scholarly journals On the Relationship between the TKE Dissipation Rate and the Temperature Structure Function Parameter in the Convective Boundary Layer

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (7) ◽  
pp. 2311-2326
Author(s):  
Hubert Luce ◽  
Lakshmi Kantha ◽  
Hiroyuki Hashiguchi ◽  
Abhiram Doddi ◽  
Dale Lawrence ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Structure Function ◽  
Convective Boundary Layer ◽  
Dissipation Rate ◽  
Function Parameter ◽  
Mixing Efficiency ◽  
Buoyancy Frequency ◽  
Temperature Structure ◽  
Convective Boundary

AbstractUnder stably stratified conditions, the dissipation rate ε of turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) is related to the structure function parameter for temperature , through the buoyancy frequency and the so-called mixing efficiency. A similar relationship does not exist for convective turbulence. In this paper, we propose an analytical expression relating ε and in the convective boundary layer (CBL), by taking into account the effects of nonlocal heat transport under convective conditions using the Deardorff countergradient model. Measurements using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with high-frequency response sensors to measure velocity and temperature fluctuations obtained during the two field campaigns conducted at Shigaraki MU observatory in June 2016 and 2017 are used to test this relationship between ε and in the CBL. The selection of CBL cases for analysis was aided by auxiliary measurements from additional sensors (mainly radars), and these are described. Comparison with earlier results in the literature suggests that the proposed relationship works, if the countergradient term γD in the Deardorff model, which is proportional to the ratio of the variances of potential temperature θ and vertical velocity w, is evaluated from in situ (airplane and UAV) observational data, but fails if evaluated from large-eddy simulation (LES) results. This appears to be caused by the tendency of the variance of θ in the upper part of the CBL and at the bottom of the entrainment zone to be underestimated by LES relative to in situ measurements from UAVs and aircraft. We discuss this anomaly and explore reasons for it.

scholarly journals Comparison of Direct and Spectral Methods for Evaluation of the Temperature Structure Parameter in Numerically Simulated Convective Boundary Layer Flows

2016 ◽  
Vol 144 (6) ◽  
pp. 2205-2214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy A. Gibbs ◽  
Evgeni Fedorovich ◽  
Björn Maronga ◽  
Charlotte Wainwright ◽  
Manuel Dröse
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Structure Function ◽  
Spectral Method ◽  
Convective Boundary Layer ◽  
Direct Method ◽  
Potential Temperature ◽  
Function Parameter ◽  
Temperature Structure ◽  
Structure Parameter ◽  
Convective Boundary

Abstract In many engineering and meteorological applications, atmospheric turbulence within the planetary boundary layer is described in terms of its representative parameters. One such parameter is the structure-function (or structure) parameter that is used to characterize the intensity of turbulent fluctuations of atmospheric flow variables. Structure parameters are derivatives of structure functions, but are used more frequently than the latter ones for practical needs as they do not explicitly include dependence on the separation distance. The structure parameter of potential temperature, which is the subject of this study, describes the spatial variability of the temperature fluctuations. It is broadly represented in theories and models of electromagnetic and acoustic wave propagation in the atmosphere, and forms the basis for the scintillometer measurement concept. The authors consider three methods to compute the potential temperature structure function and structure parameter: the direct method, the true spectral method, and the conventional spectral method. Each method is tested on high-resolution potential temperature datasets generated from large-eddy simulations of a variety of convective boundary layer flow cases reproduced by two representative numerical codes. Results indicate that the popular conventional spectral method routinely exaggerates the potential temperature structure-function parameter, likely due to the unrealistic assumptions underlying the method. The direct method and true spectral method are recommended as the more suitable approaches.

scholarly journals Vertical velocity and turbulence aspects during Mistral events as observed by UHF wind profilers

2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 3927-3936 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-L. Caccia ◽  
V. Guénard ◽  
B. Benech ◽  
B. Campistron ◽  
P. Drobinski
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Planetary Boundary Layer ◽  
Vertical Velocity ◽  
Convective Boundary Layer ◽  
Dissipation Rate ◽  
Convective Boundary ◽  
Turbulent Dissipation ◽  
The Alps ◽  
Rhone Valley ◽  
Wind Profilers

Abstract. The general purpose of this paper is to experimentally study mesoscale dynamical aspects of the Mistral in the coastal area located at the exit of the Rhône-valley. The Mistral is a northerly low-level flow blowing in southern France along the Rhône-valley axis, located between the French Alps and the Massif Central, towards the Mediterranean Sea. The experimental data are obtained by UHF wind profilers deployed during two major field campaigns, MAP (Mesoscale Alpine Program) in autumn 1999, and ESCOMPTE (Expérience sur Site pour COntraindre les Modèles de Pollution atmosphériques et de Transports d'Emission) in summer 2001. Thanks to the use of the time evolution of the vertical profile of the horizontal wind vector, recent works have shown that the dynamics of the Mistral is highly dependent on the season because of the occurrence of specific synoptic patterns. In addition, during summer, thermal forcing leads to a combination of sea breeze with Mistral and weaker Mistral due to the enhanced friction while, during autumn, absence of convective turbulence leads to substantial acceleration as low-level jets are generated in the stably stratified planetary boundary layer. At the exit of the Rhône valley, the gap flow dynamics dominates, whereas at the lee of the Alps, the dynamics is driven by the relative contribution of "flow around" and "flow over" mechanisms, upstream of the Alps. This paper analyses vertical velocity and turbulence, i.e. turbulent dissipation rate, with data obtained by the same UHF wind profilers during the same Mistral events. In autumn, the motions are found to be globally and significantly subsident, which is coherent for a dry, cold and stable flow approaching the sea, and the turbulence is found to be of pure dynamical origin (wind shears and mountain/lee wave breaking), which is coherent with non-convective situations. In summer, due to the ground heating and to the interactions with thermal circulation, the vertical motions are less pronounced and no longer have systematic subsident charateristics. In addition, those vertical motions are found to be much less developed during the nighttimes because of the stabilization of the nocturnal planetary boundary layer due to a ground cooling. The enhanced turbulent dissipation-rate values found at lower levels during the afternoons of weak Mistral cases are consistent with the installation of the summer convective boundary layer and show that, as expected in weaker Mistral events, the convection is the preponderant factor for the turbulence generation. On the other hand, for stronger cases, such a convective boundary layer installation is perturbed by the Mistral.

scholarly journals Columnar modelling of nucleation burst evolution in the convective boundary layer – first results from a feasibility study Part II: Meteorological characterisation

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 4215-4230 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Hellmuth
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Convective Boundary Layer ◽  
Third Order ◽  
Convective Boundary ◽  
Large Eddy ◽  
Previous Hypothesis ◽  
Lidar Measurements ◽  
First Results ◽  
Model Setup

Abstract. While in Paper I of four papers a revised columnar high-order modelling approach to investigate gas-aerosol-turbulence interactions in the convective boundary layer (CBL) was deduced, in the present Paper II the model capability to predict the evolution of meteorological CBL parameters is demonstrated. Based on a model setup to simulate typical CBL conditions, predicted first-, second- and third-order moments were shown to agree very well with those obtained from in situ and remote sensing turbulence measurements such as aircraft, SODAR and LIDAR measurements as well as with those derived from ensemble-averaged large eddy simulations and wind tunnel experiments. The results show, that the model is able to predict the meteorological CBL parameters, required to verify or falsify, respectively, previous hypothesis on the interaction between CBL turbulence and new particle formation.

scholarly journals A Method for Estimating the Turbulent Kinetic Energy Dissipation Rate from a Vertically Pointing Doppler Lidar, and Independent Evaluation from Balloon-Borne In Situ Measurements

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (10) ◽  
pp. 1652-1664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewan J. O’Connor ◽  
Anthony J. Illingworth ◽  
Ian M. Brooks ◽  
Christopher D. Westbrook ◽  
Robin J. Hogan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Convective Boundary Layer ◽  
Sonic Anemometer ◽  
Horizontal Wind ◽  
Inertial Subrange ◽  
Doppler Velocity ◽  
Doppler Lidar ◽  
Convective Boundary ◽  
Dissipation Rates

Abstract A method of estimating dissipation rates from a vertically pointing Doppler lidar with high temporal and spatial resolution has been evaluated by comparison with independent measurements derived from a balloon-borne sonic anemometer. This method utilizes the variance of the mean Doppler velocity from a number of sequential samples and requires an estimate of the horizontal wind speed. The noise contribution to the variance can be estimated from the observed signal-to-noise ratio and removed where appropriate. The relative size of the noise variance to the observed variance provides a measure of the confidence in the retrieval. Comparison with in situ dissipation rates derived from the balloon-borne sonic anemometer reveal that this particular Doppler lidar is capable of retrieving dissipation rates over a range of at least three orders of magnitude. This method is most suitable for retrieval of dissipation rates within the convective well-mixed boundary layer where the scales of motion that the Doppler lidar probes remain well within the inertial subrange. Caution must be applied when estimating dissipation rates in more quiescent conditions. For the particular Doppler lidar described here, the selection of suitably short integration times will permit this method to be applicable in such situations but at the expense of accuracy in the Doppler velocity estimates. The two case studies presented here suggest that, with profiles every 4 s, reliable estimates of ε can be derived to within at least an order of magnitude throughout almost all of the lowest 2 km and, in the convective boundary layer, to within 50%. Increasing the integration time for individual profiles to 30 s can improve the accuracy substantially but potentially confines retrievals to within the convective boundary layer. Therefore, optimization of certain instrument parameters may be required for specific implementations.

scholarly journals Conceptual study on nucleation burst evolution in the convective boundary layer – Part II: Meteorological characterization

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 11489-11515
Author(s):  
O. Hellmuth
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Convective Boundary Layer ◽  
Convective Boundary ◽  
Large Eddy ◽  
Previous Hypothesis ◽  
Lidar Measurements ◽  
Present Part ◽  
Model Setup ◽  
Conceptual Study

Abstract. While in part I of the present paper a revised columnar high-order modelling approach to investigate gas-aerosol interactions in the convective boundary layer (CBL) was deduced, in the present part the model capability to predict the evolution of meteorological CBL parameters is demonstrated. Based on a model setup to simulate typical CBL conditions, predicted first-, second- and third-order moments were shown to agree very well with those obtained from in situ and remote sensing turbulence measurements such as aircraft, SODAR and LIDAR measurements as well as with those derived from ensemble-averaged large-eddy simulations and wind tunnel experiments. The results show that the model is able to predict the meteorological CBL parameters, required to verify or falsify, respectively, previous hypothesis on the interaction between CBL turbulence and new particle formation.

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