASL, and the SIBL. We use an objective detection technique and the conditional average method that is developed based on the wavelet analysis. Our data reveal some consistencies and inconsistencies in the characteristics of coherent structures as compared with previous studies. Ramp-like structures and sweep?Cejection cycles under the daytime SIBL have similar patterns to those under the nocturnal stable ASL. However, some features (i.e., intermittence) are different from those under the nocturnal stable ASL. Under the three stratifications, thermal and mechanical factors in the ASL perform differently in affecting the ramp intensity for different quantities (i.e., velocity components, temperature, and specific humidity), leading to coherent structures that modulate turbulence flow and alter turbulent transfer differently. It is also found that coherent structures contribute about 10?C20% to the total fluxes in our case with different flux contributions under three stratifications and with higher transporting efficiency in sensible heat flux than latent heat and momentum fluxes.     

Negative water vapour skewness and dry tongues in the convective boundary layer: observations and large-eddy simulation budget analysis

This study focuses on the intrusion of dry air into the convective boundary layer (CBL) originating from the top of the CBL. Aircraft in-situ measurements from the IHOP_2002 field campaign indicate a prevalence of negative skewness of the water vapour distribution within the growing daytime CBL over land. This negative skewness is interpreted according to large-eddy simulations (LES) as the result of descending dry downdrafts originating from above the mixed layer. LES are used to determine the statistical properties of these intrusions: their size and thermodynamical characteristics. A conditional sampling analysis demonstrates their significance in the retrieval of moisture variances and fluxes. The rapid CBL growth explains why greater negative skewness is observed during the growing phase: the large amounts of dry air that are quickly incorporated into the CBL prevent a full homogenisation by turbulent mixing. The boundary-layer warming in this phase also plays a role in the acquisition of negative buoyancy for these dry tongues, and thus possibly explains their kinematics in the lower CBL. Budget analysis helps to identify the processes responsible for the negative skewness. This budget study underlines the main role of turbulent transport, which distributes the skewness produced at the top or the bottom of the CBL into the interior of the CBL. The dry tongues contribute significantly to this turbulent transport.     

Conditional Analysis of an Internal Boundary Layer

Data from a convective internal boundary layer (IBL) are analyzed by focusing on the instantaneousstructure of the top of the IBL instead of the time-average structure.A conditional averaging technique is developed todiscriminate between air from above the IBL and air from below the IBL , which alternately invade some instrument levels due tosubstantial variation of the top of the convective IBL.Sensitivity to the conditional sampling criteria is examined.Inside the IBL , buoyant and mechanicalproduction and dissipation dominate the turbulent kinetic energy budget.The horizontal advection and turbulent transport terms are smaller, but not negligible. The inferred pressure correlation term is negligible.Above the IBL , buoyant production and dissipation, although weak,dominate the turbulent kinetic energy budget. Shear generation andturbulent transport are smaller but significant.     

Observations of Coherent Turbulence Structures in the Near-Neutral Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Turbulence structures of high Reynolds number flow in the near-neutral atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) are investigated based on observations at Shionomisaki and Shigaraki, Japan. A Doppler sodar measured the vertical profiles of winds in the ABL. Using the integral wavelet transform for the time series of surface wind data, the pattern of a descending high-speed structure with large vertical extent (from the surface to more than 200-m level) is depicted from the Doppler sodar data. Essentially this structure is a specific type of coherent structure that has been previously shown in experiments on turbulent boundary-layer flows. Large-scale high-speed structures in the ABL are extracted using a long time scale (240 s) for the wavelet transform. The non-dimensional interval of time between structures is evaluated as 3.0–6.2 in most cases. These structures make a large contribution to downward momentum transfer in the surface layer. Quadrant analyses of the turbulent motion measured by the sonic anemometer (20-m height) suggest that the sweep motion (high-speed downward motion) plays a substantial role in the downward momentum transfer. In general, the contribution of sweep motions to the momentum flux is nearly equal to that of ejection motions (low-speed upward motions). This contribution of sweep motions is related to the large-scale high-speed structures.     

On the downward transport of turbulent kinetic energy in the surface layer over plant canopies

Downward fluxes of turbulent kinetic energy have been frequently observed in the air layer just above plant canopies. In order to investigate the mechanism for such downward transport, analysis of observational data is attempted. Height-dependency of turbulent kinetic energy flux and turbulence statistics including higher order moments is represented as a function of a non-dimensional height z/H, where z is an observational height and H an average height of plant canopies. Downward fluxes and non-Gaussianity of wind velocity fluctuations are predominant just above plant canopies and decrease with increasing height. The downward flux is closely related to the high intensity of turbulence and the non-Gaussianity of wind velocity fluctuations, especially with a positive skewness in the longitudinal wind and a negative skewness in the vertical wind. The analysis method of conditional sampling and averaging is applied to the present observations. The results show that the predominance of the intermittent inrush phase over the intermittent ejection phase leads to the above-mentioned non-Gaussianity. Finally, a simple explanation is given in order to interpret the turbulent flow structure in the air layer near the plant canopies, which is associated with the downward energy transport process.     

Mesoscale Heat Transport Over Complex Terrain By Slope Winds – A Conceptual Model And Numerical Simulations

Vertical heat fluxes induced by mesoscale thermally driven circulations maycontribute significantly to the subgrid-scale fluxes in large-scale models (e.g.,general circulation models). However, they are not considered in these modelsyet. To gain insight into the importance and possible parameterisation of themesoscale flux associated with slope winds, an analytical (conceptual) modelis developed to describe the relationship between the mesoscale heat flux andatmospheric and land-surface characteristics. The analytical model allows usto evaluate the mesoscale flux induced by slope winds from only a few profilemeasurements within a domain. To validate the analytical model the resultingheat flux profiles are compared to profiles of highly resolved wind and temperaturefields obtained by simulations with a mesoscale numerical model.With no or moderate synoptic wind the mesoscale heat flux generated by the slopewind circulation may be as large as, or even larger than, the turbulent fluxes at thesame height. At altitudes lower than the crest of the hills the mesoscale flux is alwayspositive (upward). Generally it causes cooling within the boundary layer and heatingabove. Despite the simplifications made to derive the analytical model, it reproducesthe profiles of the mesoscale flux quite well. According to the analytical model, themesoscale heat flux is governed by the temperature deviation at the slope surface, thedepth of the slope-wind layer, the large-scale lapse rate, and the wavelength of thetopographical features.     

绿洲灌溉对垂直湍流热通量影响的大涡模拟研究

为了研究湍涡对中尺度绿洲灌溉的响应,利用WRF模式大涡模拟模块（WRF-LES）在西北半干旱区绿洲区开展灌溉前和灌溉后两个大涡模拟试验（分别简称为BI和AI）,其中灌溉可能会改变绿洲非均匀强度。利用面积平均的办法计算湍流热通量并利用小波分析将湍流热通量模态分解到不同的尺度。结果表明灌溉增加了土壤湿度,引起绿洲内部非均匀强度增加,灌溉对垂直热通量以及通量频散都有较大影响。AI中的湍涡为网状,与BI中一致。AI与BI中的感热通量的频散高度都随着感热通量的减小而减小。AI与BI中感热通量小波能量谱尺度一致,但是BI中强度比AI小。潜热通量的频散高度依赖于感热通量,且潜热通量能量谱随高度减小。空间滞后相关系数的结果表明由于灌溉前地表加热较强,感热通量对地表热通量的响应高度在灌溉之前（BI）比灌溉后（AI）更高。灌溉后的通量模态的飘移距离小于灌溉前的。     

Observations Of The Turbulence Structure Within Two Stratocumulus-Topped, Marine Boundary Layers

Two situations observed during the second Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-2) are analysed from aircraft measurements in the broken stratocumulus (Sc)-topped marine boundary layer. The first one (26 June 1997), characterized by a non-polluted, oceanic air mass, presents a decoupling between the Sc layer (1400–1520 m) and the turbulent mixed layer, this latter extending from the surface up to 580 m. In contrast, the second case (9 July 1997), during which continental air had been advected over the experimental area, presents a well-coupled layer extending from the surface up to the top of the Sc layer(910 m). This coupling, uncommon in this area in the middle of the day, isrelated to the relative shallowness of the boundary layer. For both situations,it is shown that the turbulent fluxes can be computed with reasonably goodaccuracy (better than 10 %), taking into account both the random and thesystematic errors involved in the eddy-correlation technique. Estimationof random error is based on the computation of the integral scale of thecovariance, and systematic error is estimated from the parameterizationof Mann and Lenschow. The fluxes show that the buoyancy, as a sourceof turbulence, is due to latent heat flux rather than sensible heat flux,with values comparable to previous experiments in the Azores-Canariesbasin. In addition, we propose a method to analyse, for coupled situations,the relationship between the fractional cloudiness and the organization ofthe turbulent field below the clouds. This method is based on a conditionalsampling technique. It is shown that this organization cannot be deducedfrom the analysis of the velocity signal, which is dominated by turbulence.However, when the signals are conditionally sampled according to thepresence or absence of clouds, a weak cloud-related organization can beshown, and the cloud-related transports quantified; the values found areof the order of 10 % of the total transfers, i.e. the same order of magnitude asthe errors on the total flux computation. The method developed is thereforepromising, provided that the uncertainties can be reduced by analyzing a highamount of data.     

南海台风边界层湍流小波分析

利用小波变换（WT）对香港天文台飞机观测台风“妮妲”（1604）资料进行分析,研究在不稳定、不均匀的台风边界层中湍流涡旋的垂直传输作用。在0.1~5 Hz惯性子区内横风和顺风分量功率谱密度能较好符合-5/3幂律。小波分析显示:横风的小波功率谱峰值集中在1 km之下,顺风分量的小波功率谱峰值集中在1~6 km之间;眼区动量通量的主要贡献尺度为2.3 km,眼区外主要贡献尺度在1~2 km,中低层为较小尺度（< 1.0 km）;湍流功能(TKE)的生成尺度主要集中在4 km之下。这项研究定量描述了南海北部台风边界层各个区域湍流结构的差异特征,讨论了对台风边界层通量参数化的可能影响。      

Helicopter-Borne Flux Measurements in the Nocturnal Boundary Layer Over Land – a Case Study

This case study introduces measurements of turbulent fluxes in a nocturnal boundary layer in North Germany with the new helicopter-borne turbulence measurement system HELIPOD, a detailed data analysis and examination in regard of systematic errors of the instrument, and some comparison with local similarity theory and experiments of the past, in order to confirm the occurrence of small vertical turbulent fluxes. The examined nocturnal boundary layer offered excellent conditions to analyse the quality of the measurement system. In this connection, a detailed look at a strong ground-based inversion disclosed small turbulent fluxes with a spectral maximum at ten metres wavelength or less, embedded in intermittent turbulence. For verification of these fluxes, the measurements were compared with well established results from past experiments. Local similarity theory was applied to calculate dimensionless variances of the turbulent quantities, which were found in good agreement with other observations. Since shear and stratification varied significantly on the horizontal flight legs due to global intermittency, a method was developed to determine vertical gradients on a horizontal flight pattern, by use of small fluctuations of the measurement height. With these locally determined gradients, gradient transport theory became applicable and the turbulent diffusivities for heat and momentum, the Richardson number, and the flux Richardson number were estimated within isolated strong turbulent outbursts. Within these outbursts the flux Richardson number was found between 0.1 and 0.2. The functional relationship between the gradient Richardson number and the turbulent Prandtl number agreed well with observations in past experiments and large eddy simulation. The impact of the stratification on the vertical turbulent exchange, as already described for the surface layer using Monin–Obukhov similarity, was analogously observed in the very stably stratified bulk flow when local scaling was applied.     

Structures and characteristics of the windy atmospheric boundary layer in the South China Sea region during cold surges

An observational analysis of the structures and characteristics of a windy atmospheric boundary layer during a cold air outbreak in the South China Sea region is reported in this paper. It is found that the main structures and characteristics are the same as during strong wind episodes with cold air outbreaks on land. The high frequency turbulent fluctuations(period<1 min) are nearly random and isotropic with weak coherency, but the gusty wind disturbances(1 min相似文献   

CONDITIONAL SAMPLING AND SCALE ANALYSIS OF THE MARINE ATMOSPHERIC MIXED LAYER -- SOFIA EXPERIMENT

During the SOFIA experiment, performed in the Azores region in June1992, airborne missions were conducted in the atmospheric boundary layerwith two aircraft instrumented for turbulence measurements. We show howthe conditional sampling technique, applied to the velocity, temperatureand moisture fluctuations, is able to describe the various parcels whichconstitute the turbulent field. Each parcel, so identified, is characterized byits fractional area and by its contribution to the transfers of sensible heat andlatent heat. On the other hand, a scale analysis is conducted by filteringthe turbulent signals in five non-overlapping frequency bands, definedaccording to the characteristic turbulent scales. The contribution of eachband to the turbulent energy and to the transfers is thus presented. Theimportance of the lowest frequencies, which are generally removed fromthe signals by high-pass filtering before computing turbulent fluxes, isshown. In the final section, the conditional sampling technique is applied tothe signals filtered in the various bands. Despite a slight deformation of theeddies due to the filtering technique, the contribution of each parcel can beestimated at the various scales analysed.     

Maximal Overlap Wavelet Statistical Analysis With Application to Atmospheric Turbulence

Statistical tools based on the maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform (MODWT) are reviewed, and then applied to a dataset of aircraft observations of the atmospheric boundary layer from the tropical eastern Pacific, which includes quasi-stationary and non-stationary segments. The wavelet methods provide decompositions of variances and covariances, e.g. fluxes, between time scales that effectively describe a broadband process like atmospheric turbulence. Easily understood statistical confidence bounds are discussed and applied to these scale decompositions, and results are compared to Fourier methods for quasi-stationary turbulence. The least asymmetric LA(8) wavelet filter yields coefficients that exhibit better uncorrelatedness across scales than the Haar filter and is better suited for decomposition of broadband turbulent signals. An application to a non-stationary segment of our dataset, namely vertical profiles of the turbulent dissipation rate, highlights the flexibility of wavelet methods.     

A numerical investigation on the interaction of turbulent and long-wave radiative fluxes in the surface layer

The interaction of turbulent and radiative transfer applied to a number of plausible atmospheric situations in the surface layer under the stably stratified condition is discussed.The calculated results show that the long-wave radiative flux has a great influence upon the thermal structure of the surface layer, and that it usually acts in such a way as to weaken the thickness of the constant turbulent heat flux layer. In the case of low wind velocities and strongly stable stratifications, the thickness of the turbulent heat flux layer will become very thin and/or inexistent.     

Airborne measurements of turbulent trace gas fluxes and analysis of eddy structure in the convective boundary layer over complex terrain

Using the new high-frequency measurement equipment of the research aircraft DO 128, which is described in detail, turbulent vertical fluxes of ozone and nitric oxide have been calculated from data sampled during the ESCOMPTE program in the south of France. Based on airborne turbulence measurements, radiosonde data and surface energy balance measurements, the convective boundary layer (CBL) is examined under two different aspects. The analysis covers boundary-layer convection with respect to (i) the control of CBL depth by surface heating and synoptic scale influences, and (ii) the structure of convective plumes and their vertical transport of ozone and nitric oxides. The orographic structure of the terrain causes significant differences between planetary boundary layer (PBL) heights, which are found to exceed those of terrain height variations on average. A comparison of boundary-layer flux profiles as well as mean quantities over flat and complex terrain and also under different pollution situations and weather conditions shows relationships between vertical gradients and corresponding turbulent fluxes. Generally, NO_x transports are directed upward independent of the terrain, since primary emission sources are located near the ground. For ozone, negative fluxes are common in the lower CBL in accordance with the deposition of O₃ at the surface.The detailed structure of thermals, which largely carry out vertical transports in the boundary layer, are examined with a conditional sampling technique. Updrafts mostly contain warm, moist and NO_x loaded air, while the ozone transport by thermals alternates with the background ozone gradient. Evidence for handover processes of trace gases to the free atmosphere can be found in the case of existing gradients across the boundary-layer top. An analysis of the size of eddies suggests the possibility of some influence of the heterogeneous terrain in mountainous area on the length scales of eddies.     

Gust and downward momentum transport in the atmospheric surface layer

The intermittent structure of the turbulent wind field in the atmospheric surface layer is investigated by conditional sampling methods. The results show that downward momentum can be transported efficiently during a peak gust. The horizontal structure of the gust is also revealed by observing the spatial structure of wind speed fluctuations from a network of 28 anemometers. The high wind region consists of a gust front with a sudden increase of wind speed at the front and a slow decrease to its rear. The development of the gust front is related closely to the momentum flux during the short time of passage of the gust.     

盘锦芦苇湿地近地面层湍流通量参数化方案研究

基于2005年盘锦芦苇湿地近地面层湍流通量和微气象梯度的连续观测,研究了芦苇湿地近地面层湍流通量参数化方案。结果表明,盘锦芦苇湿地近地面层经常维持弱稳定和弱不稳定层结。在不稳定层结(-0.4