BOUNDARY LAYER GROWTH AND LAPSE RATE CHANGES DETERMINED BY LIDAR AND SURFACE HEAT FLUX IN SOFIA*

In this study the results from a boundary layer experiment,conducted in autumn 1991 over a flat,build-up urban area in Southeast Sofia,together with some models for mixed layer growth rates are used to investigate the layered structure of the vertical atmospheric stability distribution in the Sofia Valley.Lidar measurements of aerosol layer heights and morning boundary layer development are combined with surface eddy correlation measurements of kinematic heat and moisture fluxes,profiles of temperature and humidity,wind speed and wind direction.A diagnostic method is presented for determining vertical lapse rates using surface meteorological measurements and lidar returns observed during the transition from nighttime stable stratification to daytime convective boundary layer after the sunrise.     

Convective characteristics of the nocturnal urban boundary layer as observed with Doppler sodar and Raman lidar

Convective plume patterns, characteristic of clear sky and light wind daytime boundary layers over land, were observed for two nights with a tri-axial Doppler sodar operated in the central area of Rome during the summer of 1994. An urban heat island effect, combined with a continuation of a breeze from the sea late into night during both days, is believed to be responsible for the observed nocturnal convection. Estimates of the surface heat flux and the vertical velocity scaling parameter are obtained from profiles of vertical velocity variance, and the Raman lidar water vapor measurements are used to obtain the humidity scaling parameter. Convective scaling results for vertical wind and humidity fairly agree with the results of other experiments and models. On the basis of available measurements, it appears that mixed-layer similarity formulations used to characterize the daytime convective boundary layer over horizontally homogeneous surfaces can also be applied to the nocturnal urban boundary layer during periods of reasonable convective activity.     

Use of a High-Resolution Sodar to Study Surface-layer Turbulence at Night

Measurements in the atmospheric surface layer are generally made with point sensors located in the first few tens of metres. In most cases, however, these measurements are not representative of the whole surface layer. Standard Doppler sodars allow a continuous display of the turbulent thermal structure and wind profiles in the boundary layer up to 1000 m, with a few points, if any, in the surface layer. To overcome these limitations a new sodar configuration is proposed that allows for a higher resolution in the surface layer. Because of its capabilities (echo recording starting at 2 m, echo intensity vertical resolution of approximately 2 m, temporal resolution of 1 s) this sodar is called the surface-layer mini-sodar (SLM-sodar). Features and capabilities of the SLM-sodar are described and compared with the sodar. The comparison of the thermal vertical structure given by the SLM-sodar and the sodar provides evidence that, in most cases, the surface layer presents a level of complexity comparable to that of the entire boundary layer. Considering its high vertical resolution, the SLM-sodar is a promising system for the study of the nocturnal surface layer. The nocturnal SLM-sodar measurements have shown that, depending on wind speed, the structure of the surface layer may change substantially within a short time period. At night, when the wind speed is greater than 3 m s⁻¹, mechanical mixing destroys the wavy structure present in the nocturnal layer. Sonic anemometer measurements have shown that, in such cases, also the sensible heat flux varies with height, reaching a peak in correspondence with the wind speed peak. Under these conditions the assumption of horizontal homogeneity of the surface layer and the choice of the averaging time need to be carefully treated.     

BAROCLINITY AND NONLINEAR EKMAN PUMPING DYNAMICS

With the Ekman momentum approximation,the influence of atmospheric baroclinity on the dynamics of boundarylayer is studied.Some new results are obtained.These results show that the atmospheric baroclinity plays an importantrole in altering the horizontal velocity of Ekman boundary layer and its angle with the horizontal wind velocity compo-nent near the surface.There are three different physical factors affecting the nonlinear Ekman suction,the vertical mo-tion at the top of boundary layer:first,barotropic geostrophic relative vorticity at the ground;second,the thermal windvorticity induced by the baroclinity;and third,the nonlinear interaction between the barotropic geostrophic relativevorticity and the baroclinic thermal wind vorticity.These results may provide a better physical basis for theparameterization of boundary layer and the interpretation of the numerical modeling results.     

Water vapour flux profiles in the convective boundary layer

Summary Water vapour flux profiles in the atmospheric boundary layer have been derived from measurements of water vapour density fluctuations by a ground-based Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) and of vertical wind fluctuations by a ground-based Doppler lidar. The data were collected during the field experiment LITFASS-2003 in May/June 2003 in the area of Lindenberg, Germany. The eddy-correlation method was applied, and error estimates of ±50 W/m² for latent heat flux were found. Since the sampling error dominates the overall measurement accuracy, time intervals between 60 and 120 min were required for a reliable flux calculation, depending on wind speed. Rather large errors may occur with low wind speed because the diurnal cycle restricts the useful interval length. In the lower height range, these measurements are compared with DIAL/radar-RASS fluxes. The agreement is good when comparing covariance and error values. The lidar flux profiles are well complemented by tower measurements at 50 and 90 m above ground and by area-averaged near surface fluxes from a network of micrometeorological stations. Water vapour flux profiles in the convective boundary layer exhibit different structures mainly depending on the magnitude of the entrainment flux. In situations with dry air above the boundary layer a positive entrainment flux is observed which can even exceed the surface flux. Flux profiles which linearly increase from the surface to the top of the boundary layer are observed as well as profiles which decrease in the lower part and increase in the upper part of the boundary layer. In situations with humid air above the boundary layer the entrainment flux is about zero in the upper part of the boundary layer and the profiles in most cases show a linear decrease.     

苏州东山冬季大气边界层结构特征及其对污染物浓度的影响

利用2015年1月15—27日在苏州东山气象观测站系留气艇观测数据以及细颗粒物浓度观测资料,对东山大气边界层结构特征及其对污染物垂直结构分布的影响进行分析研究。结果表明:苏州东山地区冬季空气污染过程的边界层结构演变比较典型,夜间稳定边界层高度约为200 m,白天最大边界层高度可达1 000 m。边界层内污染物垂直结构分布易受边界层高度的影响,较低的大气边界层高度可使细颗粒物在近地层持续累积;反之,边界层高度较高,湍流发展旺盛,颗粒物垂直分布均匀。夜间大气边界层稳定,逆温结构多发,导致近地面出现细颗粒物堆积。风的垂直结构对细颗粒物空间分布也存在显著影响,在风速较小的低空层细颗粒分布较多,而风速较大的中高层的分布较少。      

斜压性与非线性Ekman抽吸的动力特征

本文利用Ekman动量近似研究了斜压性对Ekman层动力学的影响,得到了一些新的结果。大气斜压性对Ekman层的水平风速分布及近地面的风速矢的水平分量夹角有重要的改变作用。斜压边界层顶部的非线性Ekman抽吸(垂直运动)由三个不同的物理因子决定,第一、正压性的地面地转涡度,第二、斜压性作用产生的热成风涡度,第三、正压性的地面地转涡度与斜压性的热成风涡度的非线性相互作用。这些理论结果为边界层的参数化及数值模拟结果的解释提供物理基础。     

Vorticity,divergence, and vertical velocity in a baroclinic boundary layer with a linear variation of the geostrophic wind

The Ekman-Taylor problem for the planetary boundary layer is solved in the case of a thermal wind which varies linearly with height. The upper boundary condition is a vanishing ageostrophic wind, while the lower boundary condition is continuity of the stress vector across the interface between the planetary boundary layer and the surface layer. The latter condition is used to determine the magnitude and the direction of the wind at the bottom of the Ekman layer.Theoretical hodographs are compared with observed hodographs based on five years of ohservations from Ship N in the Pacific, giving fair agreement.The divergence, the vorticity, and the vertical velocity are calculated through the Ekman layer with emphasis on differences between the classical barotropic and the baroclinic cases; these differences are significant, especially in the vertical velocities as compared to the standard approximation.An extension of the present study to include thermal stratification is desirable.     

Formation and Characteristics of Coastal Internal Boundary Layers During Onshore Flows

The development and characteristics of coastal internal boundary layers were investigated in 28 tests. These were made at all seasons and in both gradient and sea-breeze flows but only during mid-day periods. Measurements of turbulence and temperature were taken from a light aircraft which flew traverses across Long Island at successive altitudes parallel to the wind direction. These were used to locate the boundary between modified and unmodified air as a function of height and distance from the coast. The same measurements plus tower measurements of wind, turbulence and temperature, pilot balloon soundings and measurements of land and water surface temperatures by a remote sensing IR thermometer were used to quantify the characteristics of the modified and unmodified air. The boundary layer slope was steep close to the land-water interface and became shallower with downwind distance. Growth of the boundary layer was initially slower with stable lapse rates upwind than with neutral or unstable conditions over the water. An equilibrium height was found in many tests except under conditions of free convection when the internal boundary layer merged into the mixed layer inland and with sea-breeze conditions. The equilibrium height depended on downwind conditions and was greater with low wind speeds and strong land surface heating than with stronger winds and small land-water temperature differences. Current theoretical models are not adequate to predict the height of the boundary layer at the altitudes and distances studied but reasonably good predictions were given by an empirical model developed earlier. Wind speed in the modified air averaged about 70% of that at the coast but turbulence levels were several times higher both near the surface and aloft. These findings have important implications for diffusion from coastal sites.     

Formation and characteristics of coastal internal boundary layers during onshore flows

The development and characteristics of coastal internal boundary layers were investigated in 28 tests. These were made at all seasons and in both gradient and sea-breeze flows but only during mid-day periods. Measurements of turbulence and temperature were taken from a light aircraft which flew traverses across Long Island at successive altitudes parallel to the wind direction. These were used to locate the boundary between modified and unmodified air as a function of height and distance from the coast. The same measurements plus tower measurements of wind, turbulence and temperature, pilot balloon soundings and measurements of land and water surface temperatures by a remote sensing IR thermometer were used to quantify the characteristics of the modified and unmodified air. The boundary layer slope was steep close to the land-water interface and became shallower with downwind distance. Growth of the boundary layer was initially slower with stable lapse rates upwind than with neutral or unstable conditions over the water. An equilibrium height was found in many tests except under conditions of free convection when the internal boundary layer merged into the mixed layer inland and with sea-breeze conditions. The equilibrium height depended on downwind conditions and was greater with low wind speeds and strong land surface heating than with stronger winds and small land-water temperature differences. Current theoretical models are not adequate to predict the height of the boundary layer at the altitudes and distances studied but reasonably good predictions were given by an empirical model developed earlier. Wind speed in the modified air averaged about 70% of that at the coast but turbulence levels were several times higher both near the surface and aloft. These findings have important implications for diffusion from coastal sites.     

A Numerical Study of Turbulence Statistics and the Structure of a Spatially-Developing Boundary Layer Over a Realistic Urban Geometry

Sonic anemometer measurements are analyzed from two primary field programs and 12 supplementary sites to examine the behaviour of the turbulent heat flux near the surface with high wind speeds in the nocturnal boundary layer. On average, large downward heat flux is found for high wind speeds for most of the sites where some stratification is maintained in spite of relatively intense vertical mixing. The stratification for high wind speeds is found to be dependent on wind direction, suggesting the importance of warm-air advection, even for locally homogenous sites. Warm-air advection is also inferred from a large imbalance of the heat budget of the air for strong winds. Shortcomings of our study are noted.     

ADJUSTMENT OF WIND AND PRESSURE FIELDS IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER

The vertical transport of mass at the top of the boundary layer is considered as a link between theboundary layer and free atmosphere.The adjustment of the wind and pressure fields in the boundary layeris studied under the consideration of the interaction between the boundary layer and free atmosphere.Thevertical motion at the top of the boundary layer is evaluated.The results show that the distinguished differ-ences of the present results from classical Ekman layer do exist and they are discussed in the paper.     

Observations of atmospheric boundary layer evolution above the Gulf Stream frontal zone

Ship borne measurements of atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) parameters, sea-surface temperature and radar signals are analyzed to reveal the effects of the ABL transformation above the Gulf Stream temperature frontal zone. It was found that local changes in vertical gradients of wind speed and air temperature are well correlated with sub-mesoscale (~ 10 km) sea surface temperature variations. These effects are accompanied by appropriate variations in surface wind stresses that were identified from microwave backscatter.For steady atmospheric conditions the same effects were observed on spatial scales of 100 km, demonstrating positive radar signal contrast of the Gulf Stream warm waters with respect to surrounding Sargasso sea and shelf water areas. A simplified model of the ABL, accounting for an effect of spatial inhomogeneity by introducing an internal boundary layer, is used to analyze field observations. The model is able to reproduce both sub-mesoscale and mesoscale ABL evolution.     

Turbulent diffusivity and diurnal variations in the atmospheric boundary layer

Diurnal variations of the vertical profiles of wind and temperature have been surveyed, and the diffusivity and the dimensionless gradient function in the atmospheric boundary layer have been estimated. Even in the middle of the atmospheric boundary layer (e.g., below a height of 442 m), the vertical wind profile normalized by the surface friction velocity has approximately a universal profile function different from that in the surface boundary layer. Under strong stability conditions, the dimensionless gradient function has a value of about 9.     

正压边界层中的风压场相互调整

本文考虑正压边界层顶的垂直质量输送,将边界层与自由大气联系起来,研究这两层之间的风压场的相互作用所得到定常状态下的风压场,并算得了边界层顶的垂直速度。这些结果与经典Ekman边界层是有明显区别的。     

边界层方案对华北低层O3垂直分布模拟的影响

利用WRF-Chem模式,采用3种边界层参数化方案 (YSU, MYJ和ACM2),针对1个晴空、静稳日 (2013年8月26日20:00—27日20:00(北京时)) 进行模拟,着重分析不同边界层参数化方案对夜间残留层形成及日出前后O₃浓度垂直分布形式的模拟效果,并与固城站地面及垂直同步观测资料进行对比。结果表明:3种边界层参数化方案均能够模拟出温度及风速的区域分布形式以及风温垂直结构的变化特征;相比之下,MYJ方案模拟的夜间边界层高度较YSU方案和ACM2方案明显偏高,该对比结果可能是导致近地面污染物浓度模拟差异的重要原因;在夜间稳定层结至日出后稳定状态打破的边界层结构演变过程中,采用YSU方案和ACM2方案模拟的温度和风速垂直扩线形式与观测结果更为接近;同样采用非局地闭合的YSU方案和同时考虑局地和非局地闭合的ACM2方案,对于边界层高度内O₃浓度垂直分布形式的模拟效果具有明显优势。     

DOPPLER SODAR AND ATMOSPHERIC BOUNDARY LAYER DETECTION

A Doppler sodar system controlled by microcomputer is described in this paper. The sodar was usedto detect the vertical distribution of wind and temperature stratification in the atmospheric boundary layer.The detecting results show that at night the vertical distribution of wind is very complicated, which can appearas a structure of two or three layers. In nocturnal atmospheric boundary layer sometimes there exists verythin layer in multi-layer inversion and it can be retained for a long time.     

Impact of the Diurnal Cycle of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer on Wind-Turbine Wakes: A Numerical Modelling Study

The wake characteristics of a wind turbine for different regimes occurring throughout the diurnal cycle are investigated systematically by means of large-eddy simulation. Idealized diurnal cycle simulations of the atmospheric boundary layer are performed with the geophysical flow solver EULAG over both homogeneous and heterogeneous terrain. Under homogeneous conditions, the diurnal cycle significantly affects the low-level wind shear and atmospheric turbulence. A strong vertical wind shear and veering with height occur in the nocturnal stable boundary layer and in the morning boundary layer, whereas atmospheric turbulence is much larger in the convective boundary layer and in the evening boundary layer. The increased shear under heterogeneous conditions changes these wind characteristics, counteracting the formation of the night-time Ekman spiral. The convective, stable, evening, and morning regimes of the atmospheric boundary layer over a homogeneous surface as well as the convective and stable regimes over a heterogeneous surface are used to study the flow in a wind-turbine wake. Synchronized turbulent inflow data from the idealized atmospheric boundary-layer simulations with periodic horizontal boundary conditions are applied to the wind-turbine simulations with open streamwise boundary conditions. The resulting wake is strongly influenced by the stability of the atmosphere. In both cases, the flow in the wake recovers more rapidly under convective conditions during the day than under stable conditions at night. The simulated wakes produced for the night-time situation completely differ between heterogeneous and homogeneous surface conditions. The wake characteristics of the transitional periods are influenced by the flow regime prior to the transition. Furthermore, there are different wake deflections over the height of the rotor, which reflect the incoming wind direction.     

Statistics of shallow convection on Mars based on large-eddy simulations. Part 2: effects of wind shear

Effects of wind on quasi-steady, shallow convection in the Martian boundary layer are studied using a large-eddy simulation model. Convection in the model is generated by the radiative flux divergence and the strength of the surface heat flux, which do not vary in time. The resulting convective boundary layer exhibits transient, irregular, horizontal cellular structures, transported by wind, and a lack of well-pronounced regular horizontal rolls, observed for analogous conditions on Earth. The dimensionless statistics of turbulence are generally similar to those generated in the windless conditions, and depend on the ratio F, defined in terms of the integrated radiative and turbulent heating rates in the boundary layer. The simulations show that variations of the radiative heating influence the temperature statistics, while their effects on the wind velocity are relatively small. The horizontal velocity variances do not show a strong dependence on parameter F, in contrast with the vertical velocity variances, which are strongly dependent on F.