Aircraft-Based Measurements Of Turbulence Structures In The Katabatic Flow Over Greenland

Turbulence structures in the katabatic flow in the stable boundary layer (SBL) over the ice sheet are studied for two case studies with high wind speeds during the aircraft-based experiment KABEG (Katabatic wind and boundary layer front experiment around Greenland) in the area of southern Greenland. The aircraft data allow the direct determination of turbulence structures in the katabatic flow. For the first time, this allows the study of the turbulence structure in the katabatic wind system over the whole boundary layer and over a horizontal scale of 80 km.The katabatic flow is associated with a low-level jet (LLJ), with maximum wind speeds up to 25 m s^-1. Turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and the magnitude of the turbulent fluxes show a strong decrease below the LLJ. Sensible heat fluxes at the lowest level have values down to -25 W m^-2. Latent heat fluxes are small in general, but evaporation values of up to +13 W m^-2 are also measured. Turbulence spectra show a well-defined inertial subrange and a clear spectral gap around 250-m wavelength. While turbulence intensity decreases monotonously with height above the LLJ for the upper part of the slope, high spectral intensities are also present at upper levels close to the ice edge. Normalized fluxes and variances generally follow power-law profiles in the SBL.Terms of the TKE budget are computed from the aircraft data. The TKE destruction by the negative buoyancy is found to be very small, and the dissipation rate exceeds the dynamical production.     

Nocturnal Low-Level Jet Characteristics Over Kansas During Cases-99

Characteristics and evolution of the low-level jet (LLJ)over southeastern Kansas were investigated during the 1999 Cooperative Surface-AtmosphereExchange Study (CASES–99) field campaign with an instrument complement consisting of ahigh-resolution Doppler lidar (HRDL), a 60 m instrumented tower, and a triangle of Dopplermini-sodar/profiler combinations. Using this collection of instrumentation we determined thespeed U_X, height Z_X and direction D_X of the LLJ. We investigate here the frequencyof occurrence, the spatial distribution, and the evolution through the night, of these LLJcharacteristics. The jet of interest in this study was that which generates the shear and turbulencebelow the jet and near the surface. This was represented by the lowest wind maximum.We found that this wind maximum, which was most often between 7 and 10 m s¹,was often at or just below 100 m above ground level as measured by HRDL at the CASEScentral site. Over the 60 km profiler–sodararray, the topography varied by 100 m. The wind speed anddirection were relatively constant over this distance (with some tendency for strongerwinds at the highest site), but Z_X was more variable. Z_X was occasionally about equal at allthree sites, indicating that the jet was following the terrain, but more often it seemed to berelatively level, i.e., at about the same height above sea level. Z_X was also more variable thanU_X in the behaviour of the LLJ with time through the night, and on some nights $U_X wasremarkably steady. Examples of two nights with strong turbulence below jet level were furtherinvestigated using the 60 m tower at the main CASES–99 site. Evidence of TKE increasing withheight and downward turbulent transport of TKE indicates that turbulence was primarilygenerated aloft and mixed downward, supporting the upside–down boundary layer notion in thestable boundary layer.     

Lidar Measurements of Aerosols in the Tropical Atmosphere

Measurements of atmospheric aerosols and trace gases using the Laser radar (lidar) techniques, have been in pro-gress since 1985 at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune (18o32’N, 73o51’E, 559 m AMSL), India. These observations carried out during nighttime in the lower atmosphere (up to 5.5 km AGL), employing an Argon ion / Helium-Neon lidar provided information on the nature, size, concentration and other characteristics of the constituents present in the tropical atmosphere. The time-height variations in aerosol concentration and associated layer structure exhibit marked differences between the post-sunset and pre-sunrise periods besides their seasonal va-riation with maximum concentration during pre-monsoon / winter and minimum concentration during monsoon months. These observations also revealed the influence of the terrain of the experimental site and some selected me-teorological parameters on the aerosol vertical distributions. The special observations of aerosol vertical profiles ob-tained in the nighttime atmospheric boundary layer during October 1986 through September 1989 showed that the most probable occurrence of mixing depth lies between 450 and 550 m, and the multiple stably stratified aerosol lay-ers present above the mixing depth with maximum frequency of occurrence at around 750 m. This information on nighttime mixing depth / stable layer derived from lidar aerosol observations showed good agreement with the height of the ground-based shear layer / elevated layer observed by the simultaneously operated sodar at the lidar site.     

基于多普勒测风激光雷达的低空急流观测研究

基于相干多普勒测风激光雷达于2018年8月在山东德州获取的为期一个月的风廓线观测数据,进行了低空急流的判定、识别与统计分析。参考BONNER对低空急流的判定标准,对1 500 m高度以下的每10 min平均风廓线数据进行低空急流识别与统计,急流发生频率仅为3.6%。参考张世丰对低空急流的判定标准,统计了350 m高度以下10 min平均风廓线的低空急流风速、高度、风向及风切变等结构特征。急流发生频率为24.9%,急流速度主要介于6～10 m·s-1之间,急流高度出现3个峰值,分别位于110 m、160 m和220 m左右,急流风向主要为偏东风和偏南风。结果表明,多普勒激光雷达可以获取高时空分辨率的风廓线数据,进而可以有效检测低空急流结构的存在及其特征。     

The Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer over an Antarctic ice Sheet

Turbulence measurements up to 11-m height and longterm profile measurements up to 45-m height performed at the German Neumayer Station in Antarctica are used to investigate different components of turbulence closure schemes of the stable boundary layer. The results confirm the linear relationships for the universal functions of momentum and heat exchange in the stability range z/L < 0.8 ... 1, whereas the local scaling approach should be used above the surface layer. Furthermore, boundary-layer heights below 50 m are frequently observed at this coastal Antarctic site, mainly due to the influence of stability above the boundary layer. It is shown that the inclusion of this stability into parametrization relations is necessary to provide realistic equilibrium heights of the stable boundary layer. Two relations, based on different physical approaches, were successfully applied for the parametrization of the equilibrium height.     

Influence of mesoscale winds on the turbulent structure of the urban boundary layer over St. Louis

Two fair weather afternoons have been examined, where the urban boundary layer over St. Louis, though exhibiting similar thermal characteristics, had a markedly different kinematic structure. The turbulent nature of the boundary layer was examined through analysis of double theodolite wind profiles at an urban and at a rural site on each day. On 14 July 1975, the winds increased with height above the inversion at both sites and on the following day, the winds decreased above the boundary layer in the same region. While the mean wind speed in the lowest 0.8 km agl was similar on both days, the turbulence characteristics of the urban boundary-layer winds were distinctly different on these two afternoons. This was evidenced by the variance of the wind and is in agreement with simultaneous aircraft measurements reported by Hildebrand and Ackerman (1984). A similar difference in turbulence was not found over the rural site. It is suggested that the enhanced turbulence at the urban site on 14 July is likely associated with the wind profile immediately above the boundary layer, where the downward flux of high momentum air from above the inversion may have resulted in stronger mechanical mixing within the boundary layer.     

Turbulence statistics of a Kelvin–Helmholtz billow event observed in the night-time boundary layer during the Cooperative Atmosphere–Surface Exchange Study field program

An apparent shear flow instability occurred in the stably stratified night-time boundary layer on 6 October 1999 over the Cooperative Atmosphere–Surface Exchange Study (CASES-99) site in southeast Kansas. This instability promoted a train of billows which appeared to be in different stages of evolution. Data were collected by sonic anemometers and a high-frequency thermocouple array distributed on a 60 m tower at the site, and a high resolution Doppler lidar (HRDL), situated close to the tower. Data from these instruments were used to analyze the characteristics of the instability and the billow event. The instability occurred in a layer characterized by a minimum Richardson number Ri0.13, and where an inflection in the background wind profile was also documented. The billows, which translated over the site for approximately 30 min, were approximately L320 m in length and, after billow evolution they were contained in a layer depth H30 m. Their maximum amplitude, determined by HRDL data, occurred at a height of 56 m. Billow overturns, responsible for mixing of heat and momentum, and high-frequency intermittent turbulence produce kurtosis values above the Gaussian value of 3, particularly in the lower part of the active layer.     

On the Possible Impact of a Following-Swell on the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

A simple model of the atmospheric boundary layer over the ocean where the swell impact on the atmosphere is explicitly accounted for is suggested. The model is based on Ekman’s equations, where the stress in the wave boundary layer is split into two parts: the turbulent and wave-induced stress. The turbulent stress is parameterized traditionally via the eddy viscosity proportional to the generalized mixing length. The wave-induced stress directed upward (from swell to the atmosphere) is parameterized using the formalism of the wind-over-waves coupling theory. The model can be seen as an extension of the model by Kudryavtsev and Makin (J Phys Oceanogr 34:934–949, 2004) to the scale of the entire atmospheric boundary layer by including the Coriolis force into the momentum conservation equation and generalizing the definition of the mixing length. The regime of low winds for swell propagating along the wind direction is studied. It is shown that the impact of swell on the atmosphere is governed mainly by the swell parameter—the coupling parameter that is the product of the swell steepness and the growth rate coefficient. When the coupling parameter drops below − 1 the impact of swell becomes significant and affects the entire atmospheric boundary layer. The turbulent stress is enhanced near the surface as compared to the no-swell case, and becomes negative above the height of the inner region. The wind profile is characterized by a positive gradient near the surface and a negative gradient above the height of the inner region forming a characteristic bump at the height of the inner region. Results of the model agree at least qualitatively with observations performed in the atmosphere in presence of swell.     

Impact of the Nocturnal Low-Level Jet and Orographic Waves on Turbulent Motions and Energy Fluxes in the Lower Atmospheric Boundary Layer

The nocturnal low-level jet (LLJ) and orographic (gravity) waves play an important role in the generation of turbulence and pollutant dispersion and can affect the energy production by wind turbines. Additionally, gravity waves have an influence on the local mixing and turbulence within the surface layer and the vertical flux of mass into the lower atmosphere. On 25 September 2017, during a field campaign, a persistent easterly LLJ and gravity waves were observed simultaneously in a coastal area in the north of France. We explore the variability of the wind speed, turbulent eddies, and turbulence kinetic energy in the time–frequency and space domain using an ultrasonic anemometer and a scanning wind lidar. The results reveal a significant enhancement of the turbulence-kinetic-energy dissipation (by?50%) due to gravity waves in the LLJ shear layer (below the jet core) during the period of wave propagation. Large magnitudes of zonal and vertical components of the shear stress (approximately 0.4 and 1.5 m² s^?2, respectively) are found during that period. Large eddies (scales of 110 to 280 m) matching the high-wind-speed regime are found to propagate the momentum downwards, which enhances the mass transport from the LLJ shear layer to the roughness layer. Furthermore, these large-scale eddies are associated with the crests while comparatively small-scale eddies are associated with the troughs of the gravity wave.

     

Determination of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Height from Radiosonde and Lidar Backscatter

The height of the atmospheric boundary layer is derived with the help of two different measuring systems and methods. From radiosoundings the boundary layer height is determined by the parcel method and by temperature and humidity gradients. From lidar backscatter measurements a combination of the averaging variance method and the high-resolution gradient method is used to determine boundary layer heights. In this paper lidar-derived boundary layer heights on a 10 min basis are presented. Datasets from four experiments – two over land and two over the sea – are used to compare boundary layer heights from both methods. Only the daytime boundary layer is investigated because the height of the nighttime stable boundary layer is below the range of the lidar. In many situations the boundary layer heights from both systems coincide within ±200 m. This corresponds to the standard deviation of lidar-derived 10-min values within a 1-h interval and is due to the time and space variability of the boundary layer height. Deviations appear for certain situations and depend on which radiosonde method is applied. The parcel method fails over land surfaces in the afternoon when the boundary layer stabilizes and over the ocean when the boundary layer is slightly stable. An automatic radiosonde gradient method sometimes fails when multiple layers are present, e.g. a residual layer above the growing convective boundary layer. The lidar method has the advantage of continuous tracing and thus avoids confusion with elevated layers. On the other hand, it mostly fails in situations with boundary layer clouds     

A study of intermittent turbulence with cases-99 tower measurments

Characteristics of intermittent turbulence events in the stably stratified nocturnal boundary layer are investigated with data collected in the CASES-99 tower array of 300-m radius. The array consists of a central 60-m tower with eddy covariance measurements at eight levels and six satellite towers with eddy covariance measurements at 5 m. A significant increase in the magnitude of vertical wind velocity () and spectral information are used to define the onset of an intermittent turbulence event. Normally, only a subset of 5 m-levels in the tower network experience an intermittent turbulence event concurrent with one at the 5 m-level on the main tower. This behaviour reveals the small horizontal extent of most events. Intermittent turbulence events at the main tower 5-m level are normally confined to a layer much thinner than the 60-m tower height. The turbulent kinetic energy budget is evaluated for intermittent turbulence events observed at the 5-m level on the main tower. Generally, the onset of an intermittent turbulence event is not closely related to the reduction of the gradient Richardson number below 0.25, the critical Richardson number of turbulence generation for linear instability. Possible explanations including the influence of advected turbulence patches are discussed.     

Effects of Topographical Slope Angle and Atmospheric Stratification on Surface-Layer Turbulence

The effect of topographical slope angle and atmospheric stratification on turbulence intensities in the unstably stratified surface layer have been parameterized using observations obtained from a three-dimensional sonic anemometer installed at 8 m height above the ground at the Seoul National University (SNU) campus site in Korea for the years 1999–2001. Winds obtained from the sonic anemometer are analyzed according to the mean wind direction, since the topographical slope angle changes significantly along the azimuthal direction. The effects of the topographical slope angle and atmospheric stratification on surface-layer turbulence intensity are examined with these data. It is found that both the friction velocity and the variance for each component of wind normalized by the mean wind speed decrease with increase of the topographical slope angle, having a maximum decreasing rate at very unstable stratification. The decreasing rate of the normalized friction velocity (u _* /U) is found to be much larger than that of the turbulence intensity of each wind component due to the reduction of wind shear with increase in slope angle under unstable stratification. The decreasing rate of the w component of turbulence intensity (σ _w /U) is the smallest over the downslope surface whereas that of the u component (σ _u /U) has a minimum over the upslope surface. Consequently, σ _w /u _* has a maximum increasing rate with increase in slope angle for the downslope wind, whereas σ _u /u _* has its maximum for the upslope wind. The sloping terrain is found to reduce both the friction velocity and turbulence intensity compared with those on a flat surface. However, the reduction of the friction velocity over the sloping terrain is larger than that of the turbulence intensity, thereby enhancing the turbulence intensity normalized by the friction velocity over sloping terrain compared with that over a flat surface.     

Turbulence Characteristics Of The Stable Boundary Layer Over A Mid-Latitude Glacier. Part Ii: Pure Katabatic Forcing Conditions

Observations obtained over a glacier surface in a predominantlykatabatic flow and with a distinctwind maximum below 13-m height are presented. The data werecollected using a 13-m high profilemast and two sonic anemometers (at about 2.5-m and 10-m heights).The spectra at frequencies belowthat of the turbulence range appear to deviate considerably fromthe curves obtained by Kaimal andco-workers during the 1968 Kansas experiment. The characteristicsof these deviations are compared tothe observations of others in surface-layers disturbed by anykind of large-scale outer-layer (orinactive) turbulence. In our case the disturbances arelikely to be induced by the highmountain ridges that surround the glacier. Moreover, the deviationsobserved in the cospectra seemto result from an, as yet, unspecified interaction between theinactive outer-layer turbulenceand the local surface-layer turbulence. Near the distinctwind maximum turbulence production ceasedwhile turbulence itself did not, probably the result ofturbulence transport from other levels. Consequently, we studied thelocal similarity relations using _w instead of u_* as an alternative velocity scale. Wellbelow the wind maximum, and for relatively low stability(0< Ri_g <0.2), the flow behaves accordingto well established local-scaling similarity relationshipsin the stable boundary layer. For higherstability (Ri_g > 0.2), and near or above the wind maximum, the boundary-layer structure conforms tothat of z-less stratification suggesting that the eddy sizeis restricted by the local stability ofthe flow. In line with this we observed that the sensibleheat fluxes relate remarkably well to thelocal flow parameters.     

An Analytical Study of the Diurnal Variations of Wind in a Semi-geostrophic Ekman Boundary Layer Model

A time-dependent semi-geostrophic Ekman boundary-layer model based on the geostrophic momentum approximation is used to study the diurnal wind variation in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and the evolution of the low-level nocturnal jet (LLJ). The coefficient of eddy viscosity varies periodically with time, varies linearly with height in the surface layer and is constant above the surface layer. The influence of horizontal advection of momentum on the diurnal wind variation in the PBL, the development of inertial oscillations (IOs) and the formation of the LLJ are examined.In comparison with the Ekman solutions, the diurnal wind variation in semi-geostrophic Ekman boundary-layer dynamics has the following features: (1) the phase angle of the diurnal wind wave shifts with height, the rate of shifting is increased in anticyclonic regions and decreased in cyclonic regions, (2) the time of occurrence of the low-level maximum wind speed is later in anticyclonic regions and earlier in cyclonic regions, (3) the height of occurrence of the maximum wind speed is higher in the anticyclonic and lower in cyclonic regions, (4) the wind speed maximum and the amplitude of the diurnal wind variation are larger in anticyclonic and smaller in cyclonic regions, (5) the period of IOs is larger in anticyclonic regions and smaller in cyclonic regions, (6) anticyclonic vorticity is conducive to the generation of LLJ in the PBL. These features are interpreted by means of the physical properties of semi-geostrophic Ekman boundary-layer dynamics and inertial oscillation dynamics.     

An observational study of the structure of the nocturnal boundary layer

In an effort to describe the basic vertical structure of the nocturnal boundary layer, observations from four experiments are analyzed. During the night, the depth of significant cooling appears to increase with time while the depth of the turbulence and height of the low level wind maximum tend to remain constant or decrease with time. Since the inversion layer extends above the low level wind maximum and shear is small in the region of the low level jet, the Richardson number reaches a maximum at the jet level and then decreases again with height. As a result, turbulence is observed to be a minimum at the height of the low level wind maximum and then increases again above this height.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.Part of this work was performed while a visiting scientist at Oregon State University.     

Contrasting vertical structures of nocturnal boundary layers

This study analyzes eight levels of sonic anemometerdata collected on a 60-m towerduring CASES-99, toward the goal of understanding thevertical structure of thenocturnal boundary layer. Several different regimesare found. Thin boundarylayers are often observed where fluxes decrease with height and approximately vanish between 20 and 30 m aboveground. The flow above the thin boundary layeraccelerates and increasing shear oftengenerates significant turbulence in the middle ofthe night. Thisshear-generated turbulence is often stronger thanthat near the surface corresponding to an upside-downboundary layer. During these conditions,the turbulent transport of turbulence is downwardtoward the surface. The turbulence in this regimeshows features of z-less turbulence to the extentthat neither the height above groundnor the boundary-layer depth are primary scalingvariables. This layer isdifferent from a `residual layer' in thatturbulence is actively generated byshear associated with nocturnal accelerationsand often is stronger than that inthe surface-based boundary layer.In many cases, the turbulence does not varysignificantly across the towerlayer, implying that the boundary layer ismuch deeper than the 60-m towerlayer. Several case studies are presentedto illustrate the largevariation of vertical structure betweennights.     

A Scheme for Scalar Exchange in the Urban Boundary Layer

We present a scheme for parameterising scalar transfer in the urban boundary layer, which is divided into an inertial layer and a roughness layer. The latter is further divided into a shear layer and a canyon layer. In the inertial layer, scalar transfer is determined by turbulence related to canyon macroscopic features, while in the roughness layer, it is determined by shear-generated turbulence, canyon vortex and vortex-generated turbulence. We first describe a conceptual model for the canyon flow and the aerodynamic resistance network, and then estimate the resistances from the point of view of drag partition and vortex advection. The results are compared with the measurements from wind-tunnel experiments. It is found that for small canyon aspect ratio, σ_c, the transfer velocity increases with σ_c, reaching a maximum at around σ_c=0.5 and then decreases with σ_c. We also show that the scheme is not sensitive to adjustable parameters     

Different Turbulent Regimes and Vertical Turbulence Structures of the Urban Nocturnal Stable Boundary Layer

Turbulence in the nocturnal boundary layer(NBL) is still not well characterized, especially over complex underlying surfaces. Herein, gradient tower data and eddy covariance data collected by the Beijing 325-m tower were used to better understand the differentiating characteristics of turbulence regimes and vertical turbulence structure of urban the NBL. As for heights above the urban canopy layer(UCL), the relationship between turbulence velocity scale(V_TKE) and wind speed(V) was con...     

江苏沿海近地层风阵性及台风对其影响

为了研究风阵性特征,尤其是在受台风影响时湍流特征对安全开发利用风能资源的影响,利用江苏沿海5座测风塔2009年6月—2012年11月的梯度风观测数据,分析了近地层风阵性基本特征,并筛选了7个对江苏产生较大影响的台风,包括罕见的正面登陆台风达维（1210）,分析台风影响下风阵性特征。研究发现:江苏沿海地区低层的风脉动性比高层强,10 m高度的年平均阵风系数和湍流强度分别为1.50和0.20;海陆分布明显影响风阵性,离岸风的湍流强度明显大于向岸风;当风速等级小于6级时,风阵性随风速增大而一致性减小,之后则稳定少变;在台风中心附近,受风速、风向快速多变的影响,湍流强度和阵风系数均远大于台风外围和没有台风影响的情况,湍流强度和阵风系数在30~50 m高度之间增加,在6~7级风时出现风阵性的局部峰值区。     

北京冬季大风过程大气边界层特征分析

利用北京中国科学院大气物理研究所325 m气象观测塔的气象梯度资料和湍流资料,分析了2014年11月29日至12月5日北京两次大风过程中气象要素和湍流输送特征的变化。第一次大风过程的强度和持续时间均高于第二次大风过程。强烈的风速垂直切变主要集中在距地面100 m高度范围内,最强风速垂直切变达到0.31 s~(-1)。大风过程中,阵风系数呈现随高度减小的趋势,越接近地面,阵风系数愈大。阵风强度的变化与阵风系数相似,100 m以下高度时,阵风强度随高度增大而减小。大风过程自上而下改变边界层结构,平均动能、湍流动能和摩擦速度最先从上层(280 m)发生变化且迅速增加。近地层由于风速垂直梯度的显著差异,近地层垂直方向的湍流强度最大。大风时各功率谱在低频区(0.01 s~(-1))达到峰值,大风过后各高度的能量都有所下降。