Horizontal and Vertical Turbulent Fluxes Forced by a Gravity Wave Event in the Nocturnal Atmospheric Surface Layer Over the Amazon Forest

A nocturnal gravity wave was detected over a south-western Amazon forest during the Large-Scale Biosphere–Atmosphere experiment in Amazonia (LBA) in the course of the dry-to-wet season campaign on October 2002. The atmospheric surface layer was stably stratified and had low turbulence activity, based on friction velocity values. However, the passage of the wave, an event with a period of about 180–300 s, caused negative turbulent fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and positive sensible heat fluxes, as measured by the eddy-covariance system at 60 m (≈30 m above the tree tops). The evolution of vertical profiles of air temperature, specific humidity and wind speed during the wave movement revealed that cold and drier air occupied the sub-canopy space while high wind speeds were measured above the vegetation. The analysis of wind speed and scalars high frequency data was performed using the wavelet technique, which enables the decomposition of signals in several frequencies allowed by the data sampling conditions. The results showed that the time series of vertical velocity and air temperature were −90° out of phase during the passage of the wave, implying no direct vertical transport of heat. Similarly, the time series of vertical velocity and CO₂ concentration were 90° out of phase. The wave was not directly associated with vertical fluxes of this variable but the mixing induced by its passage resulted in significant exchanges in smaller scales as measured by the eddy-covariance system. The phase differences between horizontal velocity and both air temperature and CO₂ concentration were, respectively, zero and 180°, implying phase and anti-phase relationships. As a result, the wave contributed to positive horizontal fluxes of heat and negative horizontal fluxes of carbon dioxide. Such results have to be considered in nocturnal boundary-layer surface-atmosphere exchange schemes for modelling purposes.     

Daily and annual cycle of CO2 concentration near the surface depending on boundary layer structure at a rural site in Spain

CO₂ in the rural atmosphere is related to respiration–photosynthesis processes, although the evolution of the low atmosphere is also a determinant factor. CO₂ concentrations were measured at surface and meteorological variables obtained from a radio acoustic sounding system sodar at a flat rural site during a 3-year campaign. Yearly and daily cycles of CO₂ were described. Maxima were observed in spring and autumn during the night. Wind speed and thermal structure of the lower atmosphere were analysed. Low level jets were observed during the night, their core proving lower in summer. Surface inversions observed with low winds reached up to 100 m. The turbulence layer which developed during the day extended up to 300–400 m and was capped by a stable layer. Median vertical wind speed reached 1 m s^?1 in super-adiabatic conditions in summer. Determination of decoupled low level jets proved difficult with the device used and corresponding concentrations were slightly higher than medians calculated with all the observations. The bulk Richardson number was calculated in the lower atmosphere and four intervals were considered: drainage, transitional, shear flows and unstable conditions. Median CO₂ concentrations were split according to these intervals. Higher values corresponded to drainage flow, which was associated to more stable conditions being less frequent and lower values to shear flow and unstable conditions, revealing a satisfactory link between the bulk Richardson number as a turbulence indicator in the low atmosphere and CO₂ surface concentrations.     

Line-source carbon dioxide release

Model predictions of CO₂ concentrations downwind from a line source were calibrated using experimental data. Agreement between the model and experimental data was improved by adjusting for wind direction meander and cup anemometer overshoot. The model predictions showed that by using a negative exponential wind speed profile within the crop canopy, predictions were closer to observed CO₂ concentration profiles than when experimentally-observed wind speed profiles, which were constant with height in the lower canopy, were used. This finding suggests that much of the lower canopy airflow was not direct mass flow in the downwind direction. Eddy diffusivity profiles which showed a within-canopy local minimum resulted in arestriction in the predicted loss of CO₂ out of the canopy system. Two-dimensional plots of predicted null vertical flux and CO₂ concentration portrayed vividly the turbulent diffusion and mass flow transport of CO₂ from the line source.     

The computation of the friction velocity u * and the temperature scale T * from temperature and wind velocity profiles by least-square methods

A method is given to calculate the surface layer parameters: u _* (friction velocity) and T _* (temperature scale) from wind speed and temperature profiles.The problem is formulated as a minimization of a least-square function, which is constructed from the difference between the measured profiles and the well-known Kansas profile relations.The wind speed and temperature profiles are treated simultaneously in this procedure. All the available wind speed and temperature measurements are used in order to reduce the effect of measurement errors.Estimates of the goodness of fit and confidence limits on the estimated parameters are discussed.The method has been applied to data obtained during experiments in a wide variety of conditions: Project Prairie Grass, experiments over Lake Flevo and experiments at the meteorological tower at Cabauw, the last two in the Netherlands.     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地沙尘暴过境时近地层风速、温度和湿度廓线特征

利用塔中80m梯度观测塔探测系统采集的资料,详细的分析了2006年4月10日沙尘暴过境时,塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地近地层风速、温度和湿度廓线的演变特征。结果表明:风速廓线满足风速值随高度增高而增大,风速梯度随高度增高而减小的对数律关系;沙尘暴由爆发前到过境时,温度廓线的温度值由随高度增高而增大转变为温度值随高度增高而减小,同时在贴地层2m处存在一微弱拐点;沙尘暴过境时,近地层大气出现微弱逆湿现象,并在不同高度上存在多处拐点,比湿增减在时间上与风速的增减呈负相关性,且整个沙尘暴天气是一个降温增湿的过程。     

Classification of Vertical Wind Speed Profiles Observed Above a Sloping Forest at Nighttime Using the Bulk Richardson Number

Wind speed profiles above a forest canopy relate to scalar exchange between the forest canopy and the atmosphere. Many studies have reported that vertical wind speed profiles above a relatively flat forest can be classified by a stability index developed assuming wind flow above a flat plane. However, can such a stability index be used to classify vertical wind speed profiles observed above a sloping forest at nighttime, where drainage flow often occurs? This paper examines the use of the bulk Richardson number to classify wind speed profiles observed above a sloping forest at nighttime. Wind speed profiles above a sloping forest were classified by the bulk Richardson number Ri _B . Use of Ri _B distinguished between drainage flow, shear flow, and transitional flow from drainage flow to shear flow. These results suggest that Ri _B is useful to interpret nighttime CO₂ and energy fluxes above a sloping forest. Through clear observational evidence, we also show that the reference height should be high enough to avoid drainage-flow effects when calculating Ri _B .     

Spectra of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and Water Vapour in the Marine Atmospheric Surface Layer

Spectra of CO₂ and water vapour fluctuations from measurements made in the marine atmospheric surface layer have been analyzed. A normalization of spectra based on Monin–Obukhov similarity theory, originally developed for wind speed and temperature, has been successfully extended also to CO₂ and humidity spectra. The normalized CO₂ spectra were observed to have somewhat larger contributions from low frequencies compared to humidity spectra during unstable stratification. However, overall, the CO₂ and humidity spectra showed good agreement as did the cospectra of vertical velocity with water vapour and CO₂ respectively. During stable stratification the spectra and cospectra displayed a well-defined spectral gap separating the mesoscale and small-scale turbulent fluctuations. Two-dimensional turbulence was suggested as a possible source for the mesoscale fluctuations, which in combination with wave activity in the vertical wind is likely to explain the increase in the cospectral energy for the corresponding frequency range. Prior to the analysis the turbulence time series of the density measurements were converted to time series of mixing ratios relative to dry air. Some differences were observed when the spectra based on the original density measurements were compared to the spectra based on the mixing ratio time series. It is thus recommended to always convert the density time series to mixing ratio before performing spectral analysis.     

光滑海面上风、温、湿廓线的层结订正模式及海气整体交换系数

详细介绍了光滑面标量粗糙度ＺＴ,Ｚｑ与风速粗糙度Ｚ０的相似表达式,论述了把Ｍｏｎｉｎ－Ｏｂｕｋｈｏｖ相似理论推广到光滑面上湍流气层的合理性,从而得到光滑面风、温、湿层结订正廓线与粗糙面廓线相统一的形式。总结了用该模式处理的三个海上梯度观测资料的计算结果,揭示出了微风时通过光滑海面的海气通量及整体交换系数受层结影响远大于风速影响的特征。并给出光滑界面上不同层结的整体交换系数随风速变化的拟合公式。     

On theoretical wind speed and temperature profiles over the sea with applications to data from sable island,Nova Scotia

Abstract

In October 1985, the Boundary‐Layer Research Division of the Atmospheric Environment Service conducted an experiment on Sable Island, Nova Scotia, where 10‐m wind measurements were made at a number of locations. Wind data were also collected at 4 levels on one of the 10‐m masts and at 6 levels on a 26‐m mast, both located on the South Beach. Other data used in the present study consisted of air temperature measured at 9 m and sea temperature measured at the beach.

The theory for wind speed and temperature profiles over the sea is reviewed. A method of deriving over‐sea profile parameters (u_*, θ_*, Z₀, L) from wind data at one level and the air‐sea temperature difference is described. The method is limited to applications either over homogeneous open ocean or, provided measurements are taken above the internal boundary layer generated by the change of roughness at the coastline, over a flat beach (without coastal orography). The heights at which the method is applied must be within the surface layer which must not have any discontinuities in wind speed or temperature in the vertical, such as are often associated with inversion layers. An application to data collected at beach sites in onshore flow during the October 1985 experiment is illustrated.

Once the above parameters are obtained, theoretical wind profiles may be computed and compared with observed profiles. In order to make a proper comparison it is essential to account for internal boundary layers generated at the shoreline by the step‐change in surface roughness. Only the data measured above the internal boundary layer are representative of over‐sea conditions and may, therefore, be used for verifying the theoretical profiles. The agreement between calculated and measured data is generally very good. One complication, however, is a slight upstream‐blockage effect due to a 7‐m high dune located about 140 m downwind of the 26‐m mast. Estimates of the magnitude of this effect partially account for small discrepancies in the results at the 26‐ and 10‐m mast locations.

An estimation of the most probable errors in the calculated parameters, based on assumed measurement errors, is included in the computer program. Results suggest that small measurement errors can explain the above discrepancies.     

塔中春季阴天近地层风速、温度和湿度廓线特征分析

利用塔中最新安装的80 m梯度观测塔探测系统采集的资料,详细分析了2006年4月2日1次阴天天气时塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地近地层风速、温度和湿度廓线演变特征,并与典型晴天廓线做了对比,得到以下结果:(1)阴天,夜间风速廓线风速值随高度增高而增大,但不是以对数增长,而是以比对数关系更快的速度增长;白天,风速很小,近地层10 m上下廓线分布规律各异;(2)温度廓线有夜间辐射型、早上过渡型、白天日射型及傍晚过渡型4种类型,与晴天类似;(3)比湿廓线存在一个极小值,其出现高度以上比湿随高度增加而增加,廓线呈逆湿特征,极小值出现高度以下比湿随高度减小而增加。     

Turbulent transport of carbon dioxide over a paddy field

Turbulent fluctuations in CO₂ concentrations over a paddy field are measured by a fastresponse device with an open sensing path. This IR device coupled with a sonic anemometer constitutes an eddy correlation instrument to measure CO₂ fluxes. Three experiments were conducted in the surface layer over paddy 90 cm high. The stability (z – d)/L ranged from -0.14 to 0.20, where L denotes the Monin-Obukhov length.CO₂ power spectra show the range of applicability of the -2/3 power law to be between f = 0.2 and f = 2, where f is the frequency normalized by wind speed and height. The cospectral estimate between CO₂ and vertical component of wind speed ranging from f = 0.005 to f = 2 shows a peak at about f = 0.15 under near-neutral stratification.Hourly means of CO₂ flux measured by the eddy correlation method increase with intensity of net radiation. The maximum value of downward flux of CO₂ rises to 0.6 mg cm^-2 hr^-1 over the paddy field at the stage of ear emergence.Some turbulence statistics relating to the CO₂ transport are evaluated: the correlation coefficient between CO₂ and vertical velocity is about -0.3, and that between CO₂ and humidity attains -0.7 ~ -0.8 under unstable stratification; nondimensional gradients _c for CO₂ and _m for wind speed are 0.89 and 0.99, respectively.     

The Turbulent Lagrangian Time Scale in Forest Canopies Constrained by Fluxes,Concentrations and Source Distributions

One-dimensional Lagrangian dispersion models, frequently used to relate in-canopy source/sink distributions of energy, water and trace gases to vertical concentration profiles, require estimates of the standard deviation of the vertical wind speed, which can be measured, and the Lagrangian time scale, T _L , which cannot. In this work we use non-linear parameter estimation to determine the vertical profile of the Lagrangian time scale that simultaneously optimises agreement between modelled and measured vertical profiles of temperature, water vapour and carbon dioxide concentrations within a 40-m tall temperate Eucalyptus forest in south-eastern Australia. Modelled temperature and concentration profiles are generated using Lagrangian dispersion theory combined with source/sink distributions of sensible heat, water vapour and CO₂. These distributions are derived from a multilayer Soil-Vegetation-Atmospheric-Transfer model subject to multiple constraints: (1) daytime eddy flux measurements of sensible heat, latent heat, and CO₂ above the canopy, (2) in-canopy lidar measurements of leaf area density distribution, and (3) chamber measurements of CO₂ ground fluxes. The resulting estimate of Lagrangian time scale within the canopy under near-neutral conditions is about 1.7 times higher than previous estimates and decreases towards zero at the ground. It represents an advance over previous estimates of T _L , which are largely unconstrained by measurements.     

A Simple Method of Estimating Scalar Fluxes Over Forests

A simple aerodynamic-variance method is proposed to fill gaps in continuous CO₂ flux measurements in rainy conditions, when open-path analysers do not function. The method requires turbulent conditions (friction velocity greater than 0.1 ms^–1), and uses measurements of mean wind speed, and standard deviations of temperature and CO₂ concentration fluctuations to complement, and at times replace, eddy-covariance measurements of friction velocity, sensible heat flux and CO₂ flux. Friction velocity is estimated from the mean wind speed with a flux-gradient relationship modified for the roughness sublayer. Since normalised standard deviations do not follow Monin-Obukhov similarity theory in the roughness sublayer, a simple classification scheme according to the scalar turbulence scale was used. This scheme is shown to produce sensible heat and CO₂ flux estimates that are well correlated with the measured values.     

Vertical profiles of the structure parameter of temperature in the stable,nocturnal boundary layer

Vertical profiles of the structure parameter of temperature C _infT ^sup2 in the stable, nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) have been obtained with the analytic models described by Nieuwstadt (1984, 1985) and Sorbjan (1986) and the numerical model of Duynkerke and Driedonks (1987). These theoretical profiles are compared with observed profiles from the meteorological mast at Cabauw, The Netherlands. From the observations, it is found that C _infT ^sup2 is large in the surface layer and small at the top of the NBL. Observations during nights with moderate geostrophic winds or during the first few hours of nights with a high geostrophic wind show a continuous decrease of C _infT ^sup2 from the surface layer to the top of the NBL. Observations made later on nights with a high geostrophic wind show the development of a maximum of C _infT ^sup2 at about three quarters of the NBL. From the comparison with the models, we conclude that the observed profiles are most satisfactorily described by the model of Duynkerke and Driedonks.     

Climate sensitivity due to increased CO2: experiments with a coupled atmosphere and ocean general circulation model

A version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research community climate model — a global, spectral (R15) general circulation model — is coupled to a coarse-grid (5° latitude-] longitude, four-layer) ocean general circulation model to study the response of the climate system to increases of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). Three simulations are run: one with an instantaneous doubling of atmospheric CO₂ (from 330 to 660 ppm), another with the CO₂ concentration starting at 330 ppm and increasing linearly at a rate of 1% per year, and a third with CO₂ held constant at 330 pm. Results at the end of 30 years of simulation indicate a globally averaged surface air temperature increase of 1.6° C for the instantaneous doubling case and 0.7°C for the transient forcing case. Inherent characteristics of the coarse-grid ocean model flow sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) in the tropics and higher-than-observed SSTs and reduced sea-ice extent at higher latitudes] produce lower sensitivity in this model after 30 years than in earlier simulations with the same atmosphere coupled to a 50-m, slab-ocean mixed layer. Within the limitations of the simulated meridional overturning, the thermohaline circulation weakens in the coupled model with doubled CO₂ as the high-latitude ocean-surface layer warms and freshens and westerly wind stress is decreased. In the transient forcing case with slowly increasing CO₂ (30% increase after 30 years), the zonal mean warming of the ocean is most evident in the surface layer near 30°–50° S. Geographical plots of surface air temperature change in the transient case show patterns of regional climate anomalies that differ from those in the instantaneous CO₂ doubling case, particularly in the North Atlantic and northern European regions. This suggests that differences in CO₂ forcing in the climate system are important in CO₂ response in regard to time-dependent climate anomaly regimes. This confirms earlier studies with simple climate models that instantaneous CO₂ doubling simulations may not be analogous in all respects to simulations with slowly increasing CO₂.A portion of this study is supported by the US Department of Energy as part of its Carbon Dioxide Research Program     

Nocturnal boundary layer height prediction from surface routine meteorological data

Summary A number of well known diagnostic equations for the determination of the height,h, of the nocturnal boundary layer. with minimum data requirements of at most surface wind speed, air temperature and total cloud cover, have been tested as to their effectiveness. The computed values have been compared with direct estimation ofh, from temperature or wind profiles of rawinsonde ascents available at 00Z (02h LST). The comparison between computed and observed values shows that best agreement is found when the nocturnal boundary layer height is determined through wind profiles. The ratio of the computed to the observed values reveals a strong dependence on stability, resulting in overestimation by the models for very low stability and underestimation for strong stability. The simple expressions involving the wind speed rather than other stability parameters resulted in a better overall fit to the observed values. A simple prognostic model is shown to provide the best estimates of the NBL height compared to both wind and temperature profile definition.With 5 Figures     

Stably stratified flow in a marine atmospheric surface layer

Data from the marine atmospheric surface layer have been analysed. The data set consists of about two weeks with tower measurements up to 31 m of mean profiles of wind, temperature, and humidity, together with 20 Hz turbulence data. Mean wind, temperature, and humidity profiles up to 2000 m are also available from pibal trackings and radio soundings. Wave height was measured at 2 Hz, using an inverted echo-sounder.It was found from pibal wind profiles that low level jets were present during 2/3 of the measurements, having their maxima in the height interval 40 to 300 m. Here only data from the remaining 1/3 of the measurements, without low level jets, have been analysed.Non-dimensional wind and temperature gradients agree with results over homogeneous land surfaces as regards stability dependence during stable conditions that prevailed during this experiment. Linear regression gave _m = 1 + 6.8z/L and _m = 1 + 8.3z/L. No significant sea wave influence was found. The same was vrue for me dimensionless standard deviations of the three wind components, except for the vertical component. The expected wind speed dependence was found for the neutral drag coefficient, givingC _dN = 0.109U + 0.33 at 10 m, and a dependence on the wave parameter,C/u _*, was confirmed. Note, however, that the data set was restricted to low and moderate wind speeds and that stratification was mainly stable.Power spectra, non-dimensionalized according to suface-layer theories, do not follow the expected stability dependence. It was shown that this may be a consequence of the presence of gravity waves in the stable marine boundary layer. Indicators of gravity waves were found in most runs. The TKE budget agrees with findings over homogeneous land areas. The pressure transport term was found to be a source of energy also for near neutral conditions.     

On the nature of turbulent kinetic energy in a steep and narrow Alpine valley

This contribution investigates the nature of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in a steep and narrow Alpine valley under fair-weather summertime conditions. The Riviera Valley in southern Switzerland was chosen for a detailed case study, in which the evaluation of aircraft data (obtained from the MAP-Riviera field campaign) is combined with the application of high-resolution (350-m horizontal grid spacing) large-eddy simulations using the numerical model ARPS. The simulations verify what has already been observed on the basis of measurements: TKE profiles scale surprisingly well if the convective velocity scale w _* is obtained from the sun-exposed eastern slope rather than from the surface directly beneath the profiles considered. ARPS is then used to evaluate the TKE-budget equation, showing that, despite sunny conditions, wind shear is the dominant production mechanism. Therefore, the surface heat flux (and thus w _*) on the eastern slope does not determine the TKE evolution directly but rather, as we believe, indirectly via the interaction of thermally-driven cross-valley and along-valley flows. Excellent correlation between w _* and the up-valley wind speed solidifies this hypothesis.     

A bulk similarity approach in the atmospheric boundary layer using radiometric skin temperature to determine regional surface fluxes

Profiles of wind velocity and temperature in the outer region of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) were used together with surface temperature measurements, to determine regional shear stress and sensible heat flux by means of transfer parameterizations on the basis of bulk similarity. The profiles were measured by means of radiosondes and the surface temperatures by infrared radiation thermometry over hilly prairie terrain in northeastern Kansas during the First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE). In the analysis, the needed similarity functions were determined and tested; the main scaling variables used for the ABL were h _i , the height of the convectively mixed layer, and V _a and _a, the wind speed and potential temperature averaged over the mixed layer. Good agreement (r = 0.80) was obtained between values of friction velocity u _* determined by this ABL bulk similarity approach and those obtained by Monin-Obukhov similarity in the surface sublayer. Similarly, values of surface flux of sensible heat H determined by this method compared well (r = 0.90) with the regional means measured at six ground stations. The corresponding regional evaporation values, determined with the energy budget equation, also compared favorably (r = 0.94).     

Integral Turbulence Statistics Over a Central European City Centre

Atmospheric measurements over 5 years (2005–2010) at two sites in ?ód?, central Poland have been analyzed to develop a better understanding of turbulence in urban areas. Fast response wind velocity, temperature, humidity and CO₂ concentration were measured using sonic anemometers and gas analyzers, placed on narrow masts at 37 and 42 m above the ground. The measurements were used to calculate standard deviations of each parameter, and were then normalized according to local Monin–Obukhov similarity theory and plotted as a function of stability parameter ζ = z′/L. Results for the wind components show typical scaling with a power law with exponent ±1/3 in the free convection limit, and that approaches a constant value close to neutral stratification. For stable conditions, the constant value in the neutral limit remains the same for stability parameters lower than 0.1–0.2, then increases. The normalized standard deviation of temperature fits the ?1/3 law in the free convection limit, approaching a constant value within a stable limit. However, it exhibits hyperbolic characteristics for close to neutral stratification. The normalized standard deviations for humidity and CO₂ concentration exhibit scaling similar to the wind components in the unstable regime and remain constant in the stable domain. The results for the wind components and for temperature are in the range of various functions found in other studies. The absolute values for humidity and CO₂ concentration seem to be slightly higher, but only single examples of such investigations can be found in the literature.