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.     

Characteristics of intermittent turbulence in the upper stable boundary layer over Greenland

The experiment IGLOS (Investigation of the Greenland Boundary Layer Over Summit) was conducted in June and July 2002 in the central plateau of the Greenland inland ice. The German research aircraft Polar2, equipped with the turbulence measurement system Meteopod, was used to investigate turbulence and radiation flux profiles near research station “Summit Camp”. Aircraft measurements are combined with measurements of radiation fluxes and turbulent quantities made from a 50 m tower at Summit Camp operated by Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich. During all six flight missions, well-developed stable boundary layers were found. Even in high-wind conditions, the surface inversion thickness did not exceed roughly 100 m. The turbulent height of the stable boundary layer (SBL) was found to be much smaller than the surface inversion thickness. Above the surface layer, significant turbulent fluxes occurred only intermittently in intervals on the order of a few kilometres. Turbulent event fraction in the upper SBL shows the same dependence on gradient Richardson number as reported for near-surface measurements. Clear-air longwave radiation divergence was always found to contribute significantly to the SBL heat budget. In low-wind cases, radiative cooling even turned out to be dominant.     

On the turbulent Prandtl number in the stable atmospheric boundary layer

This study focuses on the behaviour of the turbulent Prandtl number, Pr _t , in the stable atmospheric boundary layer (SBL) based on measurements made during the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean experiment (SHEBA). It is found that Pr _t increases with increasing stability if Pr _t is plotted vs. gradient Richardson number, Ri; but at the same time, Pr _t decreases with increasing stability if Pr _t is plotted vs. flux Richardson number, Rf, or vs. ζ = z/L. This paradoxical behaviour of the turbulent Prandtl number in the SBL derives from the fact that plots of Pr _t vs. Ri (as well as vs. Rf and ζ) for individual 1-h observations and conventional bin-averaged values of the individual quantities have built-in correlation (or self-correlation) because of the shared variables. For independent estimates of how Pr _t behaves in very stable stratification, Pr _t is plotted against the bulk Richardson number; such plots have no built-in correlation. These plots based on the SHEBA data show that, on the average, Pr _t decreases with increasing stability and Pr _t < 1 in the very stable case. For specific heights and stabilities, though, the turbulent Prandtl number has more complicated behaviour in the SBL.     

Wavelet methods: application to the study of the stable atmospheric boundary layer under non-stationary conditions

In this work, some wavelet methods are introduced to study the atmospheric boundary layer under stable conditions, where intermittent events and non-stationary turbulence take place. Such behavior makes classical methods, based on Fourier transform, difficult to use or even of no application.The wavelet transform is used to detect and characterize some structures in the stable atmospheric boundary layer. First, a wave-like event with a 16 min period is detected and analyzed in a wind record. The sum of some Morlet wavelets is proposed as a model for the oscillations. Afterwards, the wavelet transform is introduced to the study of non-stationary small scale turbulence. It provides the time evolution of the energy and a good location in time of the spots of turbulence. Finally, some wavelet tools are used to characterize a traveling structure, provided that it is simultaneously detected at different locations. The phase differences in the wavelet transform give the wavelength and the phase speed of the oscillations, whereas a double transform method is introduced to estimate the group velocity of the structure.     

近壁湍流边界层相干结构形成的动力学分析

以壁面脉冲扰动来构建湍流边界层近壁区对称与非对称相干结构理论模式,采用直接数值模拟的方法,研究了湍流边界层近壁区对称与非对称相干结构形成的理论机制和演化规律.计算结果显示非对称相干结构比对称相干结构更容易增长,这是由于非对称型结构能在湍流边界层近壁区域诱导产生较大的展向扰动速度,且不同初始结构类型分布对湍流边界层近壁区相干结构形成的动力学机制不同所致,从而加深了对近壁湍流边界层单个相干结构形成的某种动力学机制的认识理解.     

Flux contribution of coherent structures and its implications for the exchange of energy and matter in a tall spruce canopy

The flux contribution of coherent structures to the total exchange of energy and matter is investigated in a spruce canopy of moderate density in heterogeneous, complex terrain. The study deploys two methods of analysis to estimate the coherent exchange: conditional averages in combination with wavelet analysis, and quadrant analysis. The data were obtained by high-frequency single-point measurements using sonic anemometers and gas analysers at five observation heights above and within the canopy and subcanopy, and represent a period of up to 2.5 months. The study mainly addresses the momentum transfer and exchange of sensible heat throughout the roughness sublayer, while results are provided for the exchange of carbon dioxide and water vapour above the canopy. The magnitude of the flux contribution of coherent structures largely depends on the method of analysis, and it is demonstrated that these differences are attributed to differences in the sampling strategy between the two methods. Despite the differences, relational properties such as sweep and ejection ratios and the variation of the flux contribution with height were in agreement for both methods. The sweep phase of coherent structures is the dominant process close to and within the canopy, whereas the ejections gain importance with increasing distance to the canopy. The efficiency of the coherent exchange in transporting scalars exceeds that for momentum by a factor of two. The occurrence of coherent structures results in a flux error less than 4% for the eddy-covariance method. Based on the physical processes identified from the analysis of the ejection and sweep phases along the vertical profile in the roughness sublayer, a classification scheme for the identification of exchange regimes is developed. This scheme allows one to estimate the region of the canopy participating in the exchange of energy and matter with the above-canopy air under varying environmental conditions.     

Nocturnal stable boundary layer height model and its application

A model of the evolution of the nocturnal stable boundary layer height, based on the heat conservation equation for a turbulent flow, is presented. This model is valid for nights with weak winds and little cloudiness in rural areas. The model includes an expression of vertical profile of potential temperature within the boundary layer, which is obtained using micrometeorological information from Prairie Grass, Wangara and O'Neill Projects. The expression turned out to be a second-grade polynomial of the dimensionless height of the nocturnal stable boundary layer. The resulting model is a function of the Monin–Obukhov length, the surface potential temperature of air and the roughness length. This model was satisfactorily compared with micrometeorological data. It was applied at three stations of Argentina, using surface hourly meteorological information. From the results that were obtained, the monthly average values of the stable boundary layer thickness were analysed. The maximum monthly average values occur during the cold season and the minimum ones take place during the hot season. It was observed that the monthly average thickness increases with latitude.     

Analysis of oscillations in the stable atmospheric boundary layer using wavelet methods

A wavelet method is used to estimate kinetic energy and fluxes from data collected under stable conditions during the CASES-99 field campaign. Results in the high frequency range are compared with those obtained by the traditional method used to estimate turbulent moments, which is based on the Reynolds decomposition of variables into a mean and a turbulent part. The fact that the wavelet transform performs much better as a filter than the averaging process accounts for most of the disagreements between results. Since the wavelet method can be applied at very different spectral ranges, it is also used to analyse two different coherent structures: a density current and a train of internal gravity waves. The strong burst of turbulence related to the density current reflects the complexity of the first event. The wavelet method discriminates the different scales of motion, which are present in the perturbation, and is therefore an ideal tool for assessing the interactions between them. A method based on the phase difference between wavelet-transformed time series is then applied to the analysis of the horizontal and vertical structure of the gravity waves, and a three-dimensional image of the oscillations is provided.     

Characterization of Coherent structures in the Atmospheric Surface Layer

The ramplike coherent structures, observed in the temporal series of temperature and humidity in the atmospheric surface layer, are analyzed using the intermittency function and the wavelet transforms, with Haar, D4 and Mexican Hat functions as mother wavelets, in order to find the most efficient conditional sampling technique. It was found that the intermittency function and the wavelet transform, using Mexican Hat as mother wavelet, are the only ones that sample structures that fulfill the ramplike coherent structures definition of a slow rise followed by a sudden drop in the temporal series. The conditionally averaged structures detected by both techniques were similar for temperature, humidity, and vertical velocity at heights of 3, 5, and 9.4 m. Significant discrepancies were found among the conditional averaged structures detected by both techniques for zonal and meridional components of the wind at 11.5 m. Considering both techniques, it was observed that the averagedcoherent-structure duration ranged from 23.7 ± 0.5 s to 37.8 ± 3.0 s. Furthermore, the averaged number of events per 20-minute period ranged from 20.0 ± 1.0 to 28.5 ± 1.1, and the averaged intermittency factor from 45.0 ± 0.4% to 59.1 ± 1.3%. It was also observed that the averaged duration of the ramplike coherent structures increases with height, while their intensity, number, and intermittency factor decrease. Despite the good matching obtained for temperature and humidity, the coherent-structure properties did not show the expected variation with wind speed, stability parameter, and friction velocity. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test indicated that the intermittent function and the wavelet transform did not detect coherent structures belonging to the same population.     

Characteristics of urban boundary layer in heavy haze process based on Beijing 325m tower data

2015年11月24日至2015年12月2日北京市经历了一次严重的雾霾污染过程。本文利用这次过程期间北京325米气象塔的观测资料,对重污染天气条件下的边界层风场、温度场、湿度场和湍流特征进行了分析研究。本次污染过程并未发布红色预警,但是实际的污染形势被低估了,本文也对低估原因进行了分析。结果表明:北京地区这次污染过程主要是由偏东风和偏南风引起的,11月29日高层(280米)风速增加而低层(15m)风速并未增加,且次日高层风速大幅减小,导致了对于这次污染形势的低估。风速、湍动动能和摩擦速度与PM2.5浓度呈反相关关系。在晴天,风速随高度的增加而显著增加,但在污染严重的时期,风速从近地层到塔顶的变化不是很大。湍流动能从近地层到铁塔高层的变化并不是很明显。雾霾过程通常伴随有逆温层的出现,边界层内温度的日变化很小。在严重污染时,相对湿度接近100%,此时感热通量和水汽通量也都减小,湍流活动受到抑制,湍流活动强度的减弱又会进一步加重污染形势。     

大气边界层湍流相干结构的识别

首先利用数字滤波方法对淮河流域试验的大气边界层湍流观测资料进行三项分解，将大气边界层湍流的风速信号分解为近似各项同性的小尺度涡和各向异性的大尺度涡。然后再将大尺度涡信号进行离散正交小波分解，寻求相干结构的主要特征尺度。对于大气边界层湍流垂直脉动风速来说，其相干结构的主要特征尺度为16s；对径向与纬向脉动来说，其相干结构的主要特征尺度为32－64s。在此基础上，利用小波的反变换提取出相干结构的信号与非相干结构的信号，并计算两间的相关系数，最大仅有0．02。此外，对原始大气湍流观测信号不进行数字滤波，直接利用本中子波分析法提取湍流相干结构所得结果作比较研究；并探讨了采用对称或似对称离散正交小波对此研究的影响。     

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.     

The influence of nonstationarity on the turbulent flux–gradient relationship for stable stratification

Extensive eddy-correlation datasets are analyzed to examine the influence of nonstationarity of the mean flow on the flux–gradient relationship near the surface. This nonstationarity is due to wavelike motions, meandering of the wind vector, and numerous unidentified small-scale mesoscale motions. While the data do not reveal an obvious critical gradient Richardson number, the maximum downward heat flux increases approximately linearly with increasing friction velocity for significant stability. The largest of our datasets is chosen to more closely examine the influence of stability, nonstationarity, distortion of the mean wind profile and self-correlation on the flux-gradient relationship. Stability is expressed in terms of z/L, the gradient Richardson number or the bulk Richardson number over the tower layer. The efficiency of the momentum transport systematically increases with increasing nonstationarity and attendant distortion of the mean wind profile. Enhancement of the turbulent momentum flux associated with nonstationarity is examined in terms of the nondimensional shear, Prandtl number and the eddy diffusivity.     

Intermittent Turbulence Associated with a Density Current Passage in the Stable Boundary Layer

Using the unprecedented observational capabilities deployed duringthe Cooperative Atmosphere-Surface Exchange Study-99 (CASES-99),we found three distinct turbulence events on the night of 18October 1999, each of which was associated with differentphenomena: a density current, solitary waves, and downwardpropagating waves from a low-level jet. In this study, we focus onthe first event, the density current and its associatedintermittent turbulence. As the cold density current propagatedthrough the CASES-99 site, eddy motions in the upper part of thedensity current led to periodic overturning of the stratifiedflow, local thermal instability and a downward diffusion ofturbulent mixing. Propagation of the density current induced asecondary circulation. The descending motion following the head ofthe density current resulted in strong stratification, a sharpreduction in the turbulence, and a sudden increase in the windspeed. As the wind surge propagated toward the surface, shearinstability generated upward diffusion of turbulent mixing. Wedemonstrate in detail that the height and sequence of the localthermal and shear instabilities associated with the dynamics ofthe density current are responsible for the apparent intermittentturbulence.     

苏州城区大气边界层低空急流特征分析

利用2012年苏州城区风廓线雷达的观测资料,从低空急流个例分析入手,选取1、4、7、10月四个典型月份,分析该地区边界层低空急流的时空分布及强度变化特征。结果表明:冬春两季低空急流发生频率最高,夏季出现频率最低。在4个典型月份里低空急流均表现出日落后出现频率升高,夜间保持稳定,日出后出现频率降低的特征。全年有80%的低空急流分布在900 m以下高度上,冬、夏季平均高度最低。全年低空急流风速70%以上集中在4~12 m·s~(-1),小于4 m·s~(-1)和大于20 m·s~(-1)的低空急流出现频率较低。     

大气边界层高度确定及应用研究进展

大气边界层高度是表征边界层特征的重要参量,影响边界层内水热、物质、能量的垂直分布,也是数值模拟、环境评估中的重要参数。从湍流运动、热力作用、动力作用以及物质分布等多视角总结了大气边界层高度的定义及确定方法,回顾了采用直接观测手段和遥感手段确定大气边界层高度的不同方法,对比了大气边界层高度不同获取手段的优缺点,梳理了大气边界层高度参数化方案,探讨了大气边界层高度确定中存在的问题,并提出未来相关研究和应用可能突破方向。     

Effects of mesoscale sea-surface temperature fronts on the marine atmospheric boundary layer

A numerical modelling study is presented focusing on the effects of mesoscale sea-surface temperature (SST) variability on surface fluxes and the marine atmospheric boundary-layer structure. A basic scenario is examined having two regions of SST anomaly with alternating warm/cold or cold/warm water regions. Conditions upstream from the anomaly region have SST values equal to the ambient atmosphere temperature, creating an upstream neutrally stratified boundary layer. Downstream from the anomaly region the SST is also set to the ambient atmosphere value. When the warm anomaly is upstream from the cold anomaly, the downstream boundary layer exhibits a more complex structure because of convective forcing and mixed layer deepening upstream from the cold anomaly. An internal boundary layer forms over the cold anomaly in this case, generating two distinct layers over the downstream region. When the cold anomaly is upstream from the warm anomaly, mixing over the warm anomaly quickly destroys the shallow cold layer, yielding a more uniform downstream boundary-layer vertical structure compared with the warm-to- cold case. Analysis of the momentum budget indicates that turbulent momentum flux divergence dominates the velocity field tendency, with pressure forcing accounting for only about 20% of the changes in momentum. Parameterization of surface fluxes and boundary-layer structure at these scales would be very difficult because of their dependence on subgrid-scale SST spatial order. Simulations of similar flow over smaller scale fronts (<5 km) suggest that small-scale SST variability might be parameterized in mesoscale models by relating the effective heat flux to the strength of the SST variance.     

基于旋翼无人机探测的一次强浓雾边界层结构分析北大核心

利用常规气象观测资料、射阳站探空资料、旋翼无人机探测资料等,分析2019年10月19日夜间到20日江苏东部沿海地区一次强浓雾过程的边界层特征。根据无人机垂直观测资料及湍流参数Ri结果发现:大雾形成之前到大雾成熟阶段,近地面始终存在强贴地逆温,最大逆温强度达4.6℃/(100 m)。在大雾形成到发展阶段,逆温逐渐增强,弱湍流区的发展高度也逐渐抬升,最大发展高度达280 m,雾层厚度逐渐增大。大雾成熟阶段,逆温层高度达到最大250 m,而此时受太阳辐射影响,逆温层上层湍流开始逐渐增强,弱湍流区发展高度降至150 m。大雾消散阶段,逆温减弱,雾层厚度迅速降低,湍流增强,逆温层逐渐趋于消散。在大雾形成之前到大雾成熟阶段,逆温层之上均存在较大的东南风,海上暖湿气流的输送不仅使逆温得以加强和维持,而且在冷的下垫面上促进了水汽凝结,从而形成了东部沿海地区的强浓雾。无人机垂直观测完整的获取了此次大雾过程的边界层结构变化特征,Ri的结果很好地反映了大雾发生期间稳定层高度的变化情况。     

SHEBA flux–profile relationships in the stable atmospheric boundary layer

Measurements of atmospheric turbulence made during the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean Experiment (SHEBA) are used to examine the profile stability functions of momentum, φ _m , and sensible heat, φ _h , in the stably stratified boundary layer over the Arctic pack ice. Turbulent fluxes and mean meteorological data that cover different surface conditions and a wide range of stability conditions were continuously measured and reported hourly at five levels on a 20-m main tower for 11 months. The comprehensive dataset collected during SHEBA allows studying φ _m and φ _h in detail and includes ample data for the very stable case. New parameterizations for φ _m (ζ) and φ _h (ζ) in stable conditions are proposed to describe the SHEBA data; these cover the entire range of the stability parameter ζ = z/L from neutral to very stable conditions, where L is the Obukhov length and z is the measurement height. In the limit of very strong stability, φ _m follows a ζ ^1/3 dependence, whereas φ _h initially increases with increasing ζ, reaches a maximum at ζ ≈ 10, and then tends to level off with increasing ζ. The effects of self-correlation, which occur in plots of φ _m and φ _h versus ζ, are reduced by using an independent bin-averaging method instead of conventional averaging.