Abstract
A set of micro-meteorological data collected over a horizontal, uniform terrain (the plain of La Crau, France) in June 1987 is analysed. Conditions were predominantly sunny and arid, while due to the “Mistral” the wind speed could exceed 10 m/s. Verification of several methods to evaluate surface fluxes of heat, momentum and water vapour from the standard deviation of temperature, wind and specific humidity is presented. Also, a similar approach using the structure parameter of temperature is considered. These methods are all based on Monin-Obukhov (M-O) similarity theory. It is found that the standard deviation of temperature, vertical and horizontal wind speed as well as the structure parameter for temperature behave according to M-O similarity. It is shown that the sensible heat flux and friction velocity can be determined from a fast response thermometer and a cup anemometer. Also, it appears that the analytic solution of the set of governing equations as derived by the first author yields good results. M-O theory does not appear to work for the standard deviation of specific humidity. This may be due to the relative importance of large eddies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beljaars, A. C. N.: 1987, ‘On the Memory of Wind Standard Deviation for Upstream Roughness’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 38, 95–101.
Beljaars, A. C. N., Schotanus, P., and Nieuwstadt, F. T. M.: 1983, ‘Surface Layer Similarity under Non-Uniform Fetch Conditions’,J. Clim. Appl. Meteorol. 22, 1800–1810.
Beljaars, A. C. M. and Holtslag, A. A. M.: 1991, ‘On Flux Parameterization over Land Surfaces for Atmospheric Models’, accepted for publication inJ. of Appl. Meteorol.
Bradley, E. F. and Antonia, R. A.: 1979, ‘Structure Parameters in the Atmospheric Surface Layer’,Quart. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 105, 695–705.
De Bruin, H. A. R.: 1982,The Energy Balance of the Earth's Surface: A Practical Approach, Ph.D. thesis, Wageningen Agricultural University (also K.N.M.I.,Sci. Rep. 81-1).
De Bruin, H. A. R., Bink, N. J., and Kroon, L. J. M.: 1991, ‘Fluxes in the Surface Layer under Advective Conditions’, in T. J. Schmugge and J. C. André (eds.), pp. 157–171.
Foken, Th., Skeib, G., and Richter, S. H.: 1991, ‘Dependence of the Integral Turbulence Characteristics on the Stability of Stratification and their Use for Doppler-Sodar Measurements’,Z. Meteorol. 41, 311–315.
Hicks, B. B.: 1981, ‘An Examination of Turbulence Statistics in the Boundary Layer’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 21, 382–402.
Hill, R. J.: 1989, ‘Implications of Monin-Obukhov Similarity Theory for Scalar Quantities’,J. Atmos. Sci. 46, 2236–2251.
Hill, R. J.: 1991, ‘Inner Scale,C 2T and Surface Fluxes Obtained in the Atmospheric Surface Layer Using Scintillation’,Digest of the ICO Topical Meeting on Atmospheric, Volume and Surface Scattering and Propagation, Florence, Italy, August 27–30.
Hoel, P. G.: 1962,Introduction to Mathematical Statistics (3rd edition), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, London.
Høgstrom, U.: 1990, ‘Analysis of Turbulent Structure in the Surface Layer with a Modified Similarity Formulation for Near Neutral Conditions’,J. Atmos. Sci. 47, 1949–1972.
Høgstrom, U. and Smedman-Høgstrom, A. S.: 1974, ‘Turbulence Mechanisms at an Agricultural Site’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 7, 373–402.
Hunt, J. C. R.: 1982, ‘Diffusion in the Stable Boundary Layer’, in F. T. M. Nieuwstadt and H. van Dop (eds.)Atmospheric Turbulence and Air Pollution Modelling, Reidel, Dordrecht, pp. 231–275.
Izumi, Y. (ed.): 1971, ‘Kansas 1986 Field Program Data’, Report. Enviromental Research Papers No. 379. Air Force Systems Command. U.S. Air Force.
Kohsiek, W.: 1982, ‘MeasuringC C 2T ,C TQ andC TQ in the Unstable Surface Layer and the Relations to the Vertical Fluxes of Heat and Moisture’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 24, 89–107.
Kohsiek, W., Vliet, J. G. vd, and Monna, W. A. A.: 1987, ‘Crau 1987: the KNMI-contribution’, KNMI technical reports, TR-110.
Large, W. G. and Pond, S.: 1981, ‘Open Ocean Momentum Fluxes Measurements in Moderate to Strong Winds’,J. Phys. Ocean. 11, 324–336.
Lloyd, C. R., Culf, A. D., Dolman, A. J., and Gash, J. H. C.: 1993, ‘Estimates of Sensible Heat Flux from Observations of Temperature Fluctuations’, accepted for publication inBoundary Layer Meteorol.
Monin, A. S. and Yaglom, A. M.: 1975,Statistical Hydrodynamics (Translation Editor: L. J. Lumley), M.I.T. Press, Cambridge.
Olsen, R. O. and Chitawongvanich, P.: 1991, ‘Atmospheric Measurements of Optical Propagation Studies and Experiments’, Post deadline paper, Digest of the ICO Topical Meeting on Atmospheric, Volume and Surface Scattering and Propagation, Florence, Italy, August 27–30.
Panofsky, H. A. and Dutton, J. A.: 1984,Atmospheric Turbulence, Models and Methods for Engineering Applications, John Wiley & Sons, New York.
Phelps, G. T. and Pond, S.: 1971, ‘Spectra of Temperature and Humidity Fluctuations and of the Fluxes of Moisture and Sensible Heat in the Marine Boundary Layer’,J. Atmos. Sci. 28, 918–928.
Raupach, M. R.: 1977,Atmospheric Flux Measurements, Flinders Institute for Atmospheric and Marine Sciences, Flinders Univ. of S. Australia, Res. Rep. 27.
Said, F.: 1988, ‘Etude Experimentale de la Couch Limite Marine: Structure Turbulente et Flux de Surface (Expérence TOSCANE-T) These Laboratoire d'Aérologie, U.P.S., Toulouse.
Smedman-Høgstrom, A. S.: 1973, ‘Temperature and Humidity Spectra in the Atmospheric Surface Layer’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 3, 329–347.
Stull, R. B.: 1988,An Introduction to Boundary Layer Meteorology, Kluwer Academic Publ., Dordrecht.
Tennekes, H.: 1982,Similarity Relations, Scaling Laws and Spectral Dynamics, in F. T. M. Nieuwstadt and H. van Dop (eds.),Atmospheric Turbulence and Air Pollution Modelling, Reidel, Dordrecht, pp. 37–69.
Thierman, V. and Grassl, H.: 1992, ‘The Measurement of Turbulent Surface Layer Fluxes by use of Bichromatic Scintillation’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 58, 367–391.
Tillman, J. E.: 1972, ‘The Indirect Determination of Stability Heat and Momentum Fluxes in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer from Simple Scalar Variables During Dry Unstable Conditions’,J. Appl. Meteorol. 11, 783–792.
Weaver, H. J.: 1990, ‘Temperature and Humidity Flux-Variance Relations Determined By One-Dimensional Eddy-Correlation’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 53, 77–91.
Wyngaard, J. C., Izumi, Y., and Collins, S. A.: 1971, ‘Behavior of the Refractive-index Structure Parameter near the Ground’,J. Opt. Soc. Am. 61, 1646–1650.
Wyngaard, J. C., Coté, O. R., and Izumi, Y.: 1971, ‘Local Free Convection, Similarity and the Budgets of Shear Stress and Heat Flux’,J. Atmos. Sci. 28, 1171–1182.
Wyngaard, J. C.: 1981, ‘The Effects of Probe-Induced Flow Distortion on Atmospheric Turbulence Measurements’,J. Appl. Meteorol. 20, 784–794.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
De Bruin, H.A.R., Kohsiek, W. & Van Den Hurk, B.J.J.M. A verification of some methods to determine the fluxes of momentum, sensible heat, and water vapour using standard deviation and structure parameter of scalar meteorological quantities. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 63, 231–257 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00710461
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00710461