In order to better understand boundary layer turbulence at high Reynolds number, the fluctuating wall pressure was measured within the turbulent boundary layer that forms over the salt playa of Utah’s west desert. Pressure measurements simultaneously acquired from an array of nine microphones were analyzed and interpreted. The wall pressure intensity was computed and compared with low Reynolds number data. This analysis indicated that the variance in wall pressure increases logarithmically with Reynolds number. Computed autocorrelations provide evidence for a hierarchy of surface pressure producing scales. Space-time correlations are used to compute broadband convection velocities. The convection velocity data indicate an increasing value for larger sensor separations. To the author’s knowledge, the pressure measurements are the highest Reynolds number, well resolved measurements of fluctuating surface pressure to date.
