A switched continuous-wave sonic anemometer for measuring surface heat fluxes

A one-dimensional sonic anemometer system suitable for use in measuring near surface heat fluxes is described. It operates by transferring continuous sound waves in alternate directions between a matched pair of cheap ultrasonic transducers. The design and development of the anemometer is described, together with wind tunnel tests, and field experiments, in which the performances of several prototypes are compared with those of other anemometers over stubble and over forest. The results indicate that the device is suitable for measuring eddy correlation heat fluxes to an accuracy better than 5%.