Estimation of turbulent sensible heat and momentum fluxes over a heterogeneous urban area using a large aperture scintillometer

The accurate determination of surface-layer turbulent fluxes over urban areas is critical to understanding urban boundary layer (UBL) evolution. In this study, a remote-sensing technique using a large aperture scintillometer (LAS) was investigated to estimate surface-layer turbulent fluxes over a highly heterogeneous urban area. The LAS system, with an optical path length of 2.1 km, was deployed in an urban area characterized by a complicated land-use mix (residential houses, water body, bare ground, etc.). The turbulent sensible heat (Q H) and momentum fluxes (τ) were estimated from the scintillation measurements obtained from the LAS system during the cold season. Three-dimensional LAS footprint modeling was introduced to identify the source areas ("footprint") of the estimated turbulent fluxes. The analysis results showed that the LAS-derived turbulent fluxes for the highly heterogeneous urban area revealed reasonable temporal variation during daytime on clear days, in comparison to the land-surface process-resolving numerical modeling. A series of sensitivity tests indicated that the overall uncertainty in the LAS-derived daytime Q H was within 20%-30% in terms of the influence of input parameters and the non-dimensional similarity function for the temperature structure function parameter, while the estimation errors in τ were less sensitive to the factors of influence, except aerodynamic roughness length. The 3D LAS footprint modeling characterized the source areas of the LAS-derived turbulent fluxes in the heterogeneous urban area, revealing that the representative spatial scales of the LAS system deployed with the 2.1 km optical path distance ranged from 0.2 to 2 km2 (a "micro-α scale"), depending on local meteorological conditions.     

Surface turbulent flux measurements over the Loess Plateau for a semi-arid climate change study

In order to provide high quality data for climate change studies, the data quality of turbulent flux measurements at the station of SACOL (Semi-Arid Climate & Environment Observatory of Lanzhou University), which is located on a semi-arid grassland over the Loess Plateau in China, has been analyzed in detail. The effects of different procedures of the flux corrections on CO₂, momentum, and latent and sensible heat fluxes were assessed. The result showed that coordinate rotation has a great influence on the momentum flux but little on scalar fluxes. For coordinate rotation using the planar fit method, different regression planes should be determined for different wind direction sectors due to the heterogeneous nature of the ground surface. Sonic temperature correction decreased the sensible heat flux by about 9%, while WPL correction (correction for density fluctuations) increased the latent heat flux by about 10%. WPL correction is also particularly important for CO₂ fluxes. Other procedures of flux corrections, such as the time delay correction and frequency response correction, do not significantly influence the turbulent fluxes. Furthermore, quality tests on stationarity and turbulence development conditions were discussed. Parameterizations of integral turbulent characteristics (ITC) were tested and a specific parameterization scheme was provided for SACOL. The ITC test on turbulence development conditions was suggested to be applied only for the vertical velocity. The combined results of the quality tests showed that about 62%–65% of the total data were of high quality for the latent heat flux and CO₂ flux, and as much as about 76% for the sensible heat flux. For the momentum flux, however, only about 35% of the data were of high quality.     

水、陆不均匀条件下大气边界层结构的模拟研究

应用2004年白洋淀野外观测实验资料,对白洋淀地区水、陆不均匀分布条件下的大气边界层开展了数值模拟试验,结果表明:由于下垫面的热力差异,在360多km2的白洋淀地区,地表特征分布的不均匀可以引发弱的局地环流,影响大气边界层内温度和湿度的空间分布;在500m高度以下,下垫面不均匀分布对湍流动能有明显影响.最后将模拟结果与观测资料进行了对比检验.     

Analysis on the Interaction between Turbulence and Secondary Circulation of the Surface Layer at Jinta Oasis in Summer

The kinetic energy variations of mean flow and turbulence at three levels in the surface layer were calculated by using eddy covariance data from observations at Jinta oasis in 2005 summer.It is found that when the mean horizontal flow was stronger,the turbulent kinetic energy was increased at all levels,as well as the downward mean wind at the middle level.Since the mean vertical flow on the top and bottom were both negligible at that time,there was a secondary circulation with convergence in the upper half and divergence in the lower half of the column.After consideration of energy conversion,it was found that the interaction between turbulence and the secondary circulation caused the intensification of each other.The interaction reflected positive feedback between turbulence and the vertical shear of the mean flow.Turbulent sensible and latent heat flux anomaly were also analyzed.The results show that in both daytime and at night,when the surface layer turbulence was intensified as a result of strengthened mean flow,the sensible heat flux was decreased while the latent heat flux was increased.Both anomalous fluxes contributed to the cold island effect and the moisture island effect of the oasis.     

Eddy Covariance Tilt Corrections over a Coastal Mountain Area in South-east China: Significance for Near-Surface Turbulence Characteristics

Turbulence characteristics of an atmospheric surface layer over a coastal mountain area were investigated under different coordinate frames.Performances of three methods of coordinate rotation:double rotation(DR),triple rotation(TR),and classic planar-fit rotation(PF) were examined in terms of correction of eddy covariance flux.Using the commonly used DR and TR methods,unreasonable rotation angles are encountered at low wind speeds and cause significant run-to-run errors of some turbulence characteristics.The PF method rotates the coordinate system to an ensemble-averaged plane,and shows large tilt error due to an inaccurate fit plane over variable terrain slopes.In this paper,we propose another coordinate rotation scheme.The observational data were separated into two groups according to wind direction.The PF method was adapted to find an ensemble-averaged streamline plane for each group of hourly runs with wind speed exceeding 1.0 m s 1.Then,the coordinate systems were rotated to their respective bestfit planes for all available hourly observations.We call this the PF10 method.The implications of tilt corrections for the turbulence characteristics are discussed with a focus on integral turbulence characteristics,the spectra of wind-velocity components,and sensible heat and momentum fluxes under various atmospheric stabilities.Our results show that the adapted application of PF provides greatly improved estimates of integral turbulence characteristics in complex terrain and maintains data quality.The comparisons of the sensible heat fluxes for four coordinate rotation methods to fluxes before correction indicate that the PF10 scheme is the best to preserve consistency between fluxes.     

珠穆朗玛峰绒布河谷近地层大气湍流及能量输送特征分析

利用中国科学院2005年珠穆朗玛峰地区科学考察期间 (4月2日至6月7日) 收集的大气观测资料,分析了珠峰绒布河谷近地层水平风速、温度、湍流强度、湍流通量日变化及地表能量平衡特征。通过分析得出近地层三维风速方差与稳定度的关系基本满足1/3次方规律;珠峰绒布河谷近地层大气水平风速、温度、动量通量、感热通量和潜热通量均存在明显的日变化;地表获得的能量很大一部分以感热形式散失掉了,潜热所占比重很小。另外,还发现绒布河谷地区地表能量通量各分量并不满足能量平衡方程Rn=Hs+Le+G。通过对地面加热场的分析发现珠峰地表白天是强热源,晚上转变为弱冷源。     

黄土高原半干旱区异常能量闭合率特征分析

以兰州大学半干旱气候与环境观测站（简称SACOL站）4 a的陆面通量数据为基础,利用普通最小二乘法（OLS）和能量平衡比率（EBR）方法,对能量平衡的异常闭合特征及其与相对垂直湍强（RIw）的关系进行了研究,并进行了能量滞后分析。结果表明,能量过闭合和负闭合现象分别主要发生在白天和夜间,大小遵从正态分布;较大异常闭合产生的原因主要是日出日落时净辐射与地表热通量接近以及降水影响造成湍流通量出现异常大值。一般来说,垂直湍流运动越强,异常闭合越少,闭合度越向1收敛,反之亦然。强湍流或极弱湍流都不利于产生异常闭合,过闭合、负闭合的最适相对垂直湍强RIw约为0.11、0.14。另外,能量支出项的相对滞后也是造成包括负闭合在内的异常闭合的原因之一。剔除湍强较弱的点或将地表热通量G0、感热H、潜热LE相位相对净辐射Rn提前30 min后,异常闭合所占比重减少;月平均EBR法过闭合度降低,OLS法闭合度提高。     

The Characteristics of Turbulence Structure and Transfer over the Middle Area of the Tibetan Plateau

In this paper, turbulent data obtained from the Damxung site during the Secondary Tibetan Plateau Science Experiment (TIPEX) in 1998 are used to study the characteristics of the turbulent spectra, turbulence transport, and the dissipation rates of turbulent kinetic energy, temperature variance, and humidity variance in the middle area of the Tibetan Plateau. The turbulent spectra of wind velocity, potential temperature, and humidity satisfy the-2/3 power law in the high frequency range. Horizontal transportation of heat and water vapor is negligible compared with vertical transportation under strong unstable conditions, and as the stability parameter z/L increases (where z is the observational height, and L is the Monin Obukhov length), horizontal transportation becomes dominant under near-neutral, neutral, and stable conditions. The non-dimensional temperature and humidity variances are 20% less than the temperature and humidity gradient variances. These deficits appear to increase as the absolute stability parameter increases. Moreover, the effects of turbulence transportation and pressure variance exist throughout the entire stability region.     

Characteristics of Near Surface Winds over Different Underlying Surfaces in China: Implications for Wind Power Development

Accurate wind and turbulence information are essential to wind energy research and utilization, among which wind shear and turbulence intensity/scale have seldom been investigated. In this paper, the observational data from the100-m high wind towers in Xilinhot in Inner Mongolia(2009–10; grassland region), Huanghua in Hebei Province(2009–10; coastal flat region), and Xingzi County in Jiangxi Province(2010–11; mountain–lake region) are used to study the variations in near surface winds and turbulence characteristics related to the development of local wind energy over different underlying surfaces. The results indicate that(1) the percentage of the observed wind shear exponents exceeding 0.3 for the grassland region is 6%, while the percentage is 13% for the coastal flat region and 10%for the mountain–lake region. In other words, if the wind speed at 10 m is 10 ms^–1, the percentage of the wind speed at 100 m exceeding 20 ms^–1 for the grassland region is 6%, while the percentage is 13% for the coastal flat region and 10% for the mountain–lake region.(2) In terms of the turbulent intensity in the zonal, meridional, and vertical directions(I_u, I_v, and I_w, respectively), the frequencies of I_v/I_u < 0.8 in the grassland, coastal flat, and mountain–lake regions are 23%–29%, 32%–38%, and 30%–37%, respectively. Additionally, the frequencies of I_w/I_u < 0.5 in the grassland, coastal flat, and mountain–lake regions are 45%–75%, 52%–70%, and 43%–53%, respectively. The frequencies of I_v/I_u < 0.8 and Iw/I_u < 0.5 in each region mean that I_u is large and the air flow is unstable and fluctuating,which will damage the wind turbines. Therefore, these conditions do not meet the wind turbine design requirements,which must be considered separately.(3) At 50-and 70-m heights, the value of the turbulence scale parameter Λ in the grassland region is greater than that in the coastal flat region, and the latter is greater than that in the mountain–lake region. Therefore, under the same conditions, some parameters, e.g., the extreme directional change and extreme operating gust at the hub height in the grassland region, are greater than those in the coastal flat region,which are greater than those in the mountain–lake region. These results provide a reference for harnessing local wind energy resources and for the selection and design of wind turbines.     

Eddy kinetic energy study of the snowstorm over Southern China in January 2008

The energetics of the third stage of a snowstorm over China was analyzed using ECWMF data.The analysis of the energy budget for the Middle East trough and the western Pacific trough that developed toward China on 25-28 January 2008 showed the advection of the geopotential by the ageostrophic wind to be both a crucial source and the primary sink of the eddy kinetic energy centers associated with the troughs.The magnitudes of the energy conversion terms,interaction kinetic energy conversion and baroclinic conversion,were too small to explain the development of the energy centers and the jet streaks.The energy centers gained energy at their entrance regions via the convergence of the ageostrophic geopotential fluxes,and then lost energy at their exit regions by the same fluxes.At the entrance regions,the fluxes converged,increasing the geopotential gradient,which generated a stronger geostrophic wind and higher kinetic energy,resulting in an ascending motion in this area.When the troughs moved to China,the ascending motion caused by the convergence of the fluxes at entrance region intensified the snowstorms over central and southern China.     

应用通量方差法估算戈壁绿洲下垫面湍流通量的研究

利用“绿洲系统能量与水分循环过程观测试验” 2005年绿洲、戈壁点的观测资料, 分析与讨论了温度、水汽的归一化标准差随稳定度变化的通量方差关系, 应用通量方差法对感热、 潜热通量进行了计算, 并同涡动相关系统的观测结果进行了比较。不稳定条件下, 戈壁点温度归一化标准差随稳定度变化的通量方差关系优于下垫面非均匀性更强的绿洲点, 绿洲点水汽的归一化标准差随稳定度变化的通量方差关系较温度量表现得更好。对同一站点, 归一化温度标准差的通量方差关系并不总是优于水汽的通量方差关系, 其取决于该站点的温度以及水汽的源汇分布情况; 通量方差法对两个站点的感热、 潜热通量均有较好的再现, 但戈壁点感热通量的计算效果优于非均匀性更强的绿洲点。应用通量方差法对潜热通量计算时若采用直接观测的感热通量, 则潜热通量的计算效果具有一定程度的改善。     

Turbulent kinetic energy budgets from a large-eddy simulation of airflow above and within a forest canopy

The output of a large-eddy simulation was used to study the terms ofthe turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budget for the air layers above andwithin a forest. The computation created a three-dimensional,time-dependent simulation of the airflow, in which the lowest third ofthe domain was occupied by drag elements and heat sources to representthe forest. Shear production was a principal source of TKE in theupper canopy, diminishing gradually above tree-top height and moresharply with depth in the canopy. The transfer of energy to subgridscales (dissipation) was the main sink in the upper part of the domainbut diminished rapidly with depth in the canopy. Removal ofresolved-scale TKE due to canopy drag was extremely important,occurring primarily in the upper half of the forest where the foliagedensity was large. Turbulent transport showed a loss at the canopytop and a gain within the canopy. These general features have beenfound elsewhere but uncertainty remains concerning the effects ofpressure transport. In the present work, pressure was calculateddirectly, allowing us to compute the pressure diffusion term. Wellabove the canopy, pressure transport was smaller than, and opposite insign to, the turbulent transport term. Near the canopy top andbelow, pressure transport acted in concert with turbulent transport toexport TKE from the region immediately above and within the uppercrown, and to provide turbulent energy for the lower parts of theforest. In combination, the transport terms accounted for over half ofthe TKE loss near the canopy top, and in the lowest two-thirds of thecanopy the transport terms were the dominant source terms in thebudget. Moreover, the pressure transport was the largest source ofturbulent kinetic energy in the lowest levels of the canopy, beingparticularly strong under convective conditions. These resultsindicate that pressure transport is important in the plant canopyturbulent kinetic energy budget, especially in the lowest portion ofthe stand, where it acts as the major driving force for turbulentmotions.     

动能空间尺度分解及其在高原切变线的分析应用

应用NCEP FNL(1°×1°)全球分析资料和动能的空间尺度分解方法,对2014年8月25—27日一次高原切变线过程进行了能量诊断分析。结果表明:低层扰动动能的增幅与高原切变线的发生发展密切相关,在切变线的生成阶段至成熟阶段,扰动动能增加为切变线的发生发展提供了能量保障;平均动能变化大体与扰动动能呈相反趋势,在切变线生成阶段和发展阶段,中低层平均动能随时间减小。在影响动能变化的各因子中,斜压转换项贡献最大;在切变线生成阶段,低层平均动能与扰动动能间的转换对扰动动能变化影响明显。背景场和扰动场的相互作用使得扰动动能增大而平均动能减小,构成动能的降尺度串级,这种能量串级转换有利于中尺度的高原切变线生成。     

Idealized Numerical Simulation Study of the Potential Vorticity Banners over a Mesoscale Mountain： Dry Adiabatic Process

Topography-induced potential vorticity (PV) banners over a mesoscale topography (Dabie Mountain, hereafter DM) in eastern China, under an idealized dry adiabatic flow, are studied with a mesoscale numerical model, ARPS. PV banners generate over the leeside of the DM with a maximal intensity of ～1.5 PVU, and extend more than 100 km downstream, while the width varies from several to tens of kilometers, which contrasts with the half-width of the peaks along the ridge of the DM. Wave breaking occurs near the le...     

A Case Study of a Typical Dust Storm Event over the Loess Plateau of Northwest China

Enhanced observational meteorological elements,energy fluxes,and the concentration of dust aerosols collected from the Semi-Arid Climate Observatory and Laboratory(SACOL) during a typical dust storm period in March 2010 at Lanzhou were used in this paper to investigate the impact of dust aerosols on near surface atmospheric variables and energy budgets.The results show that the entire dust storm event was associated with high wind velocities and decreasing air pressure,and the air changed from cold and wet to warm and dry and then recovered to its initial state.The response of energy fluxes occurred behind meteorological elements.At high dust concentration periods,the net radiation was significantly less in the daytime and higher at night,while the heat fluxes displayed the same trend,indicating the weakening of the land-atmosphere energy exchange.The results can be used to provide verification for numerical model results in semi-arid areas.     

Conversion of kinetic energy from synoptic scale disturbance to low-frequency fluctuation over the Yangtze River valley in the summers of 1997 and 1999

In order to investigate the conversion of kinetic energy from a synoptic scale disturbance （SSD; period≤seven days） to a low-frequency fluctuation （LFF; period〉seven days）, the budget equation of the LFF kinetic energy is derived. The energy conversion is then calculated and analyzed for the summers of 1997 and 1999. The results show that the energy conversion from the SSD to the LFF is obviously enhanced in the middle and lower troposphere during the heavy rainfall, suggesting this to be one of mechanisms inducing the heavy rainfall, although the local LFF kinetic energy may not be enhanced.     

高原东南缘大气近地层湍能特征与边界层动力、热力结构相关特征

基于云南省大理2008年3、5、7月GPS加密探空试验时段(14和02时)资料,结合边界层铁塔综合观测资料,采用温度梯度法、逆温强度法和涡动相关法分别计算高原东南缘对流边界层(convective boundary layer,CBL)及稳定边界层(stable boundary layer,SBL)顶高度,通过计算获取感热通量、潜热通量、湍流动能、切变项以及浮力项与大气动力、热力过程垂直相关特征综合分析,可发现湍能方程中浮力项、感热、潜热通量与NCEP再分析资料计算获取的大气视热源相关特征显著,这某种程度反映了高原东南缘近地层大气湍流动量、热量输送对低层大气视热源Q_1的重要贡献。低层视热源Q_1亦表现出与湍能方程分量类似的日变化周期,此特征反映了高原东南缘大气热源变化与下垫面水热过程及其湍流输送日变化密切相关;浮力项与湍能等项对大气低层热源与涡动特征、热力混合结构的形成有重要作用;低层大气视热源、水汽汇均与边界层高度有显著相关,综合分析结果某种程度描述了青藏高原东南缘近地层湍流动量、热量输送状况与低层大气热源,热力混合边界层结构的综合相关物理图像,初步探索了高原东南缘对流活跃区大气湍流运动与大气动力、热力过程相互作用特征。研究表明近地层湍流通量变化某种程度可反映未来局地大气视热源垂直结构变化的"强信号"特征。本文上述研究结论也可启发我们进一步关注近地层湍流通量异常变化特征及其对局地降水过程大气热源结构演变的影响问题。     

复杂地形下北京一次局地雷暴新生和增强机制初探

利用变分多普勒雷达分析系统, 结合多普勒雷达观测、 地面自动站、 风廓线仪、 加密探空等非常规观测资料, 对北京地区2011年8月9日局地雷暴的新生和增强机制进行了较精细的分析。结果表明: 该过程是一次发生在弱垂直风切变环境下的局地强对流雷暴大风过程, 环境场有较强的不稳定能量(CAPE达2 798 J·㎏^-1), 地面高比湿带(＞20 g·kg^-1)在山前聚集, 城区西部山前存在一较强γ中尺度热辐合中心, 前期大气环境条件十分有利于对流发生发展; 上游移进北京的强雷暴受地形强迫作用影响, 其产生的冷池出流被抬高, 冷空气叠加在地面γ中尺度热辐合中心之上, 使山前局地大气层结更不稳定, 另一方面, 强冷池出流产生的边界层高层偏北风与近地面弱的偏南风构成有利于对流新生的垂直风切变, 地面热辐合中心、 边界层热力和动力不稳定的增强共同作用是局地雷暴新生的主要机制; 上游冷池出流边界(阵风锋)伴有的强温度梯度和边界层辐合上升运动是原有局地新生雷暴显著增强的主要原因; 多单体雷暴相互碰撞合并产生的辐合上升运动是局地雷暴得以持续的关键因素。     

均匀裸土地表土壤热通量计算方法对比及对能量闭合的影响

利用"内蒙古微气象观测蒸发试验"的观测资料,对6种地表土壤热通量计算方法(Plate Cal法、TDEC法、谐波法、热传导对流法、振幅法和相位法)进行比较,检验了6种方法在不同干湿地表状况下的适用性,并研究了6种方法计算地表土壤热通量的差异以及对地表能量闭合度的影响。结果表明:一般情况下,Plate Cal法计算的2 cm土壤热通量与观测值最接近,计算结果的均方差为6.9 W/m2。在不同干湿地表状况下,干燥和降水条件下适合使用Plate Cal法,计算结果的均方差分别为14.0 W/m2和30.1 W/m2;湿润条件下适合使用谐波法,计算结果的均方差为21.4 W/m2。6种方法计算的地表土壤热通量存在明显差别,最大相差178.6 W/m2,不同方法计算地表土壤热通量的最大差值超过25 W/m2的时次占样本的96.3%。不同方法计算地表土壤热通量的差异对地表能量闭合度的大小有明显影响,但不影响近地层能量闭合度随湍流混合增强而增大的规律。     

Discrepancy and Applicability of Various Similarity Functions in Flux Calculations Under Stable Conditions

Based on data obtained during the Hualhe River Basin Experiment （HUBEX） in 1999, this study intends to detect the quantitative discrepancies in the momentum （τ0）, sensible heat （H0） and latent heat （E0） fluxes among six sets of similarity functions with the aerodynamic method. It also aims to clarify the applicability of the functions under stable conditions. The relative discrepancy was studied with the normalized transfer coefficients for τ0, H0 and E0, namely CD, CH and CQ, respectively. Except for one set of functions that adopted a rather small von Kármán＇s constant （0.365）, the relative discrepancy in τ0 among the other functions was less than 10%, while that in H0（E0） sometimes reached 25% when the bulk Richardson number （R/B） was less than 0.07. The absolute discrepancy in the fluxes was studied with statistical computations. Among the six sets of functions, the discrepancy in τ0, H0 and E0 sometimes reached 0.03 kg m^-1 s^-2, 4 W m^-2 and 10 W m^-2, respectively, and the discrepancy in the energy balance ratio sometimes exceeded 0.1. Furthermore, when RiB exceeded the critical value （Ric） for a specific set of functions, no fluxes could be derived with the functions. It is therefore suggested that RiB be compared with Ric before computing the fluxes if RiB is less than Ric. Finally, two sets of nonlinear similarity functions are recommended, due to their unlimited applicability in terms of RiB.