Impact of the Nocturnal Low-Level Jet and Orographic Waves on Turbulent Motions and Energy Fluxes in the Lower Atmospheric Boundary Layer

The nocturnal low-level jet (LLJ) and orographic (gravity) waves play an important role in the generation of turbulence and pollutant dispersion and can affect the energy production by wind turbines. Additionally, gravity waves have an influence on the local mixing and turbulence within the surface layer and the vertical flux of mass into the lower atmosphere. On 25 September 2017, during a field campaign, a persistent easterly LLJ and gravity waves were observed simultaneously in a coastal area in the north of France. We explore the variability of the wind speed, turbulent eddies, and turbulence kinetic energy in the time–frequency and space domain using an ultrasonic anemometer and a scanning wind lidar. The results reveal a significant enhancement of the turbulence-kinetic-energy dissipation (by?50%) due to gravity waves in the LLJ shear layer (below the jet core) during the period of wave propagation. Large magnitudes of zonal and vertical components of the shear stress (approximately 0.4 and 1.5 m² s^?2, respectively) are found during that period. Large eddies (scales of 110 to 280 m) matching the high-wind-speed regime are found to propagate the momentum downwards, which enhances the mass transport from the LLJ shear layer to the roughness layer. Furthermore, these large-scale eddies are associated with the crests while comparatively small-scale eddies are associated with the troughs of the gravity wave.

     

Energy- and Flux-Budget Turbulence Closure Model for Stably Stratified Flows. Part II: The Role of Internal Gravity Waves

We advance our prior energy- and flux-budget (EFB) turbulence closure model for stably stratified atmospheric flow and extend it to account for an additional vertical flux of momentum and additional productions of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), turbulent potential energy (TPE) and turbulent flux of potential temperature due to large-scale internal gravity waves (IGW). For the stationary, homogeneous regime, the first version of the EFB model disregarding large-scale IGW yielded universal dependencies of the flux Richardson number, turbulent Prandtl number, energy ratios, and normalised vertical fluxes of momentum and heat on the gradient Richardson number, Ri. Due to the large-scale IGW, these dependencies lose their universality. The maximal value of the flux Richardson number (universal constant ≈0.2–0.25 in the no-IGW regime) becomes strongly variable. In the vertically homogeneous stratification, it increases with increasing wave energy and can even exceed 1. For heterogeneous stratification, when internal gravity waves propagate towards stronger stratification, the maximal flux Richardson number decreases with increasing wave energy, reaches zero and then becomes negative. In other words, the vertical flux of potential temperature becomes counter-gradient. Internal gravity waves also reduce the anisotropy of turbulence: in contrast to the mean wind shear, which generates only horizontal TKE, internal gravity waves generate both horizontal and vertical TKE. Internal gravity waves also increase the share of TPE in the turbulent total energy (TTE = TKE + TPE). A well-known effect of internal gravity waves is their direct contribution to the vertical transport of momentum. Depending on the direction (downward or upward), internal gravity waves either strengthen or weaken the total vertical flux of momentum. Predictions from the proposed model are consistent with available data from atmospheric and laboratory experiments, direct numerical simulations and large-eddy simulations.     

青藏高原东部重力波过程与西南涡活动的统计关系

本文利用2012～2015年西南涡加密观测大气科学实验的剑阁、金川、九龙和名山四站探空资料,统计分析了6～7月西南涡活动期间对流层中、高层（6～12 km）的重力波过程,结果表明:青藏高原东部川西高原南部的九龙站与其余三站不同,重力波源主要来自对流层上层,波能传播方向向上,剑阁、金川和名山三站重力的波源主要来自对流层下层,波能传播方向向下。重力波过程在不同类型的西南涡活动中有明显差异,在移出型西南涡活动初期,重力波水平传播方向主要为东北向,其上传概率远大于下传概率,波动的动能和潜能较大且变化剧烈;而对应源地型西南涡,初期主要呈西北—东南向传播且重力波上传与下传概率相当,动能和潜能较小且变化相对平缓同时本次研究表明,重力波水平传播方向对西南涡的移动方向也有一定指示作用。按照发生时刻本文将重力波分为日发型重力波和夜发型重力波,在夜发型西南涡初期,重力波活动夜发（北京时20:00～08:00）的概率较大,这表明重力波的夜发性与西南涡的夜发性可能存在一定关联。     

A note on the interpretation of acoustic sounder returns

A method is outlined for estimating statistical characteristics of turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer using pairs of observables derived from scattered acoustic energy. The procedure involves determining, from the observable pair, a local stability parameter and deducing from related similarity functions certain turbulence statistics not measured directly. The results are limited to heights small compared to the Ekman-layer depth and to flows which are neither fully developed convectively nor have imbedded gravity waves.     

A Simple Model for the Afternoon and Early Evening Decay of Convective Turbulence Over Different Land Surfaces

A simple model to study the decay of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in the convective surface layer is presented. In this model, the TKE is dependent upon two terms, the turbulent dissipation rate and the surface buoyancy fluctuations. The time evolution of the surface sensible heat flux is modelled based on fitting functions of actual measurements from the LITFASS-2003 field campaign. These fitting functions carry an amplitude and a time scale. With this approach, the sensible heat flux can be estimated without having to solve the entire surface energy balance. The period of interest covers two characteristic transition sub-periods involved in the decay of convective boundary-layer turbulence. The first sub-period is the afternoon transition, when the sensible heat flux starts to decrease in response to the reduction in solar radiation. It is typically associated with a decay rate of TKE of approximately t ⁻² (t is time following the start of the decay) after several convective eddy turnover times. The early evening transition is the second sub-period, typically just before sunset when the surface sensible heat flux becomes negative. This sub-period is characterized by an abrupt decay in TKE associated with the rapid collapse of turbulence. Overall, the results presented show a significant improvement of the modelled TKE decay when compared to the often applied assumption of a sensible heat flux decreasing instantaneously or with a very short forcing time scale. In addition, for atmospheric modelling studies, it is suggested that the afternoon and early evening decay of sensible heat flux be modelled as a complementary error function.     

On Wind Forces in the Forest-Edge Region During Extreme-Gust Passages and Their Implications for Damage Patterns

We use large-eddy simulations (LES) to investigate the impact of stable stratification on gravity-wave excitation and energy extraction in a large wind farm. To this end, the development of an equilibrium conventionally neutral boundary layer into a stable boundary layer over a period of 8 h is considered, using two different cooling rates. We find that turbulence decay has considerable influence on the energy extraction at the beginning of the boundary-layer transition, but afterwards, energy extraction is dominated by geometrical and jet effects induced by an inertial oscillation. It is further shown that the inertial oscillation enhances gravity-wave excitation. By comparing LES results with a simple one-dimensional model, we show that this is related to an interplay between wind-farm drag, variations in the Froude number and the dispersive effects of vertically-propagating gravity waves. We further find that the pressure gradients induced by gravity waves lead to significant upstream flow deceleration, reducing the average turbine output compared to a turbine in isolated operation. This leads us to the definition of a non-local wind-farm efficiency, next to a more standard wind-farm wake efficiency, and we show that both can be of the same order of magnitude. Finally, an energy flux analysis is performed to further elucidate the effect of gravity waves on the flow in the wind farm.     

梅雨锋中尺度系统及其与大尺度运动相互作用的能量学研究

本文导出了二维非均匀介质中重力惯性波的频散方程、波列传播路径方程和考虑了中尺度与天气尺度运动之间相互作用的动能收支方程,并用于讨论了一个典型的梅雨锋过程。研究发现,由一条中尺度雨带强迫产生的重力惯性波的能量频散可能成为另一条中尺度雨带生成和维持的机制;中尺度与天气尺度运动之间相互作用所产生的动能交换是中尺度系统发展的一个非常重要的动能来源,在中尺度系统的维持中也有重要作用。      

On the Kinetic Energy Budget of the Unstable Atmospheric Surface Layer

We present a new account of the kinetic energy budget within an unstable atmospheric surface layer (ASL) beneath a convective outer layer. It is based on the structural model of turbulence introduced by McNaughton (Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 112: 199–221, 2004). In this model the turbulence is described as a self-organizing system with a highly organized structure that resists change by instability. This system is driven from above, with both the mean motion and the large-scale convective motions of the outer layer creating shear across the surface layer. The outer convective motions thus modulate the turbulence processes in the surface layer, causing variable downwards fluxes of momentum and kinetic energy. The variable components of the momentum flux sum to zero, but the associated energy divergence is cumulative, increasing both the average kinetic energy of the turbulence in the surface layer and the rate at which that energy is dissipated. The tendency of buoyancy to preferentially enhance the vertical motions is opposed by pressure reaction forces, so pressure production, which is the work done against these reaction forces, exactly equals buoyant production of kinetic energy. The pressure potential energy that is produced is then redistributed throughout the layer through many conversions, back and forth, between pressure potential and kinetic energy with zero sums. These exchanges generally increase the kinetic energy of the turbulence, the rate at which turbulence transfers momentum and the rate at which it dissipates energy, but does not alter its overall structure. In this model the velocity scale for turbulent transport processes in the surface layer is (kzɛ)^1/3 rather than the friction velocity, u_*. Here k is the von Kármán constant, z is observation height, ɛ is the dissipation rate. The model agrees very well with published experimental results, and provides the foundation for the new similarity model of the unstable ASL, replacing the older Monin–Obukhov similarity theory, whose assumptions are no longer tenable.     

Role of Shear and the Inversion Strength During Sunset Turbulence Over Land: Characteristic Length Scales

The role of shear and inversion strength on the decay of convective turbulence during sunset over land is systematically studied by means of large-eddy simulations. Different decay rates have been found for the vertical and horizontal velocity fluctuations, resulting in an increase of the anisotropy for all the studied cases. Entrainment, which persists during the decay process, favours the appearance of vertical upward movements associated with a conversion from kinetic to potential energy. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of the characteristic length scale of the various turbulent variables during this process. The length scale evolution is found to depend on the wind shear characteristics, but not on the strength of the inversion. In general the length scales of the variables grow during decay because small-scale fluctuations dissipate faster than large-scale fluctuations. Only the length scale of the vertical velocity component remains nearly constant during decay. Spectral analysis of the variance budgets shows that pressure correlations are responsible for fixing this length scale, effectively compensating the strong but oscillating influence of buoyancy. In the shear cases, after an initial period of growth, the length scales start to decrease once the buoyancy-generated variance has sufficiently subsided. Also here the effect of pressure redistribution is crucial, as it transfers the spectral influence of shear to the other velocity components.     

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.     

动能EOF分析和β中尺度雨团中的能量转换

本文针对2008年上海8月25日暴雨过程,利用WRF中尺度数值模式对其较好模拟的结果,应用EOF分析方法对其做了动能偏差场的统计动力诊断。探讨了该暴雨过程中各种尺度天气系统,特别是β中尺度雨 团,其有效位能向动能的转化机制。所得主要结论有:对该暴雨过程,动能偏差场EOF分析的第一、二、三模态可分别称为暴雨背景模态、暴雨系统模态和暴雨雨团模态。在该暴雨落区附近,低层各模态动能偏差场水平梯度的绝对值均较大,系统演变也较剧烈,且尤以暴雨雨团模态为甚;这表明低层暴雨雨团模态该处风场具有强烈的非地转性,有着强辐合,运动是非平衡的,其性质为重力惯性波(含涡旋—重力惯性混合波)。在某等压面上,有效位能的时间变化与位势偏差的时间变化相同,而前者的水平梯度则与后者的空间梯度大致相同,这样讨论某层前者的变化就归结于讨论该层后者的变化。暴雨来临前在该暴雨落区附近,前三个模态都有有效位能向动能的 转化,其表现为动能的增长和有效位能的下降,且以暴雨雨团模态表现更突出。暴雨雨团模态的尺度为β中尺 度,这表明该尺度的系统在有效位能向动能转换中起着关键作用,且扮演着有效位能与涡旋场动能之间转换的中介角色。     

DECAY OF CONVECTIVE TURBULENCE REVISITED

Results of a large-eddy simulation of a decaying convective mixed layer over land are presented. The time evolution of the mixed layer is forced by the surface heat flux gradually decreasing with time. The results obtained show that the decay of the turbulent kinetic energy is governed by two scales, the external time scale controlling the surface heat flux changes, and the convective time scale. During the simulation, large eddies persist even when the heat flux at the surface becomes negative. A decoupled residual layer of active turbulence is developed above the stable surface layer. The residual layer is marked by large-scale updrafts that are able to penetrate the capping inversion layer and induce entrainment.     

Atmospheric Turbulence Decay During the Solar Total Eclipse of 11 August 1999

The studies of turbulence decay were based in the past on measurements carried out in neutrally stratified wind tunnels and, more recently, on large-eddy simulation runs. Here the atmospheric turbulence decay process during the solar total eclipse of 11 August 1999 is examined. Thus a rapid transition from convective boundary-layer turbulence to that of a neutral or slightly stable one is considered. A u-v-w propeller anemometer and a fast response temperature sensor located in northern France on top of a 9-m mast recorded the turbulence observations. The measurements, in terms of turbulent kinetic energy decay with time, were found to be in good agreement with those prescribed by a theoretical model of turbulence decay recently proposed. In particular, it was found that the exponent of the power law describing the decay process has the value -2.     

Laboratory observations of shear-layer instability in a stratified fluid

Instability and transition to turbulence is studied in a shear layer between two streams of different salinities and velocities. The viscous layer between the two streams is 15–18 times thicker than the diffusion layer. When the initial layer Richardson number is low, the instability organizes the shear-layer vorticity into discrete lumps as in the homogeneous case. Here the similarity ends. The homogeneous shear layer continues to grow by the combination of neighboring vertical lumps (vortex pairing). In the stratified shear layer, the pairing process is stopped completely, and the vorticity is redistributed along the interface. This redistribution generates interfacial waves. The interfacial waves and the residual turbulence eventually decay, and the shear flow approaches a laminar state.     

植被内部及其上方湍流场的数值模拟

植被内部及其上方的湍流流场对于了解植被与大气之间的动量、热量和质量交换过程极其重要。本文把高阶湍流封闭模型的Reynolds应力方程模型(RSM)应用于植被湍流的计算,得到了风速、湍流动能、Reynolds应力及能量耗散率的垂直分布,与现场观测数据比较,甚为满意。     

大气中动能的双向转化和单向转化

根据绝热无耗散大气总动能和总位涡拟能守恒的特性，本文讨论了二维平面上动能谱分布随时间变化的规律。结果表明，大气谱动能变化必然涉及至少三种不同的空间尺度；或遵从双向转化原则，或遵从单向转化原则。在讨论能量的双向转化和单向转化条件的基础上，本文还分别研究斜压大气和正压大气中能量转化的一般状况。     

动能的周期变化和动能转换率对动能增衰的作用

利用1976～1977年冬季四个月北半球500mb资料,对北半球平均动能和涡动动能波谱的中期变化、动能转换率对平均动能的增衰和对波动增衰的作用进行了研究,得到一些初步结果。指出:北半球平均动能、涡动动能以及涡动动能和平均动能之间的转换率,有准两周的周期振动。涡动动能先于动能转换率一天达到峰值,而后再过两天平均动能达到峰值。在k=3波时,动能也存在准两周的周期振动,它是对涡动动能总值贡献最大的波动,同涡动动能总值具有同位相的振动。对动能转换率总值贡献最大的还是k=3波,其转换率具有同转换率总值同位相的准两周振动。 动能转换率对平均动能整个增长阶段的贡献,大于衰退阶段,在平均动能增长阶段,动能转换率近似于同平均动能变化率平衡。这意味着平均动能的增长,正压过程在起作用。 文中还研究了动能转换率对k=1～6波增衰的作用,结果表明:它对波动的增长不起作用,但对波动的衰退起到足够的贡献。 最后,对波动的增衰同平均动能和涡动动能的中期变化之间的联系进行了讨论。     

Effects of Time-Dependent Inflow Perturbations on Turbulent Flow in a Street Canyon

Urban flow and turbulence are driven by atmospheric flows with larger horizontal scales. Since building-resolving computational fluid dynamics models typically employ steady Dirichlet boundary conditions or forcing, the accuracy of numerical simulations may be limited by the neglect of perturbations. We investigate the sensitivity of flow within a unit-aspect-ratio street canyon to time-dependent perturbations near the inflow boundary. Using large-eddy simulation, time-periodic perturbations to the streamwise velocity component are incorporated via the nudging technique. Spatial averages of pointwise differences between unperturbed and perturbed velocity fields (i.e., the error kinetic energy) show a clear dependence on the perturbation period, though spatial structures are largely insensitive to the time-dependent forcing. The response of the error kinetic energy is maximized for perturbation periods comparable to the time scale of the mean canyon circulation. Frequency spectra indicate that this behaviour arises from a resonance between the inflow forcing and the mean motion around closed streamlines. The robustness of the results is confirmed using perturbations derived from measurements of roof-level wind speed.     

2009年“莫拉克”台风登陆过程阵风特征分析

利用上海台风研究所移动观测车获取的“莫拉克”台风登陆过程中超声风、温等观测资料对地面阵风特性进行了诊断分析.结果表明,在风速时间序列中叠加有周期为3-7 min的阵风扰动,显现出明显的相干结构,即沿顺风方向阵风风速峰期有下沉运动,谷期有上升运动;阵风扰动的各向异性特征明显,沿顺风方向的阵风扰动能量最大,其次是沿侧向和垂直方向的扰动能量;沿顺风方向的阵风垂直动量通量向下传播,而沿侧风方向阵风扰动动量垂直通量总体贡献接近于0.阵风扰动沿顺风方向的积分空间尺度和时间尺度最大,沿侧风方向和垂直方向其次,均明显大于湍流的积分空间和时间尺度.此外,阵风扰动的其他特征还包括:感热垂直通量极小;当平均风速较大时阵风风向变化幅度较小,而风速较小时阵风风向变化幅度则较大;动力学分析表明,阵风扰动主要表现出重力内波的一些特性.     

The global energy cycle of stationary and transient atmospheric waves: Results from ECMWF analyses

Summary The role of stationary (monthly mean) and transient (departure from monthly mean) waves within the atmospheric energy cycle is examined using global analyses from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) for the period 1980–1987. Only January and July averages are considered.It is confirmed that planetary stationary waves are basically baroclinic. Their contribution to the globally averaged energy cycle of the atmosphere is comparable to that of the transient waves. In January they contribute about 40% to the baroclinic conversion (CA) from zonal mean to eddy available potential energy. Local values for the northern hemisphere even show a predominant role of the stationary wave conversions over those originating from transient waves. Part of the available potential energy of stationary waves (A _SE) is converted to kinetic energy by warm air rising and cold air sinking. Nonlinear energy conversion, which can be interpreted as destruction of stationary temperature waves by transients, is the second sink forA _SE. The order of magnitude of these two processes is similar.Barotropic nonlinear conversions, though negligible in the global average, reveal large conversion rates between the mean positions of the polar and the subtropical jets. Their orientation is suggestive of a tendency to increase stationary wave kinetic energyK _SE at its local minimum between the jets at the expense of the synoptic scale transients.While all terms of the energy cycle related to stationary waves reveal a predominance of the planetary scale (zonal wave numbers 1–3) transient waves are governed by synoptic scale waves (zonal wave numbers 4–9) only with respect to the baroclinic and barotropic conversions: a significant amount of transient wave energy (50% for the global average ofA _TE) is due to planetary scale waves.With 15 Figures