Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Statistical Investigation of Flow Structures in Different Regimes of the Stable Boundary Layer

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Boundary-Layer Meteorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A combination of methods originating from non-stationary time-series analysis is applied to two datasets of near-surface turbulence in order to gain insights on the non-stationary enhancement mechanism of intermittent turbulence in the stable atmospheric boundary layer (SBL). We identify regimes of SBL turbulence for which the range of time scales of turbulence and submeso motions, and hence their scale separation (or lack of separation), differs. Ubiquitous flow structures, or events, are extracted from the turbulence data in each flow regime. We relate flow regimes characterized by very stable stratification, but differing in the dynamical interactions and in the transport properties of different scales of motion, to a signature of flow structures thought to be submeso motions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acevedo OC, Mahrt L, Puhales FS, Costa FD, Medeiros LE, Degrazia GA (2015) Contrasting structures between the decoupled and coupled states of the stable boundary layer. Q J R Meteorol Soc 142(695):693–702

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anfossi D, Oettl D, Degrazia G, Goulart A (2005) An analysis of sonic anemometer observations in low wind speed conditions. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 114(1):179–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belušić D, Güttler I (2010) Can mesoscale models reproduce meandering motions? Q J R Meteorol Soc 136(648):553–565

    Google Scholar 

  • Bou-Zeid E, Higgins CW, Huwald H, Meneveau C, Parlange M (2010) Field study of the dynamics and modelling of subgrid-scale turbulence in a stable atmospheric surface layer over a glacier. J Fluid Mech 665:480–515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brockwell PJ, Davis RA (2002) Introduction to time series and forecasting, 2nd edn. Springer, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Cava D, Mortarini L, Giostra U, Richiardone R, Anfossi D (2016) A wavelet analysis of low-wind-speed submeso motions in a nocturnal boundary layer. Q J R Meteorol Soc 143(703):661–669

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donda JMM, van Hooijdonk IGS, Moene AF, Jonker HJJ, van Heijst GJF, Clercx HJH, van de Wiel BJH (2015) Collapse of turbulence in stably stratified channel flow: a transient phenomenon. Q J R Meteorol Soc 141(691):2137–2147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faranda D, Pons FME, Dubrulle B, Daviaud F, Saint-Michel B, Herbert É, Cortet PP (2014) Modelling and analysis of turbulent datasets using ARMA processes. Phys Fluids (1994-present) 10:101–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Horenko I (2010) On the identification of nonstationary factor models and their application to atmospheric data analysis. J Atmos Sci 67(5):1559–1574

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaiser A (2016) Stably stratified atmospheric boundary layers: event detection and classification for turbulent time series. Bachelor thesis, Freie Universität Berlin

  • Kang Y, Belušić D, Smith-Miles K (2014) Detecting and classifying events in noisy time series. J Atmos Sci 71(3):1090–1104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang Y, Belušić D, Smith-Miles K (2015) Classes of structures in the stable atmospheric boundary layer. Q J R Meteorol Soc 141(691):2057–2069

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolmogorov AN (1941) The local structure of turbulence in incompressible viscous fluid for very large Reynolds numbers. Dokl Akad Nauk SSSR 30:299

    Google Scholar 

  • Lang F, Belušić D, Siems S (2018) Observations of wind-direction variability in the nocturnal boundary layer. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 166(1):51–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-017-0296-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lilly JM (2017) Element analysis: a wavelet-based method for analysing time-localized events in noisy time series. Proc R Soc A 473(2200):20160–776

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahrt L (2010) Common microfronts and other solitary events in the nocturnal boundary layer. Q J R Meteorol Soc 136(652):1712–1722

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahrt L (2014) Stably stratified atmospheric boundary layers. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 46:23–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahrt L, Thomas CK (2016) Surface stress with non-stationary weak winds and stable stratification. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 159(1):3–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahrt L, Richardson SJ, Seaman N, Stauffer DR (2012a) Turbulence in the nocturnal boundary layer with light and variable winds. Q J R Meteorol Soc 138(667):1430–1439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahrt L, Thomas CK, Richardson SJ, Seaman N, Stauffer DR, Zeeman MJ (2012b) Non-stationary generation of weak turbulence for very stable and weak-wind conditions. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 147(2):179–199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mortarini L, Cava D, Giostra U, Acevedo OC, Nogueira Martins LG, Soares de Oliveira PE, Anfossi D (2017) Observations of submeso motions and intermittent turbulent mixing across a low level jet with a 132-m tower. Q J R Meteorol Soc 144(710):172–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nevo G, Vercauteren N, Kaiser A, Dubrulle B, Faranda D (2017) Statistical-mechanical approach to study the hydrodynamic stability of the stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer. Phys Rev Fluids 2(8):084–603

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Obukhov AM (1941) On the distribution of energy in the spectrum of turbulent flow. Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 32:19

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Kane TJ, Risbey JS, Franzke C, Horenko I, Monselesan DP (2013) Changes in the metastability of the midlatitude southern hemisphere circulation and the utility of nonstationary cluster analysis and split-flow blocking indices as diagnostic tools. J Atmos Sci 70(3):824–842

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Kane TJ, Risbey JS, Monselesan DP, Horenko I, Franzke CLE (2016) On the dynamics of persistent states and their secular trends in the waveguides of the Southern Hemisphere troposphere. Clim Dyn 46(11–12):3567–3597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pope SB (2000) Turbulent flows. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Román Cascón C, Yagüe C, Mahrt L, Sastre M, Steeneveld GJ, Pardyjak E, van de Boer A, Hartogensis O (2015) Interactions among drainage flows, gravity waves and turbulence: a BLLAST case study. Atmos Chem Phys 15(15):9031–9047

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sandu I, Beljaars ACM, Bechtold P, Mauritsen T, Balsamo G (2013) Why is it so difficult to represent stably stratified conditions in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models? J Adv Model Earth Syst 5(2):117–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun J, Lenschow DH, Burns S, Banta RM, Newsom R, Coulter R, Nappo CJ, Frasier S, Ince T, Balsley BB (2004) Atmospheric disturbances that generate intermittent turbulence in nocturnal boundary layers. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 110(2):255–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun J, Mahrt L, Banta RM, Pichugina YL (2012) Turbulence regimes and turbulence intermittency in the stable boundary layer during CASES-99. J Atmos Sci 69(1):338–351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun J, Mahrt L, Nappo CJ, Lenschow DH (2015) Wind and temperature oscillations generated by wave-turbulence interactions in the stably stratified boundary layer. J Atmos Sci 72(4):1484–1503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomson DJ (1987) Criteria for the selection of stochastic models of particle trajectories in turbulent flows. J Fluid Mech 180(–1):529–556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van de Wiel BJH, Moene AF (2003) Intermittent turbulence in the stable boundary layer over land. Part III: a classification for observations during CASES-99. J Atmos Sci 60(20):2509–2522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van de Wiel BJH, Moene AF, Jonker HJJ (2012a) The cessation of continuous turbulence as precursor of the very stable nocturnal boundary layer. J Atmos Sci 69:3097–3115. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-12-064.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van de Wiel BJH, Moene AF, Jonker HJJ, Baas P, Basu S, Donda JMM, Sun J, Holtslag A (2012b) The minimum wind speed for sustainable turbulence in the nocturnal boundary layer. J Atmos Sci 69(11):3116–3127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van de Wiel BJH, Vignon E, Baas P, van Hooijdonk IGS, van der Linden SJA, Antoon van Hooft J, Bosveld FC, de Roode SR, Moene AF, Genthon C (2017) Regime transitions in near-surface temperature inversions: a conceptual model. J Atmos Sci 74(4):1057–1073

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Hooijdonk IGS, Donda JMM, Clercx HJH, Bosveld FC, van de Wiel BJH (2015) Shear capacity as prognostic for nocturnal boundary layer regimes. J Atmos Sci 72(4):1518–1532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vercauteren N, Klein R (2015) A clustering method to characterize intermittent bursts of turbulence and interaction with submesomotions in the stable boundary layer. J Atmos Sci 72(4):1504–1517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vercauteren N, Mahrt L, Klein R (2016) Investigation of interactions between scales of motion in the stable boundary layer. Q J R Meteorol Soc 142(699):2424–2433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vercauteren N, Boyko V, Faranda D, Stiperski I (2019) Scale interactions and anisotropy in stable boundary layers. Q J R Meteorol Soc. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3524

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vickers D, Mahrt L (2003) The cospectral gap and turbulent flux calculations. J Atmos Ocean Technol 20(5):660–672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vickers D, Mahrt L (2007) Observations of the cross-wind velocity variance in the stable boundary layer. Environ Fluid Mech 7(1):55–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeeman MJ, Selker JS, Thomas CK (2014) Near-surface motion in the nocturnal, stable boundary layer observed with fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 154(2):189–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Marc Parlange and the EFLUM laboratory at EPFL for providing the SnoHATS data and Larry Mahrt for providing the FLOSSII data and help to analyze them. Illia Horenko and Dimitri Igdalov provided the FEM-BV-VARX framework and help that was greatly appreciated. Alexander Kuhn is greatly acknowledged for his software provided to visualise flow structures. The research was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through grant number VE 933/2-1 “Towards Stochastic Modelling of Turbulence in the Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer”, and has been partially supported by the DFG through the CRC 1114 “Scaling Cascades in Complex Systems”, Project (B07) “Selfsimilar structures in turbulent flows and the construction of LES closures”.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. FB Mathematik und Informatik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Nikki Vercauteren, Vyacheslav Boyko & Amandine Kaiser

  2. Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), 60176, Norrköping, Sweden

    Danijel Belušić

Authors
  1. Nikki Vercauteren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vyacheslav Boyko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Amandine Kaiser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Danijel Belušić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nikki Vercauteren.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Vercauteren, N., Boyko, V., Kaiser, A. et al. Statistical Investigation of Flow Structures in Different Regimes of the Stable Boundary Layer. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 173, 143–164 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-019-00464-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-019-00464-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation