Limitations of an Eddy-Covariance System in Measuring Low Ammonia Fluxes

Green manuring of legume crops can improve soil fertility and sustainability. To evaluate its agronomic and environmental effectiveness, gaseous losses of ammonia (NH₃) in the surface layer need to be quantified by direct measurements in the field. However, the application of the eddy-covariance technique to atmospheric NH₃ is challenging: its high reactivity, water solubility, and low background concentrations all hinder the response time of closed-path sensors for fast measurements of NH₃ concentration. Ammonia emissions following green manuring were measured for 21 days using a flux system equipped with a fast-pulsed quantum-cascade tunable-infrared-laser spectrometer. The noisy cross-covariance function for this configuration indicates flux measurements are close to the limit of detection; the low signal-to-noise ratio further increases the uncertainties, introducing a mirroring effect on the fluxes, which results in the rapid alternation between emission and deposition, within the limit of detection (around 13 and 20 ng m^?2 s^?1, at the 95 and 99% confidence limits, respectively). An evaluation of the measurement errors is presented, focussing on three technical aspects of the eddy-covariance system: (1) time lag, (2) random error, and (3) limit of detection. The NH₃ fluxes measured by the spectrometer are close to its limit of detection, with a random error of the same order as the flux.

     

Turbulent Flow at 190 m Height Above London During 2006–2008: A Climatology and the Applicability of Similarity Theory

Flow and turbulence above urban terrain is more complex than above rural terrain, due to the different momentum and heat transfer characteristics that are affected by the presence of buildings (e.g. pressure variations around buildings). The applicability of similarity theory (as developed over rural terrain) is tested using observations of flow from a sonic anemometer located at 190.3 m height in London, U.K. using about 6500 h of data. Turbulence statistics—dimensionless wind speed and temperature, standard deviations and correlation coefficients for momentum and heat transfer—were analysed in three ways. First, turbulence statistics were plotted as a function only of a local stability parameter z/Λ (where Λ is the local Obukhov length and z is the height above ground); the σ _i /u _* values (i = u, v, w) for neutral conditions are 2.3, 1.85 and 1.35 respectively, similar to canonical values. Second, analysis of urban mixed-layer formulations during daytime convective conditions over London was undertaken, showing that atmospheric turbulence at high altitude over large cities might not behave dissimilarly from that over rural terrain. Third, correlation coefficients for heat and momentum were analyzed with respect to local stability. The results give confidence in using the framework of local similarity for turbulence measured over London, and perhaps other cities. However, the following caveats for our data are worth noting: (i) the terrain is reasonably flat, (ii) building heights vary little over a large area, and (iii) the sensor height is above the mean roughness sublayer depth.