Turbulence measurements over complex terrain

• Published in: Boundary-layer meteorology Vol. 48; no. 1-2; pp. 109 - 128
• Main Authors: SKUPNIEWICZ, C. E, KAMADA, R. F, SCHACHER, G. E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01-07-1989
• Subjects: Convection, turbulence, diffusion. Boundary layer structure and dynamics; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Meteorology; Measurement; Observation; Atmospheric turbulence; Complex terrain; Atmospheric boundary layer
• ISSN: 0006-8314; 1573-1472
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00121786

Horizontal turbulence measurements obtained from 22 wind sensors located on 9 towers in a mountainous coastal area are described and categorized by stability and terrain. Vector wind time series are high-pass filtered, and lateral and longitudinal wind speed variance is calculated for averaging times ranging from 15 sec to 2 hr. Parameterizations of the functional dependence of variance on averaging time are discussed, and a modification of Panofsky's (1988) uniform terrain technique applicable to complex terrain is presented. The parameterization is applied to the data and shown to be more realistic than a less complicated power law technique. The parameter values are shown to be different than the flat terrain cases of Kaimal et al. (1972), and are primarily a function of sensor location within the complex terrain. The parameters are also examined in terms of their dependence upon season, stability, marine boundary-layer height, and measurement height.