Distinct Turbulence Structures in Stably Stratified Boundary Layers With Weak and Strong Surface Shear

Lan, Changxing; Liu, Heping; Li, Dan; Katul, Gabriel G.; Finn, Dennis

doi:10.1029/2018jd028628

Title: Distinct Turbulence Structures in Stably Stratified Boundary Layers With Weak and Strong Surface Shear

Journal Article · 12 July 2018 · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jd028628 · OSTI ID:1539760

^[1];

^[2];

^[3]; Finn, Dennis ^[4]

Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)
Boston Univ., MA (United States)
Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Idaho Falls, ID (United States). Air Resources Lab.

Abstract Turbulence structures and exchange of momentum and heat in the nocturnal stable boundary layer (SBL) show distinct features under different stability conditions prompting interest in their connection. Here eddy covariance data collected at four different heights on a 62‐m meteorological tower over a large open flat terrain are used to characterize different SBL states and associated turbulence structures. In a SBL characterized by strong near‐surface winds, turbulent eddy sizes scale with their observational heights and the SBL experiences enhanced turbulent mixing of momentum and heat throughout (a state hereafter referred to as a “coupled” state). Conversely, in a decoupled SBL, weak winds occur near the surface and turbulent eddies are depressed and detached from the boundary leading to suppressed vertical mixing and layered SBL profiles. Because the transport of momentum and heat to the surface across SBL layers is determined by turbulent eddies, cross‐layer correlation and the aforementioned SBL coupling states can be delineated by distinct turbulence structures.

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Research Organization:: Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0011461; DE‐SC‐0011461

OSTI ID:: 1539760

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1463184

Journal Information:: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 123, Issue 15; ISSN 2169-897X

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 33 works

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Submeso Motions and Intermittent Turbulence Across a Nocturnal Low-Level Jet: A Self-Organized Criticality Analogy Cava, Daniela; Mortarini, Luca; Giostra, Umberto Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Vol. 172, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-019-00441-8	journal	March 2019
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