Airflow and roughness characteristics over partially vegetated linear dunes in the southwest Kalahari Desert

There is little understanding of the flow-field surrounding semi-vegetated linear dunes, and predictions of dune mobility are hampered by a lack of empirical data concerning windflow. In an attempt to characterize the near-surface airflow upwind of and over partially vegetated linear dunes in the southwest Kalahari Desert, this study presents measurements of vertical and horizontal wind velocity profiles across cross-sectional transects of seven partially vegetated linear dunes. Vegetation surveys combined with velocity measurements from vertical arrays of cup-anemometers, placed up to 2·3 m above the ground surface, were used to gain information concerning the modification of airflow structure caused by the intrusion of the dunes into the atmospheric boundary layer and to predict the variability of aerodynamic roughness (z₀) from interdune to crest. The results suggest an acceleration of flow up the windward slopes of the dunes and, as such, the data correspond to classical theory concerning flow over low hills (essentially Jackson and Hunt (1975) principles). Where the theory is incapable of explaining the airflow structure and acceleration characteristics, this is explained, in part, by the presence of a spatially variable vegetation cover over the dunes. The vegetation is important both in terms of the varying aerodynamic roughness (z₀) and problems concerning the definition of a zero-plane displacement (d). It is considered that any attempts to characterize surface shear stress over the Kalahari linear dunes, in order to predict sand transport and dune mobility, will be hampered by two problems. These are the progressively non-log-linear nature of the velocity profiles over the dunes caused by flow acceleration, and the production of thin near-surface boundary layers caused by areally variable aerodynamic roughness as a result of the partially vegetated nature of the dunes.     

Aeolian processes across transverse dunes. I: Modelling the air flow

This paper discusses a two-dimensional second-order closure model simulating air flow and turbulence across transverse dunes. Input parameters are upwind wind speed, topography of the dune ridge and surface roughness distribution over the ridge. The most important output is the distribution of the friction velocity over the surface. This model is dynamically linked to a model that calculates sand transport rates and the resulting changes in elevation. The sand transport model is discussed in a separate paper. The simulated wind speeds resemble patterns observed during field experiments. Despite the increased wind speed over the crest, the friction velocity at the crest of a bare dune is reduced compared to the upstream value, because of the effect of stream line curvature on turbulence. These curvature effects explain why desert dunes can grow in height. In order to obtain realistic predictions of friction velocity it was essential to include equations for the turbulent variables in the model. In these equations streamline curvature is an important parameter. The main flaw of the model is that it cannot deal with flow separation and the resulting recirculation vortex. As a result, the increase of the wind speed and friction velocity after a steep dune or a slipface will be too close to the dune foot. In the sand transport model this was overcome by defining a separation zone. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Turbulent flow over a dune: Green River,Colorado

Detailed echo‐sounder and acoustic Doppler velocimeter measurements are used to assess the temporal and spatial structure of turbulent flow over a mobile dune in a wide, low‐gradient, alluvial reach of the Green River. Based on the geometric position of the sensor over the bedforms, measurements were taken in the wake, in transitional flow at the bedform crest, and in the internal boundary layer. Spatial distributions of Reynolds shear stress, turbulent kinetic energy, turbulence intensity, and correlation coefficient are qualitatively consistent with those over fixed, two‐dimensional bedforms in laboratory flows. Spectral and cospectral analysis demonstrates that energy levels in the lee of the crest (i.e. wake) are two to four times greater than over the crest itself, with minima over the stoss slope (within the developing internal boundary layer). The frequency structure in the wake is sharply defined with single, dominant peaks. Peak and total spectral and cross‐spectral energies vary over the bedform in a manner consistent with wave‐like perturbations that ‘break’ or ‘roll up’ into vortices that amalgamate, grow in size, and eventually diffuse as they are advected downstream. Fluid oscillations in the lee of the dune demonstrate Strouhal similarity between laboratory and field environments, and correspondence between the peak frequencies of these oscillations and the periodicity of surface boils was observed in the field. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structure of flow over alluvial bedforms: an experiment on linking field and laboratory methods

This paper presents results of a field study designed to examine the structure of flow over mobile and fixed bedforms in a natural stream and to compare the results with findings of previous laboratory studies within the framework of double time–space averaging approach. Measurements of turbulence were obtained in a small river in Illinois, USA, over a fine spatial grid of sampling points above a mobile sandy bedform and its artificially moulded replica. Flow structure over the artificial bedform is similar to that observed in laboratory studies, but is markedly different from the flow structure over natural bedforms. These differences are most pronounced in the roughness sublayer, whereas flow in the logarithmic layer over natural and artificial sand waves is fairly similar and exhibits spatial uniformity. The double time–space averaged distributions of turbulence statistics conform to the multilayer model of flow structure over bedforms. Mean velocity distributions indicate neither classical flow recirculation nor substantial reduction of velocities in the lee of bedform crests. However, vertical patterns of turbulence statistics over depth suggest that stacked wakes similar to those observed in laboratory studies exist above the bedforms. Thus, despite the absence of flow separation, wake development seems to be induced by the systematic influence of upstream bedforms on the vertical structure of turbulence. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wind erosion characteristics of Sahelian surface types

The assessment of wind erosion magnitudes for a given area requires knowledge of wind erosion susceptibilities of the dominant local surface types. Relative wind erosion potentials of surfaces can hardly be compared under field conditions, as each erosion event is unique in terms of duration, intensity and extent. The objective of this study was to determine and compare relative wind erosion potentials of the most representative surface types over a transect comprising most parts of southwestern Niger. For this purpose, mobile wind tunnel experiments were run on 26 dominant surface types. The effects of surface disturbance were additionally determined for 13 of these surfaces. The results, namely measurements of wind fields and mass fluxes, can be classified according to specific surface characteristics. Three basic surface groups with similar emission behaviour and aerodynamic characteristics were identified: (1) sand surfaces, (2) rough stone surfaces and (3) flat crusted surfaces. Sand surfaces feature a turbulent zone close to the surface due to the development of a saltation layer. Their surface roughness is medium to high, as a consequence of the loss of kinetic energy of the wind field to saltating particles. Sand surfaces show the highest mass fluxes due to the abundance of loose particles, but also fairly high PM10 fluxes, as potential dust particles are not contained in stable crusts or aggregates. Rough stone surfaces, due to their fragmented and irregular surface, feature the highest surface roughness and the most intense turbulence. They are among the weakest emitters but, due to their relatively high share of potential dust particles, PM10 emissions are still average. Flat crusted surfaces, in contrast, show low turbulence and the lowest surface roughness. This group of surfaces shows rather heterogeneous mass fluxes, which range from moderate to almost zero, although the share of PM10 particles is always relatively high. Topsoil disturbance always results in higher total and PM10 emissions on sand surfaces and also on flat crusted surfaces. Stone surfaces regularly exhibit a decrease in emission after disturbance, which can possibly be attributed to a reorganization which protects finer particles from entrainment. The results are comparable with field studies of natural erosion events and similar wind tunnel field campaigns. The broad range of tested surfaces and the standardized methodology are a precondition for the future regionalization of the experimental point data. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of topography and approach angles on local deflections of airflow within a coastal blowout

The spatial variability of air flow through complex topography is an important, but not fully understood, component of dune development and dynamics. This study examines the spatial variability of the wind field in a linear blowout in coastal dunes at Jockey's Ridge State Park, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. A spatial array of single‐height anemometers and wind vanes were placed within the blowout. Topography exerted a significant steering effect when onshore winds approached from directions within 50° of the blowout axis. Under those conditions wind flow in the blowout aligned to the axis regardless of approach angle, maximizing the potential for erosion and transport in the trough. In other locations aspect variations caused deflection both proportional and disproportional to changes in the approaching wind. When prevailing winds approached from directions more oblique than 50° to the blowout axis, topographic steering through the blowout trough was reduced and secondary flow generated by flow separation over the trough became more prominent. During those approach angles, wind directions and speeds within the upper blowout trough became erratic as vortices and turbulence dominated the flow, minimizing transport potential. The changing characteristics of airflow in the blowout relative to differing approach angles has implications on dune development and variations in transport potential under changing conditions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Current and turbulence measurements at the FINO1 offshore wind energy site: analysis using 5-beam ADCPs

We report concurrent measurements of ocean currents and turbulence at two sites in the North Sea, one site at upwind of the FINO1 platform and the other 200-m downwind of the Alpha Ventus wind farm. At each site, mean currents, Reynolds stresses, turbulence intensity and production of turbulent kinetic energy are obtained from two bottom-mounted 5-beam Nortek Signature1000s, high-frequency Doppler current profiler, at a water depth of approximately 30 m. Measurements from the two sites are compared to statistically identify the effects of wind farm and waves on ocean current variability and the turbulent structure in the water column. Profiles of Reynolds stresses are found to be sensible to both environmental forcing and the wind farm wake-induced distortions in both boundary layers near the surface and the seabed. Production of turbulent kinetic energy and turbulence intensity exhibit approximately similar, but less pronounced, patterns in the presence of farm wake effects.     

Propagation of barotropic modons over topography

Abstract

This is a broad survey of the interaction of modons with topography in a one-layer, quasigeostrophic model. Numerical simulations of modons interacting with ridges, hills, random topography and other obstacles are presented. The behavior of the modon is compared to numerical simulations of a two-point-vortex model, which proves a useful guide to the basic trajectory deflection mechanism. Under sufficiently strong but quasigeostrophically valid topographic perturbations, the modon is shown to fission into two essentially independent, oppositely-signed vortices. In the breakup of a modon near a hill it is found that the positive vortex migrates to the top of the hill. The resulting correlation between the positive vorticity trapped over the hill and the topography is in sharp contrast with the theories of turbulent flow over topography and generation of flow over topography by large scale forcing, both of which describe the development of vorticity anticorrelated with topography. A heuristic explanation of this new behavior is provided in terms of the dynamics of β bT-plane vortices. Further, it is found that a modon travelling over rough topography homogenizes the field of potential vorticity in its vicinity. This behavior is explained in terms of the induced eddy activity near the modon.     

Dry aeolian dust accumulation in rocky deserts: ­a medium‐term field experiment based on short‐term wind tunnel simulations

The spatial pattern of medium‐term (a few months) dry aeolian dust accumulation in rocky deserts is predicted using short‐term deposition and erosion experiments in a wind tunnel. The predictions are tested in a field experiment set up in the northern Negev Desert of Israel. The results show that superimposing wind tunnel deposition and erosion maps usually leads to correct predictions of medium‐term dust accumulation. The predictions are somewhat less confident near the inflection lines of windward hillslopes, where small‐scale irregularities in the local topography make it difficult to locate the exact position of the areas of little accumulation. Elsewhere in the topography predictions are good, and the method works satisfactorily. Highest accumulation occurs on concave windward slopes and, to a lesser extent, on slopes parallel to the wind. Little accumulation occurs on the convex windward slopes and in dust separation bubbles. The smallest accumulation rates are observed immediately upwind of the top of pronounced hills and on leeslopes. The rate of dry dust accumulation measured during the field experiment varied from 17 to 93 g m⁻² a⁻¹, depending on the topographic position of the accumulation plots. For most plots, it was of the order of 30–60 g m⁻² a⁻¹. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Turbulence flux measurement above the overstory of a subtropical Pinus plantation over the hilly region in southeastern China

Continuous turbulence flux measurement using the eddy covariance (EC) technique was made from January 1 to December 31 in 2003 at two and three canopy heights of a subtropical Pinus plantation on the red earth hilly region in southeastern China. To be able to make sure that the measured turbulence flux will equal the net ecosystem/atmosphere exchange, the quality of the data has to be assessed. Three criteria were investigated here, including the power spectra and cospectra analyses, flux variance similarity (integral turbulence test) and energy balance closure. The spectral analyses suggested that above-canopy power spectral slopes for all velocity components and scalars such as CO2, H2O and air temperature followed the expected -2/3 power law in the inertial subrange, and their cospectral slopes were close to -4/3 power law in the inertial subrange. The important contribution of large-scale motions to energy and mass transfer above the canopy at higher measurement level was also confirmed by the spectral analyses. The eddy covariance systems have the ability to resolve fluctuations associated with small-scale eddies and did not induce an obvious underestimation of the measured turbulence flux. The Monin-Obukhov similarity functions for the normalized standard deviation of vertical wind speed and air temperature were well-defined functions of atmospheric stability at two heights above the forest canopy, which indicated that turbulence flux measurements made at two heights were within the surface layer. Nocturnal flux underestimation and departures of this normalized standard deviation of vertical wind speed similarity function from that expected from Monin-Obukhov theory were a function of friction velocity. Thus, an optimal criterion of friction velocity was determined to be greater than 0.2-0.3 m s-1 for nocturnal fluxes so that the eddy covariance flux measurement was under high turbulent mixing conditions. Energy balance closure reached about 72%-81% at the studied site, which was comparable to the 10%-30% of energy imbalance reported in the literature. However, the energy balance closure could be only used as a useful reference criterion.     

Does the permeability of gravel river beds affect near‐bed hydrodynamics?

The permeability of river beds is an important control on hyporheic flow and the movement of fine sediment and solutes into and out of the bed. However, relatively little is known about the effect of bed permeability on overlying near‐bed flow dynamics, and thus on fluid advection at the sediment–water interface. This study provides the first quantification of this effect for water‐worked gravel beds. Laboratory experiments in a recirculating flume revealed that flows over permeable beds exhibit fundamental differences compared with flows over impermeable beds of the same topography. The turbulence over permeable beds is less intense, more organised and more efficient at momentum transfer because eddies are more coherent. Furthermore, turbulent kinetic energy is lower, meaning that less energy is extracted from the mean flow by this turbulence. Consequently, the double‐averaged velocity is higher and the bulk flow resistance is lower over permeable beds, and there is a difference in how momentum is conveyed from the overlying flow to the bed surface. The main implications of these results are three‐fold. First, local pressure gradients, and therefore rates of material transport, across the sediment–water interface are likely to differ between impermeable and permeable beds. Second, near‐bed and hyporheic flows are unlikely to be adequately predicted by numerical models that represent the bed as an impermeable boundary. Third, more sophisticated flow resistance models are required for coarse‐grained rivers that consider not only the bed surface but also the underlying permeable structure. Overall, our results suggest that the effects of bed permeability have critical implications for hyporheic exchange, fluvial sediment dynamics and benthic habitat availability. © 2017 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

海面动量、感热和水汽输送的动力学分析

基于大气边界层动量、感热和水汽通量的基本方程,定量地计算了波动海面的动量、感热和水汽通量。首先,应用Prandtl的混合长概念,推导出贴海面大气层中风速、位温和比湿的涡动交换率及其贴海面层厚度,并且证明了波面上位温或比湿贴海面层厚度与速度贴海面层厚度的比值,和平面上的相应比值完全相等。随后,利用空气动力学理论讨论了贴海面动量、感热和水汽输送的参数化问题。最后,对现有五种理论模式进行了比较说明。     

WIND TUNNEL EXPERIMENTS OF AEOLIAN DUST DEPOSITION ALONG RANGES OF HILLS

Wind tunnel experiments of aeolian dust deposition on topographic scale models of ranges of hills were conducted. Different hill sizes and hill spacings were used, and comparisons with the deposition patterns over single, isolated hills were made. Dust profiles over ranges of hills differ from the profiles over identical, but isolated hills. On isolated hills the sedimentation maximum on the windward hillslope is always single and located on the concave part of the slope. In the case of ranges of hills, the maximum is either single or double, with the second peak on the convex part of the windward slope in the latter case. The local sedimentation maximum on the convex leeslope, which is rather unimportant on isolated hills, is much more developed in multiple-hill topography. Also, dust deposition on the leeslopes is significantly higher in multiple-hill topography than on isolated hills. Dust patterns on ranges of hills may be affected by the dust shadow created by the most upstream-located hill. If hills succeed each other quickly, they are located within the shadow zone and are protected from important dust deposition. The plume of high air dust concentration that is created by a hill largely determines the dust pattern on the next hill. As a result of the supply of dust from above by the descending plume, areas that are normally devoid of dust now experience significant dust deposition.     

有限水域近水面气流演化特征试验研究

气流作为湖泊、湿地等有限水域的主要驱动力之一,其演化特征是研究水-气间能量与物质传递的基础,决定了水域水环境与水生态格局,具有重要研究意义.采用室内风洞水槽,通过设置不同试验风速,研究近水面气流与风速和吹程的响应关系与演化特征,并将光滑壁面条件下的气流特征作为试验对照组,分析时间域内风速垂向分布形式、摩阻风速、特征粗糙...     

三维分层流动过双山脉地形激发的大气船舶重力波动力学理论和数值试验

利用我们建立的三维分层线性理论计算模式和中尺度数值模式ARPS, 分别研究了三维分层流动过双山脉地形产生的三维线性和非线性山脉重力波和大气船舶的结构特征及其形成机制.线性理论计算结果表明三维三层流动过双山脉地形时,两个山脉各自强迫出一个发散模态的山脉背风波,在第二个山脉背风面,三维三层流动过双山脉地形可以强迫出两个发散模态的拦截背风波,大大加强了对大气环流的拖曳作用.非线性数值模拟结果表明,流动过山所产生的非线性山脉重力波和大气船舶完全不同于三维分层线性理论计算模式所产生的山脉重力波和大气船舶的结构和特征,由于分层流体之间的非线性相互作用,三维三层流动过双山脉地形时,可在第二个山脉背风面激发4个发散模态的拦截背风波. 三维三层流动过双山脉地形所强迫的山脉重力波和大气船舶,具有同三维三层流动过孤立山脉所产生的山脉重力波和大气船舶完全不同的结构和特征,三维流动过双山脉地形对两个山脉之间的距离表现出极大的敏感性.对于相距较远的两个山脉,流动过双山脉所强迫的山脉重力波表现为4个发散模态的拦截背风波,波动的能量相对于相距较近的两个山脉能传播到更高的高度.     

Cross-spectral recognition method of bridge deck aerodynamic admittance function

This study proposes a new identification algorithm about the admittance function, which can estimate the full set of six aerodynamic admittance functions considering cross power spectral density functions about the forces and the turbulence components. The method was first numerically validated through Monte Carlo simulations, and then adopted to estimate the aerodynamic admittance of a streamlined bridge deck. The identification method was further validated through a comparison between the numerical calculation and wind tunnel tests on a moving bridge section.     

Flow dynamics over a foredune scarp

The nature of wind flow over a small, 0.6 m high foredune scarp is investigated on the Sir Richard Peninsula, South Australia during a variety of incident wind directions and speeds. The study provides additional supporting evidence that the presence of the scarp and the dune exerts a strong influence on a landwards trending reduction in wind velocity and an increase in turbulence, with the greatest area of turbulence occurring near and at the foredune scarp base. For an incident oblique wind, an alongshore helicoidal flow is formed within a separation region along the scarp basal region. In this region, the coefficient of variation (CV) of wind speed is high and displays significant fluctuations. The flow at the scarp crest is compressed, streamlined and accelerated, turbulence is suppressed, and local jets may occur depending on the incident wind approach angle. Jets are more likely where the incident flow is perpendicular or nearly so. A flow separation region does not develop downwind of the scarp crest where the morphology of the foredune stoss slope downwind of the scarp is more convex (as in this case) rather than relatively flat, and possibly due to the presence of vegetation at the scarp crest. A tentative model of the flow regions developed across a backshore–scarp–foredune region during oblique incident flow is provided. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aeolian deposition of dust over hills: the effect of dust grain size on the deposition pattern

Wind tunnel experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of topography on the grain size characteristics of aeolian dust deposits. Experiments were performed on three isolated hills having various size and aspect ratios. The longitudinal profile of the median grain diameter was investigated for each hill. The longitudinal dust deposition profile was also studied for nine grain size classes of between 10 and 104 µm, as were wind and dust concentration profiles in the atmosphere upwind of, over and downwind of a hill. The wind tunnel experiments show that the grain size characteristics of aeolian dust deposits are affected by topography. Most apparent is the occurrence of a zone of reduced grain size on the leeside of hills, which extends from just upwind of the summit to a distance of several times the height of the hill. Slightly coarser than normal dust is deposited on the concave windward hill slope and in a zone downwind of the area of reduced grain size, but the increase in grain size in these zones remains very small. Although the normalized dust deposition profile for a hill does not vary substantially as a function of grain size, systematic trends are observed. The most important tendencies are: (1) a progressive extension, in the downwind direction, of a zone of decreased dust deposition on the leeside of a hill (the coarser the grains, the further downwind the zone of reduced deposition extends); (2) a progressive increase in dust deposition immediately upwind of a hill (the finer the grains, the higher the deposition value upwind of a hill becomes). Both tendencies are explained by the difference in inertia of the grains, which is controlled by grain size. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of vortex shedding in the scour of pools

Flume experiments were conducted in a 6-m flume to determine the role of turbulence in the scour of pools. Paired results from constricted-flow experiments with and without a wake zone formed behind obstructions to flow show that pools are deeper and shorter when vertical free-shear layers are present. Although non-streamlined obstructions initially present more resistance to flow, channel-bed scour develops a pool morphology that lowers mechanical energy losses to levels below those in pools with streamlined obstructions. Scour primarily enlarges the cross-sectional area in the constricted section. Feedback between pool geometry and localized turbulence production play a secondary role in total scour but still exert a major influence on final energy slopes. The experiment shows that pools with wake zones evolve to reduce longitudinal energy expenditure with an associated reduction in total turbulence production associated with the obstruction.     

Geophysical flows with anisotropic turbulence and dispersive waves: flows with stable stratification

The quasi-normal scale elimination (QNSE) is an analytical spectral theory of turbulence based upon a successive ensemble averaging of the velocity and temperature modes over the smallest scales of motion and calculating corresponding eddy viscosity and eddy diffusivity. By extending the process of successive ensemble averaging to the turbulence macroscale one eliminates all fluctuating scales and arrives at models analogous to the conventional Reynolds stress closures. The scale dependency embedded in the QNSE method reflects contributions from different processes on different scales. Two of the most important processes in stably stratified turbulence, internal wave propagation and flow anisotropization, are explicitly accounted for in the QNSE formalism. For relatively weak stratification, the theory becomes amenable to analytical processing revealing just how increasing stratification modifies the flow field via growing anisotropy and gravity wave radiation. The QNSE theory yields the dispersion relation for internal waves in the presence of turbulence and provides a theoretical reasoning for the Gargett et al. (J Phys Oceanogr 11:1258–1271, 1981) scaling of the vertical shear spectrum. In addition, it shows that the internal wave breaking and flow anisotropization void the notion of the critical Richardson number at which turbulence is fully suppressed. The isopycnal and diapycnal viscosities and diffusivities can be expressed in the form of the Richardson diffusion laws thus providing a theoretical framework for the Okubo dispersion diagrams. Transitions in the spectral slopes can be associated with the turbulence- and wave-dominated ranges and have direct implications for the transport processes. We show that only quasi-isotropic, turbulence-dominated scales contribute to the diapycnal diffusivity. On larger, buoyancy dominated scales, the diapycnal diffusivity becomes scale independent. This result underscores the well-known fact that waves can only transfer momentum but not a scalar and sheds a new light upon the Ellison–Britter–Osborn mixing model. It also provides a general framework for separation of the effects of turbulence and waves even if they act on the same spatial and temporal scales. The QNSE theory-based turbulence models have been tested in various applications and demonstrated reliable performance. It is suggested that these models present a viable alternative to conventional Reynolds stress closures.