Tilt errors and precipitation effects in trivane measurements of turbulent fluxes over open water

For 390 ten-minute samples of turbulent flux, made with a trivane above a lake, the vertical alignment is determined within 0.1 ° through azimuth-dependent averaging. One degree of instrumental misalignment is found to produce an average tilt error of 9 ± 4% for momentum flux, and 4 ± 2% for heat flux. The tilt error in the vertical momentum flux depends mainly ons _u/u_*, and cannot be much diminished with impunity by high-pass pre-filtering of the turbulence signals. The effects of rain on trivane measurements of vertical velocity are shown to be negligible at high wind speeds, and adaptable to correction in any case.The normalized vertical velocity variance,s _w/u_*, appears to be proportional to the square root ofz/L for unstable stratification. For a wind speed range of 2 to 15 m s^–1, the eddy correlation stresses measured at 4- and 8-m heights can be reasonably well estimated by using a constant drag coefficientC _d=1.3 X 10^-3, while cup anemometer profile measurements give an overestimate of eddy stress at high wind speeds. A good stress estimate is also obtained from the elevation variance; it is suggested that trivane measurement of this variance might be made from a mobile platform, e.g., a moderately stabilized spar buoy.     

Review of the Field Measurements and Parameterization for Dust Emission During Sand-Dust Events

Dust emission generated by wind erosion is a basic process before the transport and deposition of dust particles. Parameterization of dust emission flux is important for accurate simulation and prediction of dust events. Field observation and numerical simulation are two approaches to understand the complex process of dust emission. Great progress has been made on the characteristics and mechanism of dust emission during dust storm events. This review introduces the major factors influencing dust emission and summarizes the calculation methods of several key parameters of dust emission, including the threshold friction velocity u.t, threshold wind speed Ut, streamwise saltation flux Q, and （vertical） dust emission flux F, from perspectives of both observation and parameterization. The paper also discusses the improvement, application, and validation of different dust emission schemes in dust models. Existing problems and future research directions are elaborated as well.     

The estimation of the surface-layer parameters from wind velocity,temperature and humidity profiles by least-squares methods

The estimation of the surface-layer parameters u _* (friction velocity), _* and q _* (temperature and humidity scales), _r and q _r (temperature and humidity reference values), z _o (roughness length) and d (zero-displacement) from vertical profiles of wind velocity, temperature and humidity by least-squares methods is described. The estimation is based on the flux-gradient relationships and the constant flux assumption for the transfer of momentum, sensible heat and matter near the Earth's surface.Test calculations were carried out with the vertical profile data from the GREIV I 1974 experiment and the Great Plains Turbulence Project.     

A micrometeorological investigation of surface exchange parameters over heathland

An automated system for measuring the dry deposition fluxes of SO₂ on a routine basis based on the micrometeorological gradient technique has been developed for application over grassland and other short vegetation. The ability of the system to determine turbulent exchange parameters such as the friction velocity u _* and the heat flux H was investigated by comparison with an automated eddy correlation system.Determinations of u _* and H by both methods have generally been found to be in very good agreement for 20 min averages. Aerodynamic resistances derived from both systems showed no systematic differences but individual values differed considerably. From the analysis it appeared that in addition to classical rejection criteria on wind speed and inhomogeneity, etc., periods with large shifts in wind direction also have to be removed from the data set before interpretation.     

On the impact of thermal stability on some rough flow effects over mobile surfaces

Calculations are made of the effects of thermal stability under a range of conditions, over the sea and land, on the physical factors (including the critical wind speed) affecting dust-storm generation, snow drift, and rough sea conditions. The computational procedure involves the surface friction velocity, u _*, and its relation with the aerodynamic roughness over aerodynamically rough, mobile surfaces. The results indicated that even at relatively high wind speeds, thermal effects under extreme advection situations may be significant, particularly for those properties of the agitated surface dependent on u _* ³ and u _* ⁴.     

The Fallacy of Drifting Snow

A common parametrization over snow-covered surfaces that are undergoing saltation is that the aerodynamic roughness length for wind speed (z ₀) scales as au_*²/g{\alpha u_\ast^2/g}, where u _* is the friction velocity, g is the acceleration of gravity, and α is an empirical constant. Data analyses seem to support this scaling: many published plots of z ₀ measured over snow demonstrate proportionality to u_*²{u_\ast^2 }. In fact, I show similar plots here that are based on two large eddy-covariance datasets: one collected over snow-covered Arctic sea ice; another collected over snow-covered Antarctic sea ice. But in these and in most such plots from the literature, the independent variable, u _*, was used to compute z ₀ in the first place; the plots thus suffer from fictitious correlation that causes z ₀ to unavoidably increase with u _* without any intervening physics. For these two datasets, when I plot z ₀ against u _* derived from a bulk flux algorithm—and thus minimize the fictitious correlation—z ₀ is independent of u _* in the drifting snow region, u _* ≥ 0.30 ms⁻¹. I conclude that the relation z₀ = au_*²/g{z_0 = \alpha u_\ast^2/g} when snow is drifting is a fallacy fostered by analyses that suffer from fictitious correlation.     

沙尘天气过程起沙特征的观测试验和参数化研究进展

沙尘天气过程研究中,起沙过程是沙尘传输和沉降的基础,沙尘模式中的起沙参数化方案决定了能否准确模拟和预报沙尘天气。试验观测和数值模拟是研究起沙过程的重要途径。基于风蚀起沙的物理机制,总结了起沙机制和起沙特征的研究成果,介绍了风蚀起沙的主要影响因子,回顾了起沙关键参数（临界起沙摩擦速度（u*t ）或临界起沙风速（Ut ）、水平跃移沙尘通量（Q）和起沙通量（F））的试验观测及其沙尘模式应用中的参数化方案,并讨论了不同起沙参数化方案的应用与校验。同时,针对目前研究中存在的问题和今后可能的研究方向提出建议。     

Displaced-Beam Small Aperture Scintillometer Test. Part I: The Wintex Data-Set

The friction velocity (u_*) and the sensible heat flux density (H) determined with a displaced-beam small aperture scintillometer (DBSAS) and a hot-film eddy correlation system are compared. Random errors in the DBSAS are relatively small, compared to scatter found with two eddy-correlation systems. Assuming that the hot-film system yields the true fluxes, theDBSAS appears to overestimate u_* when u_* is less than 0.2 m s^-1 and to underestimate u_* at high wind speeds. This implies that the DBSAS measurements of theinner scale length of turbulence, l₀, a direct measure for the dissipation rate of kinetic turbulent energy, are biased. Possible causes for these results are discussedin detail. A correction procedure is presented to account for effects of random noise and of so-called inactive turbulence or sensor vibrations. The errors in u_* cause errors in the DBSAS measurements of the structure parameter of temperature C_T ². The derived H appears to be less sensitive to errors in l₀ and C_T ², because errors in these quantities tend to cancel out.     

The characteristics of a laboratory produced turbulent Ekman layer

The characteristics of the atmospheric turbulent Ekman boundary layer have been qualitatively simulated in an annular rotating wind tunnel. Observed velocity spirals found to exist within the wind tunnel resembled qualitatively those found in the atmosphere in that a two-layer structure was evident, consisting of a log-linear portion topped by an outer spiral layer. The magnitude of the friction velocity u _* obtained from the log-linear profile agreed with that measured directly, i.e., that obtained from the relation: u _* = (u′w′)^1/2. Also, the effects of surface roughness on the characteristics of the boundary layer agreed with expected results. In cases where the parametric behaviour predicted by theory departed from the observed behaviour, the probable cause was the inherent size limitations of the wind tunnel. The ability to maintain dynamic similarity is constrained by the limited radius of curvature of the wind tunnel. The vertical distribution of turbulent intensity in the wind tunnel was found to agree qualitatively with an observed atmospheric distribution. Also, a vertical distribution of eddy diffusivity was calculated from tunnel data and found to give qualitatively what one might expect in the atmosphere.     

内蒙古科尔沁沙地临界起沙阈值的范围确定

临界起沙阈值可表征地表土壤的可蚀性,是风蚀起沙研究中非常重要的物理量之一。基于微气象学方法,将沙尘浓度和垂直沙尘通量均开始增加且至少持续0.5 h所对应的摩擦速度(或风速)确定为临界起沙摩擦速度u_*t(或临界起沙风速U_t)。利用内蒙古科尔沁沙地地区2010-2013年春季大气环境综合观测资料,分析了不同沙尘天气过程(扬沙、沙尘暴和强沙尘暴)起沙阶段沙尘浓度和垂直沙尘通量随摩擦速度的演变特征,精细确定了该地区临界起沙摩擦速度(u_*t)和临界起沙风速(U_t)的范围分别为0.45±0.20和6.5±3.0 m/s,同时讨论了不同起沙判据对确定临界起沙阈值产生的影响。相比而言,采用的起沙判据尽可能地排除了沙尘输送和沉降过程的影响,适用于不同的沙尘天气类型,使沙尘粒子进入大气的起沙结果更趋于合理,其结果可为建立统一、合理的起沙判据提供参考。     

Towards Closing the Surface Energy Budget of a Mid-latitude Grassland

Observations for May and August, 2005, from a long-term grassland meteorological station situated in central Netherlands were used to evaluate the closure of the surface energy budget. We compute all possible enthalpy changes, such as the grass cover heat storage, dew water heat storage, air mass heat storage and the photosynthesis energy flux, over an averaging time interval. In addition, the soil heat flux was estimated using a harmonic analysis technique to obtain a more accurate assessment of the surface soil heat flux. By doing so, a closure of 96% was obtained. The harmonic analysis technique appears to improve closure by 9%, the photosynthesis for 3% and the rest of the storage terms for a 3% improvement of the energy budget closure. For calm nights (friction velocity u _* < 0.1 m s⁻¹) when the eddy covariance technique is unreliable for measurement of the vertical turbulent fluxes, the inclusion of a scheme that calculates dew fluxes improves the energy budget closure significantly.     

A note on albedo variations of the frozen surface of Lake Simcoe during march, 1978: Research note

Abstract

The relationships between monthly anomalies of sea surface temperature (SST) and monthly anomalies of several surface wind parameters are examined using ten years of data from the mid‐latitude North Pacific Ocean. The wind parameters involve both u³ _* and curl τ, where u_* is the atmospheric friction velocity and τ the surface stress. These quantities are calculated from surface wind components analysed on synoptic (6‐hourly) maps. In order to examine the effect of synoptic disturbances, the time series of surface wind components at each grid point is high‐pass filtered (passing periods less than 10 days) and the above wind parameters are calculated from both filtered and unfiltered wind components.

Two statistically significant relationships are found between monthly anomalies of SST and those of the various wind parameters. The first is a large coherent negative correlation between monthly anomalies of u³ _* calculated from the high‐pass filtered wind components and month‐to‐month changes in the SST anomalies in the Central Pacific. This relationship is attributed to the production of turbulent vertical mixing in the ocean by synoptic disturbances in the atmosphere. The second relationship is a large positive correlation between curl τ calculated from the unfiltered wind components and SST anomaly changes in the Eastern Pacific. This relationship, which is opposite to that expected from Ekman pumping, is attributed to a negative association between the wind stress curl and the meridional advection of heat by the eastern boundary current system. It is shown that these atmospheric forcing mechanisms explain up to 10 per cent of the variance of monthly SST anomalies in a large part of the mid‐latitude North Pacific Ocean. This amount is in addition to, but certainly less than, that which can be explained by anomalous horizontal advection through statistical relationships with sea‐level pressure anomalies (Davis, 1976).     

A boundary-layer model for the determination of hourly surface wind characteristics in a representative tropical African region

A quantative transposition model is introduced which determines hourly wind speeds in a representative tropical region (Central Sudan). The model consists of two parts. Firstly, a local boundary-layer model, based on the energy balance equation and the Businger-Dyer equations, is used to compute the average diurnal cycle of various characteristic boundary-layer parameters. Secondly, a horizontal transposition method is introduced to calculate wind speed behaviour at an arbitrary station from that at a reference station. This method is based on assumed spatial constancy of the turbulence parameter u _* in the period November–April in a region of about (700 × 800) km² in Central Sudan. The constancy of u _* is concluded from the very stationary character of the climate. Model-computed hourly wind speeds are consistent with the potential wind speeds (at 10 m over open country) calculated from the measured data, and provide better local wind estimates than the conventional procedure which assumes constant regional hourly wind speeds.     

Measurements of spray at an air-water interface

The spray content in the surface boundary layer above an air—water interface was determined by a series of measurements at various feteches and wind speeds in a laboratory facility. The droplet flux density N(z) can be described in terms of the scaling flux density N_* and von Karman constant K throguh the equation, N(z)/N_* = −(1/K) ln(z/z_0d) where z is height above the mean water level and z_0d is the droplet boundary layer thickness. N_* is given by a unique relationship in terms of the roughness Reynolds number u_*σ/ν where σ is the root-mean-square surface displacement. Spray inception occurred for u_* 0.3. The dominant mode of spray generation in the present and most other laboratory tests, as well as in available field data, appears to be bubble bursting.     

Variability of surface roughness and turbulence intensities at a coastal site in India

Surface-layer features with different prevailing wind directions for two distinct seasons (Southwest Monsoon and Northeast Monsoon) on the west coast of India are studied using data obtained from tower-based sensors at a site located about 500 m from the coast. Only daytime runs have been used for the present analysis. The surface boundary-layer fluxes have been estimated using the eddy correlation method. The surface roughnessz ₀ obtained using the stability-corrected wind profiles (Paulson, 1970) has been found to be low for the Southwest monsson season. For the other season,z ₀ is relatively high. The drag coefficientC _D varies with height in the NE monsoon season but not in the season with lowz ₀. This aspect is reflected in the wind profiles for the two seasons and is discussed in detail. The scaling behaviour of friction velocityu _* and the turbulence intensity of longitudinal, lateral and vertical winds _u, _v and _w, respectively) are further examined to study their dependence on fetch. Our study shows that for the non-dimensional case, _u/u_* and _v/u_* do not show any surface roughness dependence in either season. On the other hand, for _w/u_* for the season with lowz ₀, the values are seen to agree well with that of Panofskyet al. (1977) for homogeneous terrain whereas for the other season with highz ₀, the results seem to conform more to the values observed by Smedman and Högström (1983) for coastal terrain. The results are discussed in the light of observations by other investigators.     

Standard deviation of vertical two-point longitudinal velocity differences in the atmospheric boundary layer

The standard deviation of vertical two-point longitudinal velocity fluctuation differences is analyzed experimentally with eleven sets of turbulence measurements obtained at the NASA 150-m ground-winds tower site at Cape Kennedy, Florida. It is concluded that /u _*0 is proportional to (fz/u _*0)^0.22, where the coefficient of proportionality is a function of fz/u _*0 and u _*0/fL ₀. The quantities f and L₀ denote the Coriolis parameter and the surface Monin-Obukhov stability length, respectively; u _*0 is the surface friction velocity; z is the vertical distance between the two points over which the velocity difference is calculated; and zz is the mean height of the mid-point of the interval z above natural grade. The results of the analysis are valid for 20<-u _*0/fL ₀<2000.     

Nighttime free convection characteristics within a plant canopy

An intensive measurement campaign within and above a maize row canopy was carried out to investigate flow characteristics within this vegetation. Attention was given to finding adequate scaling parameters of the within-canopy windspeed and air temperature profiles under above-canopy stable stratification.During clear and calm nights the within-canopy condition differs considerably from the abovecanopy state. In contrast to the daytime, the windspeed and temperature profiles do not scale with the above-canopy friction velocity,u ^* , and the scaling temperature,T ^* , respectively. A free convection flow regime is generated, forced by the soil heat flux at the canopy floor and by cooling at the top of the canopy. However, the windspeed and temperature profiles appear to scale well with the free convective velocity scale,w ^* , and the free convective temperature scale,T ^f , respectively. The free convective state within the canopy agrees well with the free convection criterion Gr>16Re²(u ^* ), where Gr is the Grashof number and Re(u ^* ) the Reynolds number, a criterion often used in technical flow problems. Also it is shown that under within-canopy free convection, there is a unique relation between the Grashof number, Gr, and the Reynolds number if the latter is based on the free convective velocity scale.Under within-canopy free convective conditions, it appears that within the canopy the fluxes of heat and water vapour can be estimated well with the relatively simple variance technique. Under these conditions, the Grashof, or Rayleigh number, represents a measure for the kinetic energy of the turbulence within the canopy.     

A Modelling Study of Flux Imbalance and the Influence of Entrainment in the Convective Boundary Layer

It is frequently observed in field experiments that the eddy covariance heat fluxes are systematically underestimated as compared to the available energy. The flux imbalance problem is investigated using the NCAR’s large-eddy simulation (LES) model imbedded with an online scheme to calculate Reynolds-averaged fluxes. A top–down and a bottom–up tracer are implemented into the LES model to quantify the influence of entrainment and bottom–up diffusion processes on flux imbalance. The results show that the flux imbalance follows a set of universal functions that capture the exponential decreasing dependence on u _*/w _*, where u _* and w _* are friction velocity and the convective velocity scale, respectively, and an elliptic relationship to z/z _i , where z _i is the mixing-layer height. The source location in the boundary layer is an important factor controlling the imbalance magnitude and its horizontal and vertical distributions. The flux imbalance of heat and the bottom–up tracer is tightly related to turbulent coherent structures, whereas for the top–down diffusion, such relations are weak to nonexistent. Our results are broadly consistent with previous studies on the flux imbalance problem, suggesting that the published results are robust and are not artefacts of numerical schemes.     

Influence of foliar density and thermal stability on profiles of Reynolds stress and turbulence intensity in a deciduous forest

Observations were made of turbulence in an extensive deciduous forest on level terrain using a vertical array of seven three-dimensional sonic anemometer/thermometers within and above the canopy. Data were collected through the period of leaf fall and over a range of thermal stabilities. A bulk canopy drag coefficient was nearly independent of the density of the forest but decreased greatly with the onset of nocturnal stability. The depth of penetration of momentum into the forest increased with leaf fall but, again, was greatly curtailed by stable conditions. Turbulent velocities decreased with increasing depth in the forest but relative turbulence intensities increased to mid-canopy levels. Leaf density influenced turbulence levels but not as strongly as did thermal stability. Thermal effects were adequately described by the single parameter h/L, where h is the canopy height and L is the Monin-Obukhov length. The longitudinal and vertical velocity correlation coefficient was larger in magnitude than expected in the upper layers of the forest but decreased to a small value in the lowest layers where the Reynolds stress was small. The ratio _w /u ^*, where u ^* is the local friction velocity, reflected changes in the uw correlation, becoming smaller than usual in the upper canopy layers. It is believed that these effects result from the intermittent, spatially coherent structures that are responsible for a large fraction of the momentum flux to the forest.     

四川暴雨过程动力因子指示意义与预报意义研究

本文利用2010年8月18~19日四川盆地西部地区一次引发了泥石流等次生灾害的暴雨天气过程的数值模拟资料及0.5°×0.5°分辨率、每6 h一次的GFS(Global Forecast Model)预报资料,结合集合动力因子预报系统中的广义对流涡度矢量垂直分量、质量散度、垂直螺旋度、质量垂直螺旋度、水汽垂直螺旋度、热力垂直螺旋度、湿热力平流参数、密度散度垂直通量、散度垂直通量、热力散度垂直通量、水汽散度通量、广义 Q 矢量散度等12个动力因子成员对此次暴雨过程进行诊断分析和预报研究,结果显示:(1)集合动力因子预报系统中的动力因子对此次降水落区诊断效果良好;(2)各动力因子区域均值随时间的变化曲线都能表现出降水区域均值随时间变化曲线双峰形态,其中,广义 Q 矢量散度、水汽垂直螺旋度、热力垂直螺旋度、质量垂直螺旋度、垂直螺旋度与降水的相关系数较大(达0.9以上),对此次降水的诊断效果较好;(3)动力因子对此次强降水过程的发展演变具有一定的预报能力。