Seasonal prevailing surface winds in Northern Serbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tošić, Ivana; Gavrilov, Milivoj B.; Marković, Slobodan B.; Ruman, Albert; Putniković, Suzana

2018-02-01

Seasonal prevailing surface winds are analyzed in the territory of Northern Serbia, using observational data from 12 meteorological stations over several decades. In accordance with the general definition of prevailing wind, two special definitions of this term are used. The seasonal wind roses in 16 directions at each station are analyzed. This study shows that the prevailing winds in Northern Serbia have northwestern and southeastern directions. Circulation weather types over Serbia are presented in order to determine the connections between the synoptic circulations and prevailing surface winds. Three controlling pressure centers, i.e., the Mediterranean cyclone, Siberian high, and the Azores anticyclone, appear as the most important large-scale factors that influence the creation of the prevailing winds over Northern Serbia. Beside the synoptic cause of the prevailing winds, it is noted that the orography of the eastern Balkans has a major influence on the winds from the second quadrant. It was found that the frequencies of circulation weather types are in agreement with those of the prevailing winds over Northern Serbia.

[Impacts of meteorological factors on atmospheric methane mole fractions in the background area of Yangtze River delta].

PubMed

Pu, Jing-Jiao; Xu, Hong-Hui; Gu, Jun-Qiang; Ma, Qian-Li; Fang, Shuang-Xi; Zhou, Ling-Xi

2013-03-01

Impacts of surface wind direction, surface wind speed, surface air temperature and sunshine hours on the CH4 concentration at Lin'an regional atmospheric background station were studied based on the results from Jan. 2009 to Dec. 2011. The results revealed that the diurnal variation of atmospheric CH4 concentration presented a single-peak curve at Lin'an regional background station. The diurnal amplitude varied from 19.0 x 10(-9) to 74.7 x 10(-9), with the lowest value observed in the afternoon and the highest at dawn. The monthly mean CH4 concentrations varied from 1955.7 x 10(-9) to 2036.2 x 10(-9), with the highest concentration observed in autumn and the lowest in spring. The wind directions NE-SSE could induce higher CH4 concentrations while SW-NNW wind directions had negative effects on the observed results. The CH4 concentration turned out to be lower with higher surface wind speed. With the increase of surface air temperature or sunshine hours, the CH4 concentration went up first till reaching a peak, and then decreased.

An Analysis of Wintertime Winds in Washington, D.C.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berg, Larry K.; Allwine, K Jerry

This report consists of a description of the wintertime climatology of wind speed and wind direction around the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Meteorological data for this study were collected at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Reagan National), Dulles International Airport (Dulles), and a set of surface meteorological stations that are located on a number of building tops around the National Mall. A five-year wintertime climatology of wind speed and wind direction measured at Reagan National and Dulles are presented. A more detailed analysis was completed for the period December 2003 through February 2004 using data gathered from stations locatedmore » around the National Mall, Reagan National, and Dulles. Key findings of our study include the following: * There are systematic differences between the wind speed and wind direction observed at Reagan National and the wind speed and wind direction measured by building top weather stations located in the National Mall. Although Dulles is located much further from the National Mall than Reagan National, there is better agreement between the wind speed and wind direction measured at Dulles and the weather stations in the National Mall. * When the winds are light (less than 3 ms-1 or 7 mph), there are significant differences in the wind directions reported at the various weather stations within the Mall. * Although the mean characteristics of the wind are similar at the various locations, significant, short-term differences are found when the time series are compared. These differences have important implications for the dispersion of airborne contaminants. In support of wintertime special events in the area of the National Mall, we recommend placing four additional meteorological instruments: three additional surface stations, one on the east bank of the Potomac River, one south of the Reflecting Pool (to better define the flow within the Mall), and a surface station near the Herbert C. Hoover Building; and wind-profiling instrument located along the southern edge of the National Mall to give measurements of the wind speed and direction as a function of height.« less

The nature of multiple solutions for surface wind speed over the oceans from scatterometer measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Price, J. C.

1975-01-01

The satellite SEASAT-A will carry a radar scatterometer in order to measure microwave backscatter from the sea surface. From pairs of radar measurements at angles separated by 90 deg in azimuth the surface wind speed and direction may be inferred, though not uniquely. The character of the solutions for wind speed and direction is displayed, as well as the nature of the ambiguities of these solutions. An economical procedure for handling such data is described, plus a criterion for the need for conventional (surface) data in order to resolve the ambiguities of solutions.

FIRE_AX_PSU_MALBAL

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2015-11-24

... Parameters:  Clouds Irradiance Latent Heat Flux Liquid Water Content Precipitation Rate Sea Surface ... Solar Transmittance Specific Humidity Surface Stress System Optical Depth Temperature Wind Direction Wind Speed ...

Scientific Impacts of Wind Direction Errors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, W. Timothy; Kim, Seung-Bum; Lee, Tong; Song, Y. Tony; Tang, Wen-Qing; Atlas, Robert

2004-01-01

An assessment on the scientific impact of random errors in wind direction (less than 45 deg) retrieved from space-based observations under weak wind (less than 7 m/s ) conditions was made. averages, and these weak winds cover most of the tropical, sub-tropical, and coastal oceans. Introduction of these errors in the semi-daily winds causes, on average, 5% changes of the yearly mean Ekman and Sverdrup volume transports computed directly from the winds, respectively. These poleward movements of water are the main mechanisms to redistribute heat from the warmer tropical region to the colder high- latitude regions, and they are the major manifestations of the ocean's function in modifying Earth's climate. Simulation by an ocean general circulation model shows that the wind errors introduce a 5% error in the meridional heat transport at tropical latitudes. The simulation also shows that the erroneous winds cause a pile-up of warm surface water in the eastern tropical Pacific, similar to the conditions during El Nino episode. Similar wind directional errors cause significant change in sea-surface temperature and sea-level patterns in coastal oceans in a coastal model simulation. Previous studies have shown that assimilation of scatterometer winds improves 3-5 day weather forecasts in the Southern Hemisphere. When directional information below 7 m/s was withheld, approximately 40% of the improvement was lost

Analysis of the Viking Lander 1 surface wind vector for sols 45 to 375

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leovy, C. B.

1984-01-01

The Viking Lander 1 wind sensor data during the period between sols 45 and 375 were corrected. During this period, the heating element of the quadrant sensor which provided the primary signal used for determining wind direction had failed, but both hot film wind sensors were functioning normally. The wind speed and direction corrections are explained.

Myrtle Beach AFB South Carolina. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations. Parts A-F

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-07-03

DATA PROCESSING BRNCm2 TAC/USAF SURFACE WINDS AIP wATHER SERVIC/?AL PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS...TRANS MONI, ALL WATHER 1200-1400 CLAM MUES (L.$,t.) ( CONDITION SPEED MEAN (KNTS) i’ 4-6 7. 10 11. 16 17.21 22 .27 28 . 33 34.40 41 .47 48 • !5 ;t56...PRUCESSING BRANCH 2ETAC/USAF SURFACE WINDSAIR wATHER SERVICE/MAC PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS) 13717

Assessing simulated summer 10-m wind speed over China: influencing processes and sensitivities to land surface schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Xin-Min; Wang, Ming; Wang, Ning; Yi, Xiang; Chen, Chaohui; Zhou, Zugang; Wang, Guiling; Zheng, Yiqun

2018-06-01

We assessed the sensitivity of 10-m wind speed to land surface schemes (LSSs) and the processes affecting wind speed in China during the summer of 2003 using the ARWv3 mesoscale model. The derived hydrodynamic equation, which directly reflects the effects of the processes that drive changes in the full wind speed, shows that the convection term CON (the advection effect) plays the smallest role; thus, the summer 10-m wind speed is largely dominated by the pressure gradient (PRE) and the diffusion (DFN) terms, and the equation shows that both terms are highly sensitive to the choice of LSS within the studied subareas (i.e., Northwest China, East China, and the Tibetan Plateau). For example, Northwest China had the largest DFN, with a PRE four times that of CON and the highest sensitivity of PRE to the choice of LSS, as indicated by a difference index value of 63%. Moreover, we suggest that two types of mechanisms, direct and indirect effects, affect the 10-m wind speed. Through their simulated surface fluxes (mainly the sensible heat flux), the different LSSs directly provide different amounts of heat to the surface air at local scales, which influences atmospheric stratification and the characteristics of downward momentum transport. Meanwhile, through the indirect effect, the LSS-induced changes in surface fluxes can significantly modify the distributions of the temperature and pressure fields in the lower atmosphere over larger scales. These changes alter the thermal and geostrophic winds, respectively, as well as the 10-m wind speed. Due to the differences in land properties and climates, the indirect effect (e.g., PRE) can be greater than the direct effect (e.g., DFN).

Randolph AFB, San Antonio, Texas. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO)

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-03-19

FoRM ARE oUsoIII ’, " ’ . . . " " -,, ’:,,,:t."," *4 -- ".°" "- . . . " ’ * "- : ; Ir , ( DATA PROCESSING BRANCH EtAC/USAF SURFACE WINDS AIR" WATHER ...FORM ARI OS$Oitlt_ ___ _zT z __ __ ___......- ___ _ _ _ .4. .. . II DATA PROCESSIN G BRASFCH FTAC/USAF SURFACE WINDS AiR WATHER SERVICE/MAC PERCENTAGE...SURFACE WINDS 1 A/R WATHER SERVICE/MAC PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS) ( 12911- RANDOLPH AFBJTEXAS/SAN

Field Observations of Coastal Air-Sea Interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Suslow, D. G.; Haus, B. K.; Williams, N. J.; Graber, H. C.

2016-12-01

In the nearshore zone wind, waves, and currents generated from different forcing mechanisms converge in shallow water. This can profoundly affect the physical nature of the ocean surface, which can significantly modulate the exchange of momentum, heat, and mass across the air-sea interface. For decades, the focus of air-sea interaction research has been on the open ocean while the shallow water regime has been relatively under-explored. This bears implications for efforts to understand and model various coastal processes, such as mixing, surface transport, and air-sea gas flux. The results from a recent study conducted at the New River Inlet in North Carolina showed that directly measured air-sea flux parameters, such as the atmospheric drag coefficient, are strong functions of space as well as the ambient conditions (i.e. wind speed and direction). The drag is typically used to parameterize the wind stress magnitude. It is generally assumed that the wind direction is the direction of the atmospheric forcing (i.e. wind stress), however significant wind stress steering off of the azimuthal wind direction was observed and was found to be related to the horizontal surface current shear. The authors have just returned from a field campaign carried out within Monterey Bay in California. Surface observations made from two research vessels were complimented by an array of beach and inland flux stations, high-resolution wind forecasts, and satellite image acquisitions. This is a rich data set and several case studies will be analyzed to highlight the importance of various processes for understanding the air-sea fluxes. Preliminary findings show that interactions between the local wind-sea and the shoaling, incident swell can have a profound effect on the wind stress magnitude. The Monterey Bay coastline contains a variety of topographical features and the importance of land-air-sea interactions will also be investigated.

SeaWinds Global Coverage with Detail of Hurricane Floyd

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-05-07

The distribution of ocean surface winds over the Atlantic Ocean, based on September 1999 data from NASA SeaWinds instrument on the QuikScat satellite, shows wind direction, superimposed on the color image indicating wind speed.

On the Possible Role of Gently Sloping Topography in Influencing the Nature of Convective Storms: A Case Study on the High Plains of the U. S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bluestein, H. B.; Weiss, C.; Rotunno, R.; Reif, D. W.; Romine, G. S.

2016-12-01

On 27 May 2015 a quasi-stationary supercell in the northern Texas Panhandle produced several tornadoes, before it evolved into a mesoscale convective system. The pre-storm environment was characterized by relatively weak midlevel winds from the west and surface winds from the south/southwest, such that the 0 - 6 km vertical shear was too weak for supercells to have evolved. There was, however, an increase in speed and backing of the surface wind to the easterly/southeasterly direction during the afternoon, so that the 0 - 6 km shear exceeded 20 m s-1, the approximate threshold for supercell formation. The approximate motion of a convective storm without taking into account shear-related or gust-front propagation is the mean wind in the lowest 6 km. With an increase in the easterly component of the surface winds, the mean wind in the lowest 6 km, in the absence of any increase in westerlies at 6 km, decreased. Some physical mechanisms that could be responsible for the backing and increase in easterly component of the surface wind are as follows: (a) the approach of a synoptic-scale, upper-level trough, with its attendant pre-trough, quasi-geostrophic-induced ascent accompanied by surface convergence, an increase in surface vorticity, and concomitant drop in surface pressure, so that east of the region of ascent a westward-directed pressure-gradient forced develops; (b) surface heating on a surface that slopes upward to the west, such that a westward-directed pressure-gradient force develops; (c) the westward movement of a low-level cold pool that had developed in pre-existing, upstream convective storms; (d) the downward mixing of easterly momentum aloft; and (e) the diurnal inertial oscillation in boundary-layer wind due to the diurnal change in vertical mixing of momentum. It is hypothesized that for this case the primary mechanism was (b). A WRF forecast is described in which evidence is presented in favor of our hypothesis. An estimate will also be given of how much backing and increase in surface wind could be explained by heating on the sloping terrain and also climatological changes in wind speed and direction during the afternoon based on surface mesonet data will be shown. The results of this study could have applications to the study of convection anywhere around the globe where there is gently sloping terrain.

The dune effect on sand-transporting winds on Mars

PubMed Central

Jackson, Derek W. T.; Bourke, Mary C; Smyth, Thomas A. G.

2015-01-01

Wind on Mars is a significant agent of contemporary surface change, yet the absence of in situ meteorological data hampers the understanding of surface–atmospheric interactions. Airflow models at length scales relevant to landform size now enable examination of conditions that might activate even small-scale bedforms (ripples) under certain contemporary wind regimes. Ripples have the potential to be used as modern ‘wind vanes' on Mars. Here we use 3D airflow modelling to demonstrate that local dune topography exerts a strong influence on wind speed and direction and that ripple movement likely reflects steered wind direction for certain dune ridge shapes. The poor correlation of dune orientation with effective sand-transporting winds suggests that large dunes may not be mobile under modelled wind scenarios. This work highlights the need to first model winds at high resolution before inferring regional wind patterns from ripple movement or dune orientations on the surface of Mars today. PMID:26537669

Comparison of surface wind stress measurements - Airborne radar scatterometer versus sonic anemometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brucks, J. T.; Leming, T. D.; Jones, W. L.

1980-01-01

Sea surface wind stress measurements recorded by a sonic anemometer are correlated with airborne scatterometer measurements of ocean roughness (cross section of radar backscatter) to establish the accuracy of remotely sensed data and assist in the definition of geophysical algorithms for the scatterometer sensor aboard Seasat A. Results of this investigation are as follows: Comparison of scatterometer and sonic anemometer wind stress measurements are good for the majority of cases; however, a tendency exists for scatterometer wind stress to be somewhat high for higher wind conditions experienced in this experiment (6-9 m/s). The scatterometer wind speed algorithm tends to overcompute the higher wind speeds by approximately 0.5 m/s. This is a direct result of the scatterometer overestimate of wind stress from which wind speeds are derived. Algorithmic derivations of wind speed and direction are, in most comparisons, within accuracies defined by Seasat A scatterometer sensor specifications.

Measurements of wind-waves under transient wind conditions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shemer, Lev; Zavadsky, Andrey

2015-11-01

Wind forcing in nature is always unsteady, resulting in a complicated evolution pattern that involves numerous time and space scales. In the present work, wind waves in a laboratory wind-wave flume are studied under unsteady forcing`. The variation of the surface elevation is measured by capacitance wave gauges, while the components of the instantaneous surface slope in across-wind and along-wind directions are determined by a regular or scanning laser slope gauge. The locations of the wave gauge and of the laser slope gauge are separated by few centimeters in across-wind direction. Instantaneous wind velocity was recorded simultaneously using Pitot tube. Measurements are performed at a number of fetches and for different patterns of wind velocity variation. For each case, at least 100 independent realizations were recorded for a given wind velocity variation pattern. The accumulated data sets allow calculating ensemble-averaged values of the measured parameters. Significant differences between the evolution patterns of the surface elevation and of the slope components were found. Wavelet analysis was applied to determine dominant wave frequency of the surface elevation and of the slope variation at each instant. Corresponding ensemble-averaged values acquired by different sensors were computed and compared. Analysis of the measured ensemble-averaged quantities at different fetches makes it possible to identify different stages in the wind-wave evolution and to estimate the appropriate time and length scales.

Aeolian sediment transport on a beach: Surface moisture, wind fetch, and mean transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, B. O.; Davidson-Arnott, R. G. D.; Hesp, P. A.; Namikas, S. L.; Ollerhead, J.; Walker, I. J.

2009-04-01

Temporal and spatial changes in wind speed, wind direction, and moisture content are ubiquitous across sandy coastal beaches. Often these factors interact in unknown ways to create complexity that confounds our ability to model sediment transport at any point across the beach as well as our capacity to predict sediment delivery into the adjacent foredunes. This study was designed to measure wind flow and sediment transport over a beach and foredune at Greenwich Dunes, Prince Edward Island National Park, with the express purpose of addressing these complex interactions. Detailed measurements are reported for one stormy day, October 11, 2004, during which meteorological conditions were highly variable. Wind speed ranged from 4 ms - 1 to over 20 ms - 1 , wind direction was highly oblique varying between 60° and 85° from shore perpendicular, and moisture content of the sand surface ranged from a minimum of about 3% (by mass) to complete saturation depending on precipitation, tidal excursion, and storm surge that progressively inundated the beach. The data indicate that short-term variations (i.e., minutes to hours) in sediment transport across this beach arise predominantly because of short-term changes in wind speed, as is expected, but also because of variations in wind direction, precipitation intensity, and tide level. Even slight increases in wind speed are capable of driving more intense saltation events, but this relationship is mediated by other factors on this characteristically narrow beach. As the angle of wind approach becomes more oblique, the fetch distance increases and allows greater opportunity for the saltation system to evolve toward an equilibrium transport state before reaching the foredunes. Whether the theoretically-predicted maximum rate of transport is ever achieved depends on the character of the sand surface (e.g., grain size, slope, roughness, vegetation, moisture content) and on various attributes of the wind field (e.g., average wind speed, unsteadiness, approach angle, flow compression, boundary layer development). Moisture content is widely acknowledged as an important factor in controlling release of sediment from the beach surface. All other things being equal, the rate of sediment transport over a wet surface is lesser than over a dry surface. On this beach, the moisture effect has two important influences: (a) in a temporal sense, the rate of sediment transport typically decreases in association with rainfall and increases when surface drying takes place; and (b) in a spatio-temporal sense, shoreline excursions associated with nearshore processes (such as wave run-up, storm surge, and tidal excursions) have the effect of constraining the fetch geometry of the beach—i.e., narrowing the width of the beach. Because saturated sand surfaces, such as found in the swash zone, will only reluctantly yield sediments to aeolian entrainment, the available beach surface across which aeolian transport can occur becomes narrower as the sea progressively inundates the beach. Under these constrained conditions, the transport system begins to shut down unless wind angle becomes highly oblique (thereby increasing fetch distance). In this study, maximum sediment transport was usually measured on the mid-beach rather than the upper beach (i.e., closer to the foredunes). This unusual finding is likely because of internal boundary layer development across the beach, which yields a decrease in near-surface wind speed (and hence, transport capacity) in the landward direction. Although widely recognized in the fluid mechanics literature, this decrease in near-surface shear stress as a by-product of a developing boundary layer in the downwind direction has not been adequately investigated in the context of coastal aeolian geomorphology.

Aeolian Processes and Features on Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, Ronald; Bender, Kelly C.; Saunders, Stephen; Schubert, Gerald; Weitz, Catherine M.

1997-01-01

Aeolian features on Venus include dune fields, eroded hills (yardangs), wind streaks, (miniature dunes of 10 to 30 cm wavelength). Although and possibly microdunes (in repetitive imaging by Magellan did show changes in the appearance of the surface, these changes are attributed to radar artifacts as a consequence of look direction rather than to physical changes of the surface. Nonetheless, measurements of wind speeds near the surface of Venus and wind tunnel simulations suggest that aeolian processes could be currently active on Venus. Study of radar images of terrestrial analogs shows that radar wavelength, polarization, and viewing geometry, including look direction and incidence angle, all influence the detection of dunes, yardangs, and wind streaks. For best detection, dune crests and yardangs should be oriented perpendicular to look direction. Longer wavelength systems can penetrate sand sheets a meter or more thick, rendering them invisible, especially in arid regions. For wind streaks to be visible, there must be a contrast in surface properties between the streak and the background on which it occurs. Nonetheless, more than 6000 aeolian features have been found on Magellan images of Venus, the most common of which are various wind streaks. Mapping wind streak orientations enables near-surface wind patterns to be inferred for the time of their formation. Type P streaks are associated with parabolic ejecta crater deposits and are considered to have formed in association with the impact event. Most Type P streaks are oriented westward, indicative of the upper altitude superrotation winds of Venus. Non Type P streaks have occurrences and orientations consistent with Hadley circulation. Some streaks in the southern hemisphere are oriented to the northeast, suggesting a Coriolis effect.

Estimation of the remote-sensing reflectance from above-surface measurements.

PubMed

Mobley, C D

1999-12-20

The remote-sensing reflectance R(rs) is not directly measurable, and various methodologies have been employed in its estimation. I review the radiative transfer foundations of several commonly used methods for estimating R(rs), and errors associated with estimating R(rs) by removal of surface-reflected sky radiance are evaluated using the Hydrolight radiative transfer numerical model. The dependence of the sea surface reflectance factor rho, which is not an inherent optical property of the surface, on sky conditions, wind speed, solar zenith angle, and viewing geometry is examined. If rho is not estimated accurately, significant errors can occur in the estimated R(rs) for near-zenith Sun positions and for high wind speeds, both of which can give considerable Sun glitter effects. The numerical simulations suggest that a viewing direction of 40 deg from the nadir and 135 deg from the Sun is a reasonable compromise among conflicting requirements. For this viewing direction, a value of rho approximately 0.028 is acceptable only for wind speeds less than 5 m s(-1). For higher wind speeds, curves are presented for the determination of rho as a function of solar zenith angle and wind speed. If the sky is overcast, a value of rho approximately 0.028 is used at all wind speeds.

Observational study of surface wind along a sloping surface over mountainous terrain during winter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Young-Hee; Lee, Gyuwon; Joo, Sangwon; Ahn, Kwang-Deuk

2018-03-01

The 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in Pyeongchang, Korea, during February and March. We examined the near surface winds and wind gusts along the sloping surface at two outdoor venues in Pyeongchang during February and March using surface wind data. The outdoor venues are located in a complex, mountainous terrain, and hence the near-surface winds form intricate patterns due to the interplay between large-scale and locally forced winds. During February and March, the dominant wind at the ridge level is westerly; however, a significant wind direction change is observed along the sloping surface at the venues. The winds on the sloping surface are also influenced by thermal forcing, showing increased upslope flow during daytime. When neutral air flows over the hill, the windward and leeward flows show a significantly different behavior. A higher correlation of the wind speed between upper- and lower-level stations is shown in the windward region compared with the leeward region. The strong synoptic wind, small width of the ridge, and steep leeward ridge slope angle provide favorable conditions for flow separation at the leeward foot of the ridge. The gust factor increases with decreasing surface elevation and is larger during daytime than nighttime. A significantly large gust factor is also observed in the leeward region.

Wind Streaks on Venus: Clues to Atmospheric Circulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, Ronald; Schubert, Gerald; Limonadi, Daniel; Bender, Kelly C.; Newman, William I.; Thomas, Peggy E.; Weitz, Catherine M.; Wall, Stephen D.

1994-01-01

Magellan images reveal surface features on Venus attributed to wind processes. Sand dunes, wind-sculpted hills, and more than 5830 wind streaks have been identified. The streaks serve as local "wind vanes," representing wind direction at the time of streak formation and allowing the first global mapping of near-surface wind patterns on Venus. Wind streaks are oriented both toward the equator and toward the west. When streaks associated with local transient events, such as impact cratering, are deleted, the westward component is mostly lost but the equatorward component remains. This pattern is consistent with a Hadley circulation of the lower atmosphere.

Observations of currents and density structure across a buoyant plume front

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gelfenbaum, G.; Stumpf, R.P.

1993-01-01

Observations of the Mobile Bay, Alabama, plume during a flood event in April 1991 reveal significant differences in the current field on either side of a front associated with the buoyant plume. During a strong southeasterly wind, turbid, low salinity water from Mobile Bay was pushed through an opening in the west side of the ebb-tidal delta and moved parallel to the coast. A stable front developed between the low salinity water of the buoyant plume (11‰) and the high salinity coastal water (>23‰) that was being forced landward by the prevailing winds. Despite the shallow water depth of 6 m, measurements of currents, temperature, and salinity show large shears and density gradients in both the vertical and the horizontal directions. At a station outside of the buoyant plume, currents at 0.5 m and 1.5 m below the surface were in the same direction as the wind. Inside the plume, however, currents at 0.5 m below the surface were parallel to the coast, 45°, off the direction of the wind and the magnitude was 45% larger than the magnitude of the surface currents outside the plume. Beneath the level of the plume, the currents were identical to the wind-driven currents in the ambient water south of the front. Our observations suggest that the wind-driven surface currents of the ambient water converged with the buoyant plume at the front and were subducted beneath the plume. The motion of the ambient coastal surface water was in the direction of the local wind stress, however, the motion of the plume had no northerly component of motion. The plume also did not show any flow toward the front, suggesting a balance between the northerly component of wind stress and the southerly component of buoyant spreading. In addition, the motion of the plume did not appear to affect the motion of the underlying ambient water, suggesting a lack of mixing between the two waters.

High resolution modelling and observation of wind-driven surface currents in a semi-enclosed estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nash, S.; Hartnett, M.; McKinstry, A.; Ragnoli, E.; Nagle, D.

2012-04-01

Hydrodynamic circulation in estuaries is primarily driven by tides, river inflows and surface winds. While tidal and river data can be quite easily obtained for input to hydrodynamic models, sourcing accurate surface wind data is problematic. Firstly, the wind data used in hydrodynamic models is usually measured on land and can be quite different in magnitude and direction from offshore winds. Secondly, surface winds are spatially-varying but due to a lack of data it is common practice to specify a non-varying wind speed and direction across the full extents of a model domain. These problems can lead to inaccuracies in the surface currents computed by three-dimensional hydrodynamic models. In the present research, a wind forecast model is coupled with a three-dimensional numerical model of Galway Bay, a semi-enclosed estuary on the west coast of Ireland, to investigate the effect of surface wind data resolution on model accuracy. High resolution and low resolution wind fields are specified to the model and the computed surface currents are compared with high resolution surface current measurements obtained from two high frequency SeaSonde-type Coastal Ocean Dynamics Applications Radars (CODAR). The wind forecast models used for the research are Harmonie cy361.3, running on 2.5 and 0.5km spatial grids for the low resolution and high resolution models respectively. The low-resolution model runs over an Irish domain on 540x500 grid points with 60 vertical levels and a 60s timestep and is driven by ECMWF boundary conditions. The nested high-resolution model uses 300x300 grid points on 60 vertical levels and a 12s timestep. EFDC (Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code) is used for the hydrodynamic model. The Galway Bay model has ten vertical layers and is resolved spatially and temporally at 150m and 4 sec respectively. The hydrodynamic model is run for selected hindcast dates when wind fields were highly energetic. Spatially- and temporally-varying wind data is provided by offline coupling with the wind forecast models. Modelled surface currents show good correlation with CODAR observed currents and the resolution of the surface wind data is shown to be important for model accuracy.

Atmospheric boundary layer effects induced by the 20 March 2015 solar eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, Suzanne L.; Harrison, R. Giles

2016-04-01

The British Isles benefits from dense meteorological observation networks, enabling insights into the still-unresolved effects of solar eclipse events on the near-surface wind field. The near-surface effects of the solar eclipse of 20 March 2015 are derived through comparison of output from the Met Office's operational weather forecast model (which is ignorant of the eclipse) with data from two meteorological networks: the Met Office's land surface station (MIDAS) network and a roadside measurement network operated by Vaisala. Synoptic-evolution relative calculations reveal the cooling and increase in relative humidity almost universally attributed to eclipse events. In addition, a slackening of wind speeds by up to about 2 knots in already weak winds and backing in wind direction of about 20 degrees under clear skies across middle England are attributed to the eclipse event. The slackening of wind speed is consistent with the previously reported boundary layer stabilisation during eclipse events. Wind direction changes have previously been attributed to a large-scale `eclipse-induced cold-cored cyclone', mountain slope flows, and changes in the strength of sea breezes. A new explanation is proposed here by analogy with nocturnal wind changes at sunset and shown to predict direction changes consistent with those observed.

Effects of Sea-Surface Waves and Ocean Spray on Air-Sea Momentum Fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ting; Song, Jinbao

2018-04-01

The effects of sea-surface waves and ocean spray on the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) at different wind speeds and wave ages were investigated. An MABL model was developed that introduces a wave-induced component and spray force to the total surface stress. The theoretical model solution was determined assuming the eddy viscosity coefficient varied linearly with height above the sea surface. The wave-induced component was evaluated using a directional wave spectrum and growth rate. Spray force was described using interactions between ocean-spray droplets and wind-velocity shear. Wind profiles and sea-surface drag coefficients were calculated for low to high wind speeds for wind-generated sea at different wave ages to examine surface-wave and ocean-spray effects on MABL momentum distribution. The theoretical solutions were compared with model solutions neglecting wave-induced stress and/or spray stress. Surface waves strongly affected near-surface wind profiles and sea-surface drag coefficients at low to moderate wind speeds. Drag coefficients and near-surface wind speeds were lower for young than for old waves. At high wind speeds, ocean-spray droplets produced by wind-tearing breaking-wave crests affected the MABL strongly in comparison with surface waves, implying that wave age affects the MABL only negligibly. Low drag coefficients at high wind caused by ocean-spray production increased turbulent stress in the sea-spray generation layer, accelerating near-sea-surface wind. Comparing the analytical drag coefficient values with laboratory measurements and field observations indicated that surface waves and ocean spray significantly affect the MABL at different wind speeds and wave ages.

An evaluation of ERTS data for oceanographic uses through Great Lakes studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strong, A. E. (Principal Investigator); Stumpf, H. G.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Prevailing wind direction on Lake Michigan is southwesterly, although during winter northwesterly stresses are common. Along the western shore the current favors a northward direction. ERTS-1 observations indicate that the southward-flowing current along the Michigan shoreline of the thumb is only reversed by southerly resultant wind stress. Along the Canadian shoreline, a northward current was observed north of Kettle Point. ERTS-1 data also reveal that a preferred southward-flowing current is found along the Detroit shoreline of Lake St. Clair. Eastward flow of surface water from the shallow western basin of Lake Erie into the middle basin is most obvious during northwesterly and northerly wind stresses. The reverse wind direction especially east and southeasterly, appear to hold the effluents from the Detroit and Maumee Rivers in the western basin. Across-lake winds from the north and south induce eddy-like circulation in surface waters of Lake Ontario. Counterclockwise alongshore flow persists in the western basin under most wind conditions.

Light-Flash Wind-Direction Indicator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zysko, Jan A.

1993-01-01

Proposed wind-direction indicator read easily by distant observers. Indicator emits bright flashes of light separated by interval of time proportional to angle between true north and direction from which wind blowing. Timing of flashes indicates direction of wind. Flashes, from high-intensity stroboscopic lights seen by viewers at distances up to 5 miles or more. Also seen more easily through rain and fog. Indicator self-contained, requiring no connections to other equipment. Power demand satisfied by battery or solar power or both. Set up quickly to provide local surface-wind data for aircraft pilots during landing or hovering, for safety officers establishing hazard zones and safety corridors during handling of toxic materials, for foresters and firefighters conducting controlled burns, and for real-time wind observations during any of variety of wind-sensitive operations.

Eclipse-induced wind changes over the British Isles on the 20 March 2015

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The British Isles benefits from dense meteorological observation networks, enabling insights into the still-unresolved effects of solar eclipse events on the near-surface wind field. The near-surface effects of the solar eclipse of 20 March 2015 are derived through comparison of output from the Met Office’s operational weather forecast model (which is ignorant of the eclipse) with data from two meteorological networks: the Met Office’s land surface station (MIDAS) network and a roadside measurement network operated by Vaisala. Synoptic-evolution relative calculations reveal the cooling and increase in relative humidity almost universally attributed to eclipse events. In addition, a slackening of wind speeds by up to about 2 knots in already weak winds and backing in wind direction of about 20° under clear skies across middle England are attributed to the eclipse event. The slackening of wind speed is consistent with the previously reported boundary layer stabilization during eclipse events. Wind direction changes have previously been attributed to a large-scale ‘eclipse-induced cold-cored cyclone’, mountain slope flows, and changes in the strength of sea breezes. A new explanation is proposed here by analogy with nocturnal wind changes at sunset and shown to predict direction changes consistent with those observed. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Atmospheric effects of solar eclipses stimulated by the 2015 UK eclipse’. PMID:27550759

Microwave Limb Sounder/El Nino Watch - 1997 Research Data Reveal Clues about El Nino's Influence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This image displays wind measurements taken by the satellite-borne NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) during the last 10 days of May 1997, showing the relationship between the ocean and the atmosphere at the onset of the 1997-98 El Nino condition. The data have helped scientists confirm that the event began as an unusual weakening of the trade winds that preceded an increase in sea surface temperatures. The arrows represent wind speed and direction while the colors indicate sea surface temperature. The sea surface temperatures were measured by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, a joint mission of NASA and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The trade winds normally blow from east to west, but the small arrows in the center of the image show the winds have changed direction and are blowing in the opposite direction. The areas shown in red are above normal sea surface temperatures -- along the equator, off the west coast of the U.S., and along the west coast of Mexico. This image also shows an unusual low pressure system with cyclonic (counterclockwise) circulation near the western North American coast. NSCAT also observed that winds associated with this circulation pattern branched off from the equator, bypassed Hawaii, and brought heat and moisture from the tropical ocean towards San Francisco, in what is often called the 'pineapple express.'

Radionuclide counting technique for measuring wind velocity and direction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, J. J. (Inventor)

1984-01-01

An anemometer utilizing a radionuclide counting technique for measuring both the velocity and the direction of wind is described. A pendulum consisting of a wire and a ball with a source of radiation on the lower surface of the ball is positioned by the wind. Detectors and are located in a plane perpendicular to pendulum (no wind). The detectors are located on the circumferene of a circle and are equidistant from each other as well as the undisturbed (no wind) source ball position.

Observation of high-resolution wind fields and offshore wind turbine wakes using TerraSAR-X imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gies, Tobias; Jacobsen, Sven; Lehner, Susanne; Pleskachevsky, Andrey

2014-05-01

1. Introduction Numerous large-scale offshore wind farms have been built in European waters and play an important role in providing renewable energy. Therefore, knowledge of behavior of wakes, induced by large wind turbines and their impact on wind power output is important. The spatial variation of offshore wind turbine wake is very complex, depending on wind speed, wind direction, ambient atmospheric turbulence and atmospheric stability. In this study we demonstrate the application of X-band TerraSAR-X (TS-X) data with high spatial resolution for studies on wind turbine wakes in the near and far field of the offshore wind farm Alpha Ventus, located in the North Sea. Two cases which different weather conditions and different wake pattern as observed in the TS-X image are presented. 2. Methods The space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a unique sensor that provides two-dimensional information on the ocean surface. Due to their high resolution, daylight and weather independency and global coverage, SARs are particularly suitable for many ocean and coastal applications. SAR images reveal wind variations on small scales and thus represent a valuable means in detailed wind-field analysis. The general principle of imaging turbine wakes is that the reduced wind speed downstream of offshore wind farms modulates the sea surface roughness, which in turn changes the Normalized Radar Cross Section (NRCS, denoted by σ0) in the SAR image and makes the wake visible. In this study we present two cases at the offshore wind farm Alpha Ventus to investigate turbine-induced wakes and the retrieved sea surface wind field. Using the wind streaks, visible in the TS-X image and the shadow behind the offshore wind farm, induced by turbine wake, the sea surface wind direction is derived and subsequently the sea surface wind speed is calculated using the latest generation of wind field algorithm XMOD2. 3. Case study alpha ventus Alpha Ventus is located approximately 45 km from the coast of Borkum, Germany, and consists of twelve 5-Megawatt wind power turbines. The retrieved results are validated by comparing with QuikSCAT measurements, the results of the German Weather Service (DWD) atmospheric model and in-situ measurements of wind speed and wind direction, obtained from the research platform FiNO1, installed 400 m west of Alpha Ventus. 4. Conclusion In the presented case study we quantify the wake characteristics of wake length, wake width, maximum velocity de?cit, wake merging and wake meandering. We show that SAR has the capability to map the sea surface two-dimensionally in high spatial resolution which provides a unique opportunity to observe spatial characteristics of offshore wind turbine wakes. The SAR derived information can support offshore wind farming with respect to optimal siting and design and help to estimate their effects on the environment.

Meteorological Automatic Weather Station (MAWS) Instrument Handbook

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holdridge, Donna J; Kyrouac, Jenni A

The Meteorological Automatic Weather Station (MAWS) is a surface meteorological station, manufactured by Vaisala, Inc., dedicated to the balloon-borne sounding system (BBSS), providing surface measurements of the thermodynamic state of the atmosphere and the wind speed and direction for each radiosonde profile. These data are automatically provided to the BBSS during the launch procedure and included in the radiosonde profile as the surface measurements of record for the sounding. The MAWS core set of measurements is: Barometric Pressure (hPa), Temperature (°C), Relative Humidity (%), Arithmetic-Averaged Wind Speed (m/s), and Vector-Averaged Wind Direction (deg). The sensors that collect the core variablesmore » are mounted at the standard heights defined for each variable.« less

Examples of the Influence of Turbine Wakes on Downwind Power Output, Surface Wind Speed, Turbulence and Flow Convergence in Large Wind Farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takle, E. S.; Rajewski, D. A.; Lundquist, J. K.; Doorenbos, R. K.

2014-12-01

We have analyzed turbine power and concurrent wind speed, direction and turbulence data from surface 10-m flux towers in a large wind farm for experiments during four summer periods as part of the Crop Wind Energy Experiment (CWEX). We use these data to analyze surface differences for a near-wake (within 2.5 D of the turbine line), far wake (17 D downwind of the turbine line), and double wake (impacted by two lines of turbines about 34 D downwind of the first turbine line) locations. Composites are categorized by10 degree directional intervals and three ambient stability categories as defined by Rajewski et al. (2013): neutral (|z/L|<0.05), stable (z/L>0.05) and unstable (z/L<-0.05), where z is the height of the measurement and L is the Monin-Obhukov length. The dominant influence of the turbines is under stably stratified conditions (i. e., mostly at night). A 25% to 40% increase in mean wind speed occurs when turbine wakes are moving over the downwind station at a distance of 2.8 D and 5.4 D (D = fan diameter). For the double wake condition (flux station leeward of two lines of turbines) we find a daytime (unstable conditions) speed reduction of 20% for southerly wind, but for nighttime (stable conditions) the surface speeds are enhancedby 40-60% for SSW-SW winds. The speedup is reduced as wind directions shift to the west. We interpret these speed variations as due to the rotation of the wake and interaction (or not) with higher speed air above the rotor layer in highly sheared nocturnal low-level jet conditions. From a cluster of flux stations and three profiling lidars deployed within and around a cluster of turbines in 2013 (CWEX-13) we found evidence of mesoscale influences. In particular, surface convergence (wind direction deflection of 10-20 degrees) was observed during periods of low nighttime winds (hub-height winds of 4-6 m/s) with power reduction of 50-75%. This is consistent with a similar range of deflection observed from a line of turbines in CWEX-11, In the mid to late afternoon hours when hub-height wind speeds are between 5-10 m/s convergence periods have been observed, with power enhancements of 20-40% at several locations around the farm.

Using Kites to Illustrate Some Features of Boundary Layer Winds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuller, Stanton E.

1983-01-01

Kites allow teachers to illustrate wind patterns by calling on past experience and by present demonstration. Features of the wind illustrated by kites--the effect of surface friction on wind speed, change of wind direction with elevation, gust and lull sequence, and atmospheric stability and turbulence type--are discussed. (SR)

Seasat microwave wind and rain observations in severe tropical and midlatitude marine storms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, P. G.; Hawkins, J. D.; Gentry, R. C.; Cardone, V. J.

1985-01-01

Initial results of studies concerning Seasat measurements in and around tropical and severe midlatitude cyclones over the open ocean are presented, together with an assessment of their accuracy and usefulness. Complementary measurements of surface wind speed and direction, rainfall rate, and the sea surface temperature obtained with the Seasat-A Satellite Scatterometer (SASS), the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR), and the Seasat SAR are analyzed. The Seasat data for the Hurrricanes Fico, Ella, and Greta and the QE II storm are compared with data obtained from aircraft, buoys, and ships. It is shown that the SASS-derived wind speeds are accurate to within 10 percent, and the directions are accurate to within 20 percent. In general, the SASS estimates tend to measure light winds too high and intense winds too low. The errors of the SMMR-derived measurements of the winds in hurricanes tend to be higher than those of the SASS-derived measurements.

Observations of the effect of wind on the cooling of active lava flows

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keszthelyi, L.; Harris, A.J.L.; Dehn, J.

2003-01-01

We present the first direct observations of the cooling of active lava flows by the wind. We confirm that atmospheric convective cooling processes (i.e., the wind) dominate heat loss over the lifetime of a typical pahochoe lava flow. In fact, the heat extracted by convection is greater than predicted, especially at wind speeds less than 5 m/s and surface temperatures less than 400??C. We currently estimate that the atmospheric heat transfer coefficient is about 45-50 W m-2 K-1 for a 10 m/s wind and a surface temperature ???500??C. Further field experiments and theoretical studies should expand these results to a broader range of surface temperatures and wind speeds.

The Special Sensor Microwave Imager Wind Dataset: A Source of Quantitative Information for the Ocean-to-Land Advection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otterman, J.; Ardizzone, J.; Atlas, R.; Demaree, G.; Huth, R.; Jaagus, J.; Koslowsky, D.; Przybylak, R.; Wos, A.; Atlas, Robert (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

It is well recognized that advection from the North Atlantic has a profound effect on the climatic conditions in central Europe. A new dataset of the ocean-surface winds, derived from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager, SSM/1, is now available. This satellite instrument measures the wind speed, but not the direction. However, variational analysis developed at the Data Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, by combining the SSM/I measurements with wind vectors measured from ships, etc., produced global maps of the ocean surface winds suitable for climate analysis. From this SSM/I dataset, a specific index I(sub na) of the North Atlantic surface winds has been developed, which pertinently quantifies the low-level advection into central Europe. For a selected time-period, the index I(sub na) reports the average of the amplitude of the wind, averaging only the speed when the direction is from the southwest (when the wind is from another direction, the contribution counts to the average as zero speed). Strong correlations were found between February I(sub na) and the surface air temperatures in Europe 50-60 deg N. In the present study, we present the correlations between I(sub na) and temperature I(sub s), and also the sensitivity of T(sub s), to an increase in I(sub na), in various seasons and various regions. We specifically analyze the flow of maritime-air from the North Atlantic that produced two extraordinary warm periods: February 1990, and early-winter 2000/2001. The very cold December 2001 was clearly due to a northerly flow. Our conclusion is that the SSM/I dataset is very useful for providing insight to the forcing of climatic fluctuations in Europe.

Transport of a Power Plant Tracer Plume over Grand Canyon National Park.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jun; Bornstein, Robert; Lindsey, Charles G.

1999-08-01

Meteorological and air-quality data, as well as surface tracer concentration values, were collected during 1990 to assess the impacts of Navajo Generating Station (NGS) emissions on Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) air quality. These data have been used in the present investigation to determine between direct and indirect transport routes taken by the NGS plume to produce measured high-tracer concentration events at GCNP.The meteorological data were used as input into a three-dimensional mass-consistent wind model, whose output was used as input into a horizontal forward-trajectory model. Calculated polluted air locations were compared with observed surface-tracer concentration values.Results show that complex-terrain features affect local wind-flow patterns during winter in the Grand Canyon area. Local channeling, decoupled canyon winds, and slope and valley flows dominate in the region when synoptic systems are weak. Direct NGS plume transport to GCNP occurs with northeasterly plume-height winds, while indirect transport to the park is caused by wind direction shifts associated with passing synoptic systems. Calculated polluted airmass positions along the modeled streak lines match measured surface-tracer observations in both space and time.

Weather Research and Forecasting Model Wind Sensitivity Study at Edwards Air Force Base, CA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Leela R.; Bauman, William H., III

2008-01-01

NASA prefers to land the space shuttle at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). When weather conditions violate Flight Rules at KSC, NASA will usually divert the shuttle landing to Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in Southern California. But forecasting surface winds at EAFB is a challenge for the Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG) forecasters due to the complex terrain that surrounds EAFB, One particular phenomena identified by SMG is that makes it difficult to forecast the EAFB surface winds is called "wind cycling". This occurs when wind speeds and directions oscillate among towers near the EAFB runway leading to a challenging deorbit bum forecast for shuttle landings. The large-scale numerical weather prediction models cannot properly resolve the wind field due to their coarse horizontal resolutions, so a properly tuned high-resolution mesoscale model is needed. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model meets this requirement. The AMU assessed the different WRF model options to determine which configuration best predicted surface wind speed and direction at EAFB, To do so, the AMU compared the WRF model performance using two hot start initializations with the Advanced Research WRF and Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model dynamical cores and compared model performance while varying the physics options.

The long-term effect of urbanization and anthropogenic heat release on climate across China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Feng, J.

2013-12-01

The human activities impact on the urban heat island (UHI) is directly through anthropogenic heat release, and indirectly through the land use configuration. In this paper, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with the Urban Canopy Model (UCM) is employed to simulate the regional impacts on climate under the two scenarios in China: the underlying surface changes due to urbanization (USCU), and anthropogenic heat release (AHR). Three experiments were performed from January 2000 to February 2010. USCU decreases the summer and winter low cloud cover over most east China, and almost the energy flux increase except that the latent heat and the up solar wave, summer temperature increases obviously, particularly in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Yangtze River Delta region with an increase of 1.13°C and 1.22°C; AHR increases the variable change including the low cloud cover and all the energy flux and temperatures; the most striking winter temperature change region occurs also in the Yangtze River Delta region added by 0.63°C. USCU has the greatest impact on the summer precipitation in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, which has reduced amplitude value of 20.43 percent. The USCU decreases the surface soil humidity and increases the surface soil temperature in most east China. In the three urban agglomerations, summer surface wind increases apparently but winter surface wind reduce obviously affected by USCU. The low pressure level is the south wind with the amplitude less than 1m/s and the two cyclonic vorticity exists in the summer, there is the same wind direction in the winter, but without the apparent cyclonic vorticity and small wind speed under the USCU. In the AHR, the prevailing wind direction is north wind and two rise circulation between 30°N and 40°N in the summer, the principal winter wind direction is south with the same two rise circulation nearby former two latitude. The summer index almost increases under the USCU scenario, but AHR make it decrease.

The Effect of the South Asia Monsoon on the Wind Sea and Swell Patterns in the Arabian Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semedo, Alvaro

2015-04-01

Ocean surface gravity waves have a considerable impact on coastal and offshore infrastructures, and are determinant on ship design and routing. But waves also play an important role on the coastal dynamics and beach erosion, and modulate the exchanges of momentum, and mass and other scalars between the atmosphere and the ocean. A constant quantitative and qualitative knowledge of the wave patterns is therefore needed. There are two types of waves at the ocean surface: wind-sea and swell. Wind-sea waves are growing waves under the direct influence of local winds; as these waves propagate away from their generation area, or when their phase speed overcomes the local wind speed, they are called swell. Swell waves can propagate thousands of kilometers across entire ocean basins. The qualitative analysis of ocean surface waves has been the focus of several recent studies, from the wave climate to the air-sea interaction community. The reason for this interest lies mostly in the fact that waves have an impact on the lower atmosphere, and that the air-sea coupling is different depending on the wave regime. Waves modulate the exchange of momentum, heat, and mass across the air-sea interface, and this modulation is different and dependent on the prevalence of one type of waves: wind sea or swell. For fully developed seas the coupling between the ocean-surface and the overlaying atmosphere can be seen as quasi-perfect, in a sense that the momentum transfer and energy dissipation at the ocean surface are in equilibrium. This can only occur in special areas of the Ocean, either in marginal seas, with limited fetch, or in Open Ocean, in areas with strong and persistent wind speed with little or no variation in direction. One of these areas is the Arabian Sea, along the coasts of Somalia, Yemen and Oman. The wind climate in the Arabian sea is under the direct influence of the South Asia monsoon, where the wind blows steady from the northeast during the boreal winter, and reverses direction to blow also steady but stronger from the southwest during the boreal summer months. During the summer monsoon the wind pattern in the north Arabian Sea is rather intricate, with a large scale synoptic forcing with a high pressure cell over the ocean and a thermal low pressure system in-land, but also with at least two low-level wind jets, the Finlater (or Somali) jet, and the Oman coastal jet. This wind pattern leads to a particular wave pattern and seasonal variability. The monsoon wind pattern has a direct influence in the wave climate in that area, The particular wind-sea and swell climates of the Arabian Sea are presented. The study is based on the ERA-Interim wave reanalysis from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

Effects of topography on the dune forming winds on Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larson, Erik J.; Toon, O. B.; Friedson, A. J.

2013-10-01

Cassini observed hundreds of dune fields on Titan, nearly all of which lie in the tropics and suggest westerly (from west to east) winds dominate at the surface. Most GCMs however have obtained easterly surface winds in the tropics, seemingly contradicting the wind direction suggested by the dunes. This has led to an active debate in the community about the origin of the dune forming winds on Titan and their direction and modality. This discussion is mostly driven by a study of Earth dunes seen as analogous to Titan. One can find examples of dunes on Earth that fit several wind regimes. To date only one GCM, that of Tokano (2008, 2010), has presented detailed analysis of its near surface winds and their dune forming capabilities. Despite the bulk of the wind being easterly, this GCM produces faster westerlies at equinox, thus transporting sand to the east. Our model, the Titan CAM (Friedson et al. 2009), is unable to reproduce the fast westerlies. Our GCM has been updated to include realistic topography released by the Cassini radar team. Preliminary results suggest our tropical wind regime now has net westerly winds in the tropics, albeit weak. References: Tokano, T. 2008. Icarus 194, 243-262. Tokano, T. 2010. Aeolian Research 2, 113-127. Friedson, J. et al. 2009. Planet. Sp. Sci., 57, 1931-1949.

Coastal upwelling by wind-driven forcing in Jervis Bay, New South Wales: A numerical study for 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Youn-Jong; Jalón-Rojas, Isabel; Wang, Xiao Hua; Jiang, Donghui

2018-06-01

The Princeton Ocean Model (POM) was used to investigate an upwelling event in Jervis Bay, New South Wales (SE Australia), with varying wind directions and strengths. The POM was adopted with a downscaling approach for the regional ocean model one-way nested to a global ocean model. The upwelling event was detected from the observed wind data and satellite sea surface temperature images. The validated model reproduced the upwelling event showing the input of bottom cold water driven by wind to the bay, its subsequent deflection to the south, and its outcropping to the surface along the west and south coasts. Nevertheless, the behavior of the bottom water that intruded into the bay varied with different wind directions and strengths. Upwelling-favorable wind directions for flushing efficiency within the bay were ranked in the following order: N (0°; northerly) > NNE (30°; northeasterly) > NW (315°; northwesterly) > NE (45°; northeasterly) > ENE (60°; northeasterly). Increasing wind strengths also enhance cold water penetration and water exchange. It was determined that wind-driven downwelling within the bay, which occurred with NNE, NE and ENE winds, played a key role in blocking the intrusion of the cold water upwelled through the bay entrance. A northerly wind stress higher than 0.3 N m-2 was required for the cold water to reach the northern innermost bay.

Diamagnetic effect in the foremoon solar wind observed by Kaguya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishino, Masaki N.; Saito, Yoshifumi; Tsunakawa, Hideo; Miyake, Yohei; Harada, Yuki; Yokota, Shoichiro; Takahashi, Futoshi; Matsushima, Masaki; Shibuya, Hidetoshi; Shimizu, Hisayoshi

2017-04-01

Direct interaction between the lunar surface and incident solar wind is one of the crucial phenomena of the planetary plasma sciences. Recent observations by lunar orbiters revealed that strength of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) at spacecraft altitude often increases over crustal magnetic fields on the dayside. In addition, variations of the IMF on the lunar night side have been reported in the viewpoint of diamagnetic effect around the lunar wake. However, few studies have been performed for the IMF over non-magnetized regions on the dayside. Here we show an event where strength of the IMF decreases at 100 km altitude on the lunar dayside (i.e. in the foremoon solar wind) when the IMF is almost parallel to the incident solar wind flow, comparing the upstream solar wind data from ACE with Kaguya magnetometer data. The lunar surface below the Kaguya orbit is not magnetized (or very weakly magnetized), and the sunward-travelling protons show signatures of those back-scattered at the lunar surface. We find that the decrease in the magnetic pressure is compensated by the thermal pressure of the back-scattered protons. In other words, the IMF strength in the foremoon solar wind decreases by diamagnetic effect of sunward-travelling protons back-scattered at the lunar dayside surface. Such an effect would be prominent in the high-beta solar wind, and may be ubiquitous in the environment where planetary surface directly interacts with surrounding space plasma.

Hurricane Frances as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and SeaWinds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This image shows Hurricane Frances as captured by instruments onboard two different satellites: the AIRS infrared instrument onboard Aqua, and the SeaWinds scatterometer onboard QuikSCAT. Both are JPL-managed instruments. AIRS data are used to create global three-dimensional maps of temperature, humidity and clouds, while scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction over the ocean.

The red vectors in the image show Frances' surface winds as measured by SeaWinds on QuikSCAT. The background colors show the temperature of clouds and surface as viewed in the infrared by AIRS, with cooler areas pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The color scale on the right gives the temperatures in degrees Kelvin. (The top of the scale, 320 degrees Kelvin, corresponds to 117 degrees Fahrenheit, and the bottom, 180 degrees K is -135 degrees F.) The powerful circulation of this storm is evident from the combined data as well as the development of a clearly-defined central 'eye'. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the light blue areas reveal the cold clouds tops associated with strong thunderstorms embedded within the storm. In cloud-free areas the infrared signal comes from Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures.

The power of the SeaWinds scatterometer data set lies in its ability to generate global maps of wind speed and direction, giving us a snapshot of how the atmosphere is circulating. Weather prediction centers, including the Tropical Prediction Center - a branch of NOAA that monitors the creation of ocean-born storms, use scatterometer data to help it 'see' where these storms are brewing so that warnings can be issued and the storms, with often erratic motions, can be tracked.

While the SeaWinds instrument isn't designed to gather hurricane data, having difficulty seeing the surface in heavy rain, it's data can be used in combination with other data sets to give us an insight into these storms. In this combination image, the AIRS infrared data reveals the temperature of the atmosphere around the storm, but doesn't tell us about the wind direction or relative intensity. The directional vectors of the SeaWinds data set show how the air is circulating around the storm.

Scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction by bouncing microwave pulses off the ocean's surface. The SeaWinds instruments measure the backscattered radar energy from wind-generated ocean waves. By making multiple measurements from different looks at the same location, we can infer the vector wind averaged over each 25 km resolution cell. The primary mission objective of the SeaWinds and QuikSCAT scatterometers is to obtain long-term, global coverage of the ocean vector winds for oceanographic and climate research. While not specifically designed for detailed mapping and tracking of hurricanes, both instruments have been found to be useful resources for operational forecasters.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Initializing a Mesoscale Boundary-Layer Model with Radiosonde Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berri, Guillermo J.; Bertossa, Germán

2018-01-01

A mesoscale boundary-layer model is used to simulate low-level regional wind fields over the La Plata River of South America, a region characterized by a strong daily cycle of land-river surface-temperature contrast and low-level circulations of sea-land breeze type. The initial and boundary conditions are defined from a limited number of local observations and the upper boundary condition is taken from the only radiosonde observations available in the region. The study considers 14 different upper boundary conditions defined from the radiosonde data at standard levels, significant levels, level of the inversion base and interpolated levels at fixed heights, all of them within the first 1500 m. The period of analysis is 1994-2008 during which eight daily observations from 13 weather stations of the region are used to validate the 24-h surface-wind forecast. The model errors are defined as the root-mean-square of relative error in wind-direction frequency distribution and mean wind speed per wind sector. Wind-direction errors are greater than wind-speed errors and show significant dispersion among the different upper boundary conditions, not present in wind speed, revealing a sensitivity to the initialization method. The wind-direction errors show a well-defined daily cycle, not evident in wind speed, with the minimum at noon and the maximum at dusk, but no systematic deterioration with time. The errors grow with the height of the upper boundary condition level, in particular wind direction, and double the errors obtained when the upper boundary condition is defined from the lower levels. The conclusion is that defining the model upper boundary condition from radiosonde data closer to the ground minimizes the low-level wind-field errors throughout the region.

Influence of the surface drag coefficient (young waves) on the current structure of the Berre lagoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alekseenko, Elena; Roux, Bernard; Kharif, Christian; Sukhinov, Alexander; Kotarba, Richard; Fougere, Dominique; Chen, Paul Gang

2013-04-01

Due to the shallowness, currents and hydrodynamics of Berre lagoon (South of France) are closely conditioned by the bottom topography, and wind affects the entire water column, as for many other Mediterranean lagoons (Perez-Ruzafa, 2011). Wind stress, which is caused by moving atmospheric disturbance, is known to have a major influence in lagoon water circulation. According to the numerical simulation for the main directions of the wind: N-NW, S-SE and W (wind speed of 80 km/h) it is observed that the current is maximal alongshore in the wind direction; the bottom nearshore current being larger in shallower area. This fact is coherent with fundamental principle of wind-driven flows in closed or partially closed basins which states that in shallow water the dominant force balance is between surface wind stress and bottom friction, yielding a current in the direction of the wind (Mathieu et al, 2002, Hunter and Hearn, 1987; Hearn and Hunter,1990). A uniform wind stress applied at the surface of a basin of variable depth sets up a circulation pattern characterized by relatively strong barotropic coastal currents in the direction of the wind, with return flow occurring over the deeper regions (Csanady, 1967; Csanady, 1971). One of the key parameters characterizing the wind stress formulation is a surface drag coefficient (Cds). Thus, an effect of a surface drag coefficient, in the range 0.0016 - 0.0032, will be analyzed in this work. The value of surface drag coefficient Cds = 0.0016 used in our previous studies (Alekseenko et al., 2012), would correspond to mature waves (open sea). But, in the case of semi-closed lagoonal ecosystem, it would be more appropriate to consider "young waves" mechanism. A dependency of this coefficient in terms of the wind speed is given by Young (1999) in both cases of mature waves and young waves. For "young waves" generated at a wind speed of 80 km/h, Cds = 0.0032. So, the influence of Cds on the vertical profile of the velocity in the water column is analyzed in the range 0.0016 - 0.0032. For the three main wind directions considered in this work, for a wind speed of 80 km/h, the complex current structure of the Berre lagoon is analysed. In the nearshore zones, strong alongshore downwind currents are generated, reaching values of the order of 1m/s (up to 1.5 m/s) at the free surface, and 0.5 - 0.6 m/s at the bottom. References Alekseenko E., B. Roux, A. Sukhinov, R. Kotarba, D. Fougere. Coastal hydrodynamics in a windy lagoon; submitted to Computers and Fluids, oct. 2012 Csanady G. T.: Large-scale motion in the Great Lakes, Journal of Geophysical Research, 72(16), 4151-4161, 1967. Csanady G. T. : Baroclinic boundary currents and long edge-waves in basins with sloping shores. J. Physical Oceanography 1(2):92-104, 1971. Hunter, J.R. and Hearn, C.J.: Lateral and vertical variations in the wind-driven circulations in long, shallow lakes, Journal of Geophysical Research, 92 (C12), 1987. Hearn, C.J. and Hunter, J.R.: A note on the equivalence of some two- and three-dimensional models of wind-driven barotropic flow in shallow seas, Applied Mathematical Modelling, 14, 553-556, 1990. Mathieu P.P., Deleersnijder E., Cushman-Roisin B., Beckers J.M. and Bolding K.: The role of topography in small well-mixed bays, with application to the lagoon of Mururoa. Continental Shelf research, 22(9), 1379-1395, 2002. A. Pérez-Ruzafa, C. Marcos, I.M. Pérez-Ruzafa (2011). Mediterranean coastal lagoons in an ecosystem and aquatic resources management context//Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, Volume 36, Issues 5-6, 2011, Pages 160-166 Young I.R., Wind generated ocean waves. Ocean Engineering Series Editors. Elsevier, 1999, ISBN: 0-08-043317-0.

Determining Surface Roughness in Urban Areas Using Lidar Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holland, Donald

2009-01-01

An automated procedure has been developed to derive relevant factors, which can increase the ability to produce objective, repeatable methods for determining aerodynamic surface roughness. Aerodynamic surface roughness is used for many applications, like atmospheric dispersive models and wind-damage models. For this technique, existing lidar data was used that was originally collected for terrain analysis, and demonstrated that surface roughness values can be automatically derived, and then subsequently utilized in disaster-management and homeland security models. The developed lidar-processing algorithm effectively distinguishes buildings from trees and characterizes their size, density, orientation, and spacing (see figure); all of these variables are parameters that are required to calculate the estimated surface roughness for a specified area. By using this algorithm, aerodynamic surface roughness values in urban areas can then be extracted automatically. The user can also adjust the algorithm for local conditions and lidar characteristics, like summer/winter vegetation and dense/sparse lidar point spacing. Additionally, the user can also survey variations in surface roughness that occurs due to wind direction; for example, during a hurricane, when wind direction can change dramatically, this variable can be extremely significant. In its current state, the algorithm calculates an estimated surface roughness for a square kilometer area; techniques using the lidar data to calculate the surface roughness for a point, whereby only roughness elements that are upstream from the point of interest are used and the wind direction is a vital concern, are being investigated. This technological advancement will improve the reliability and accuracy of models that use and incorporate surface roughness.

Determination of surface layer parameters at the edge of a suburban area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Likso, T.; Pandžić, K.

2012-05-01

Vertical wind and air temperature profile related parameters in the surface layer at the edge of suburban area of Zagreb (Croatia) have been considered. For that purpose, adopted Monin-Obukhov similarity theory and a set of observations of wind and air temperature at 2 and 10 m above ground, recorded in 2005, have been used. The root mean square differences (errors) principle has been used as a tool to estimate the effective roughness length as well as standard deviations of wind speed and wind gusts. The results of estimation are effective roughness lengths dependent on eight wind direction sectors unknown before. Gratefully to that achievement, representativeness of wind data at standard 10-m height can be clarified more deeply for an area of at least about 1 km in upwind direction from the observation site. Extrapolation of wind data for lower or higher levels from standard 10-m height are thus properly representative for a wider inhomogeneous suburban area and can be used as such in numerical models, flux and wind energy estimation, civil engineering, air pollution and climatological applications.

On the influence of ocean waves on simulated GNSS-R delay-doppler maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarizia, M. P.; di Bisceglie, M.; Galdi, C.; Gommenginger, C.; Srokosz, M.

2012-04-01

Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R), is an established technique that exploits GNSS signals of opportunity reflected from the surface of the ocean, to look primarily at the ocean surface roughness. The strength of this technique, and the primary motivation to carry it forward, is in the fact that GNSS signals are available globally, all the time and over the long term, and could help dramatically improve the monitoring of ocean wind and waves. GNSS-R offers the prospect of high density global measurements of directional sea surface roughness, which are essential for scientific purposes (i.e. quantifying the air-sea exchanges of gases), operational weather and ocean forecasting (i.e. prediction of high winds, dangerous sea states, risk of flooding and storm surges) and to support important climate-relevant Earth Observation techniques (IR SST, or surface salinity retrieval). The retrieval of ocean roughness from GNSS-R data has now been demonstrated with a reasonable level of accuracy from both airborne [1] and spaceborne [2] platforms. In both cases, Directional Mean Square Slopes (DMSS) of the ocean surface have been retrieved from GNSS-R data, in the form of Delay-Doppler Maps (DDMs), using an established theoretical scattering model by Zavorotny and Voronovich (Z-V) [3]. The need for a better assessment of the way the ocean waves influence the scattering of GPS signals has recently led to a different approach, consisting of simulating the scattering of such signals, using a more sophisticated large-scale scattering model than Z-V, and explicit simulations of realistic seas. Initial results produced from these simulations have been recently published in [4], where the emphasis has been put on the effects of different sea states on Radar Cross Section (RCS) and Polarization Ratio (PR) in space domain. Linear wind wave surfaces have been simulated using the Elfouhaily wind wave spectrum [5], for different wind speeds and directions, and with or without a superimposed swell. Then, the scattering from such surfaces has been computed using the innovative Facet Approach (FA), which approximates the surface through a number of rectangular facets, differently oriented, and calculates the surface scattering as the ensemble of the signals scattered from all the facets. Here we proceed with the next step of the GPS-Reflectometry simulator, through investigation of the results in Delay- Doppler (DD) domain. Changes and variations of the DDMs, computed using the FA scattering model, are investigated for a variety of wind and wave conditions of the underlying sea surfaces simulated. Results are analysed for changing wind speed and direction of the waves, presence of a swell component superimposed on wind waves, and changing parameters (wavelength, amplitude, direction) of the swell, revealing some degree of sensitivity of these maps to different sea states. The effect of polarization is also taken into account, through an analysis of PR in DD domain. Finally, an initial investigation into the effect of nonlinearities on the sea surface in DD domain is carried out, by looking at DDMs of the signal scattered from non linear non gaussian sea surfaces explicitly simulated.

Wind reduction by aerosol particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, Mark Z.; Kaufman, Yoram J.

2006-12-01

Aerosol particles are known to affect radiation, temperatures, stability, clouds, and precipitation, but their effects on spatially-distributed wind speed have not been examined to date. Here, it is found that aerosol particles, directly and through their enhancement of clouds, may reduce near-surface wind speeds below them by up to 8% locally. This reduction may explain a portion of observed ``disappearing winds'' in China, and it decreases the energy available for wind-turbine electricity. In California, slower winds reduce emissions of wind-driven soil dust and sea spray. Slower winds and cooler surface temperatures also reduce moisture advection and evaporation. These factors, along with the second indirect aerosol effect, may reduce California precipitation by 2-5%, contributing to a strain on water supply.

Summary of Meteorological Observations, Surface (SMOS), El Toro, California

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-01

SURFACE WINDS DETACHMENT ASHEVILLE. NC PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS) EL TIPO , CALIrQO𔃾IA 73-’.? A ir, U~~tiAL...OF WiND DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS) ... 112L. E L TIPO , ALIODkI1A 71-q2 r ALL wEANCP _______ MEAN 11-11 6.S 7.A 1.U 11.W6 17.21 n...nTa IO STyVIO. *..M YUOnb0U T-mp. WIT BULl TEMPERATUIE DEPRESSION fF) TOTAL TOTAL 0 1- 2 3 -4 - j 8 9 10 11-12113 14,11516117. 18119 270:i21 . 2 23

Experimental study of temporal evolution of waves under transient wind conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavadsky, Andrey; Shemer, Lev

2016-11-01

Temporal variation of the waves excited by nearly sudden wind forcing over an initially still water surface is studied in a small wind-wave flume at Tel Aviv University for variety of fetches and wind velocities. Simultaneous measurements of the surface elevation using a conventional capacitance wave-gauge and of the surface slope in along-wind and cross-wind directions by a laser slope gauge were performed. Variation with time of two components of instantaneous surface velocity was measured by particle tracking velocimetry. The size of the experimental facility and thus relatively short characteristic time scales of the phenomena under investigation, as well as an automated experimental procedure controlling the experiments made it possible to record a large amount of independent realizations for each wind-fetch condition. Sufficient data were accumulated to compute reliable ensemble averaged temporal variation of governing wave parameters. The essentially three-dimensional structure of wind-waves at all stages of evolution is demonstrated. The results obtained at each wind-fetch condition allowed to characterize the major stages of the evolution of the wind-wave field and to suggest a plausible scenario for the initial growth of the wind-waves.

Aeolian processes at the Mars Exploration Rover Meridiani Planum landing site.

PubMed

Sullivan, R; Banfield, D; Bell, J F; Calvin, W; Fike, D; Golombek, M; Greeley, R; Grotzinger, J; Herkenhoff, K; Jerolmack, D; Malin, M; Ming, D; Soderblom, L A; Squyres, S W; Thompson, S; Watters, W A; Weitz, C M; Yen, A

2005-07-07

The martian surface is a natural laboratory for testing our understanding of the physics of aeolian (wind-related) processes in an environment different from that of Earth. Martian surface markings and atmospheric opacity are time-variable, indicating that fine particles at the surface are mobilized regularly by wind. Regolith (unconsolidated surface material) at the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's landing site has been affected greatly by wind, which has created and reoriented bedforms, sorted grains, and eroded bedrock. Aeolian features here preserve a unique record of changing wind direction and wind strength. Here we present an in situ examination of a martian bright wind streak, which provides evidence consistent with a previously proposed formational model for such features. We also show that a widely used criterion for distinguishing between aeolian saltation- and suspension-dominated grain behaviour is different on Mars, and that estimated wind friction speeds between 2 and 3 m s(-1), most recently from the northwest, are associated with recent global dust storms, providing ground truth for climate model predictions.

Aeolian processes at the Mars Exploration Rover Meridiani Planum landing site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sullivan, R.; Banfield, D.; Bell, J.F.; Calvin, W.; Fike, D.; Golombek, M.; Greeley, R.; Grotzinger, J.; Herkenhoff, K.; Jerolmack, D.; Malin, M.; Ming, D.; Soderblom, L.A.; Squyres, S. W.; Thompson, S.; Watters, W.A.; Weitz, C.M.; Yen, A.

2005-01-01

The martian surface is a natural laboratory for testing our understanding of the physics of aeolian (wind-related) processes in an environment different from that of Earth. Martian surface markings and atmospheric opacity are time-variable, indicating that fine particles at the surface are mobilized regularly by wind. Regolith (unconsolidated surface material) at the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's landing site has been affected greatly by wind, which has created and reoriented bedforms, sorted grains, and eroded bedrock. Aeolian features here preserve a unique record of changing wind direction and wind strength. Here we present an in situ examination of a martian bright wind streak, which provides evidence consistent with a previously proposed formational model for such features. We also show that a widely used criterion for distinguishing between aeolian saltation- and suspension-dominated grain behaviour is different on Mars, and that estimated wind friction speeds between 2 and 3 m s-1, most recently from the northwest, are associated with recent global dust storms, providing ground truth for climate model predictions.

Direct measurement of the plasma screening length and surface potential near the lunar terminator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Benson, J.

1977-05-01

Direct measurement of the lunar dayside surface potential and screening length has been made by the suprathermal ion detector experiment (Side) near the terminator. In a region 20degree--30degree from the terminator at the Apollo 14 and 15 sites the surface potential is found to be approximately 50 V negative, and the screening length to be about 1 km. This value of the screening length is more than 2 orders of magnitude greater than the solar wind 'Debye' length. The strong negative surface potential in this region may be due to enhanced temperature and density of the solar wind plasma.

Direct measurement of the plasma screening length and surface potential near the lunar terminator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benson, J.

1977-01-01

Direct measurement of the lunar dayside surface potential and screening length has been made by the suprathermal ion detector experiment (Side) near the terminator. In a region 20-30 deg from the terminator at the Apollo 14 and 15 sites the surface potential is found to be approximately 50 V negative, and the screening length to be about 1 km. This value of the screening length is more than 2 orders of magnitude greater than the solar wind 'Debye' length. The strong negative surface potential in this region may be due to enhanced temperature and density of the solar wind plasma.

Wind direction variability in Afternoon and Sunset Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nilsson, Erik; Lothon, Marie; Lohou, Fabienne; Mahrt, Larry

2014-05-01

Understanding wind direction (WD) variability better is important for several reasons. Air pollution models need information about how variable wind direction is in different conditions (Davies and Thomson 1999). Accurate predictions of dispersion are important for human health and safety and allow for adaptation planning (Nagle et al. 2011). Other applications include horizontal diffusion, efficiency and fatigue of wind machines and air-sea interaction (Mahrt 2011). Most studies of wind direction variability have focused on nocturnal conditions because of greater variability in light winds. Modelling WD variability in transition periods when both mean wind speed and variance of the wind components are in a state of change can, however, also be very challenging and has not been the focus of earlier studies. The evening transitioning to the nocturnal boundary layer can play an important role in the diffusion process of pollutants and scalars emitted at surface and transported within the atmosphere. The Boundary Layer Late Afternoon and Sunset Turbulence (BLLAST) field campaign that took place in southern France in June and July 2011 focused on the decaying turbulence of the late afternoon boundary layer and related issues (Lothon et al. 2012). We analyse field measurements from BLLAST to investigate WD variability in the evening transition period. Standard deviations of horizontal wind direction fluctuations in the lowest 60 m of the boundary layer have been examined for dependence on mean wind speed, higher order moments and averaging time. Measurement results are interpreted using measured and idealized probability density functions of horizontal wind vectors. These are also used to develop analytical functions describing how WD variability depends on wind speed, variance and other controlling factors in the atmospheric boundary layer. References: Davies B.M., Thomson D.J., 1999. Comparison of some parameterizations of wind direction variability with observations, Atmospheric Enviroment 33, 4909-4917. Lothon M. et al., 2012. The Boundary-Layer Late Afternoon and Sunset Turbulence field experiment, Proc. of the 20th Symposium on Boundary-Layers and Turbulence, 7-13 July, Boston, MA, USA. Mahrt L., 2011. Surface Wind Direction Variability, Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology 50. 144-152. Nagle J.C., 2011. Adapting to Pollution, Research Roundtable on Climate Change, Adaptation, and Enviromental Law, Northwestern Law Searle Center, Legal and Regulatory Studies 7-18 April, IL, USA.

Dérive à la surface de l'océan sous l'effet des vagues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardhuin, Fabrice; Martin-Lauzer, François-Régis; Chapron, Bertrand; Craneguy, Philippe; Girard-Ardhuin, Fanny; Elfouhaily, Tanos

2004-09-01

We model the drift velocity near the ocean surface separating the motion induced by the local current, itself influenced by winds and waves, and the motion induced by the waves, which are generated by local and remote winds. Application to the drift of 'tar balls', following the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige-Nassau in November 2002, shows that waves contribute at least one third of the drift for pollutants floating 1 m below the surface, with a mean direction about 30° to the right of the wind-sea direction. Although not new, this result was previously obtained with specific models, whereas the formalism used here combines classical wave and circulation forecasting models. To cite this article: F. Ardhuin et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).

A shoreline fumigation model with wind shear

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhibian, Li; Zengquan, Yao

A fumigation model has been developed for a plume discharged from an elevated stack in a shoreline environment by introducing different wind directions above and within thermal internal boundary laye:r (TIBL) into a dispersion model. When a continuous point source release occurs above the TIBL pollutants will disperse in the marine stable flow, until the plume intersects the TIBL surface. The fumigation in ithe TIBL is interpreted as occurring from an area source on the imaginary surface of the TIBL. It is assumed that the wind direction varies with height above and below L( x) = Ax2, the height of the TIBL at the distance x. The change of wind direction above and within the TIBL causes the pollutants to change their direction of transport and leads to development of a curved ground level concentration (glc) axis; a decreasing glc along the centreline of the fumigation and a widening pollutant distribution in the transverse direction. Predicted concentration distributions using the wind shear model are compared with observations from an SF 6 tracer experiment near Hangzhou Bay in May-June of 1987. The comparison and an evaluation of the model performance show that the new model is not only more theoretically acceptable than those based on empirical coefficients but also provides concentration distributions which agree well with. SF 6 tracer experiments.

Risk Quantification for Sustaining Coastal Military Installation Asset and Mission Capabilities (RC-1701)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-06

al. 2012, and references therein). The world’s oceans have an en01m ous capacity to store this heat , but the result is ocean wruming and all the...TC96 wind model computes surface stress and average wind speed and direction in the PBL of a tropical cyclone. The model inputs are meteorological...is the effective earth elasticity factor; τs,winds and τs,waves are surface stresses due to winds and waves, respectively; τb is bottom stress ; M

Highlights of the SEASAT-SASS program - A review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pierson, W. J., Jr.

1983-01-01

Some important concepts of the SEASAT-SASS program are described and some of the decisions made during the program as to methods for relating wind to backscatter are discussed. The radar scatterometer design is analyzed along with the model function, which is an empirical relationship between the backscatter value and the wind speed, wind direction, and incidence angle of the radar beam with the sea surface. The results of Monte Carlo studies of mesoscale turbulence and of studies of wind stress on the sea surface involving SASS are reviewed.

Influence of orographically steered winds on Mutsu Bay surface currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, Satoshi; Kawamura, Hiroshi

2005-09-01

Effects of spatially dependent sea surface wind field on currents in Mutsu Bay, which is located at the northern end of Japanese Honshu Island, are investigated using winds derived from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images and a numerical model. A characteristic wind pattern over the bay was evidenced from analysis of 118 SAR images and coincided with in situ observations. Wind is topographically steered with easterly winds entering the bay through the terrestrial gap and stronger wind blowing over the central water toward its mouth. Nearshore winds are weaker due to terrestrial blockages. Using the Princeton Ocean Model, we investigated currents forced by the observed spatially dependent wind field. The predicted current pattern agrees well with available observations. For a uniform wind field of equal magnitude and average direction, the circulation pattern departs from observations demonstrating that vorticity input due to spatially dependent wind stress is essential in generation of the wind-driven current in Mutsu Bay.

Effect of wave-current interaction on wind-driven circulation in narrow, shallow embayments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Signell, Richard P.; Beardsley, Robert C.; Graber, H. C.; Capotondi, A.

1990-01-01

The effect of wind waves on the steady wind-driven circulation in a narrow, shallow bay is investigated with a two-dimensional (y, z) circulation model and the Grant and Madsen [1979] bottom-boundary layer model, which includes wave-current interaction. A constant wind stress is applied in the along-channel x direction to a channel with a constant cross-sectional profile h(y). The wind-induced flushing of shallow bays is shown to be sensitive to both the shape of the cross section and the effects of surface waves. The flushing increases with increasing , where h′ is the standard deviation of cross-channel depth and  is the mean depth. This is consistent with the findings of Hearn et al. [1987]. The flushing decreases, however, with the inclusion of surface wave effects which act to increase the bottom drag felt by the currents. Increasing effective bottom friction reduces the strength of the circulation, while the along-bay surface slope, bottom stress and the structure of current profiles remain nearly unchanged. An implication of the circulation dependence on wave-current interaction is that low-frequency oscillatory winds may drive a mean circulation when the wave field changes with wind direction.x

Wind-induced flow velocity effects on nutrient concentrations at Eastern Bay of Lake Taihu, China.

PubMed

Jalil, Abdul; Li, Yiping; Du, Wei; Wang, Jianwei; Gao, Xiaomeng; Wang, Wencai; Acharya, Kumud

2017-07-01

Shallow lakes are highly sensitive to respond internal nutrient loading due to wind-induced flow velocity effects. Wind-induced flow velocity effects on nutrient suspension were investigated at a long narrow bay of large shallow Lake Taihu, the third largest freshwater lake in China. Wind-induced reverse/compensation flow and consistent flow field probabilities at vertical column of the water were measured. The probabilities between the wind field and the flow velocities provided a strong correlation at the surface (80.6%) and the bottom (65.1%) layers of water profile. Vertical flow velocity profile analysis provided the evidence of delay response time to wind field at the bottom layer of lake water. Strong wind field generated by the west (W) and west-north-west (WNW) winds produced displaced water movements in opposite directions to the prevailing flow field. An exponential correlation was observed between the current velocities of the surface and the bottom layers while considering wind speed as a control factor. A linear model was developed to correlate the wind field-induced flow velocity impacts on nutrient concentration at the surface and bottom layers. Results showed that dominant wind directions (ENE, E, and ESE) had a maximum nutrient resuspension contribution (nutrient resuspension potential) of 34.7 and 43.6% at the surface and the bottom profile layers, respectively. Total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) average concentrations were 6.38, 1.5, and 0.03 mg/L during our field experiment at Eastern Bay of Lake Taihu. Overall, wind-induced low-to-moderate hydrodynamic disturbances contributed more in nutrient resuspension at Eastern Bay of Lake Taihu. The present study can be used to understand the linkage between wind-induced flow velocities and nutrient concentrations for shallow lakes (with uniform morphology and deep margins) water quality management and to develop further models.

OSCAT Eyes Hurricane Sandy

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-30

This image shows ocean surface winds for Hurricane Sandy observed by the OSCAT radar scatterometer on the Indian Space Research Organization ISRO OceanSat-2 satellite. Colors indicate wind speed and arrows indicate direction.

Representativeness of wind measurements in moderately complex terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Bossche, Michael; De Wekker, Stephan F. J.

2018-02-01

We investigated the representativeness of 10-m wind measurements in a 4 km × 2 km area of modest relief by comparing observations at a central site with those at four satellite sites located in the same area. Using a combination of established and new methods to quantify and visualize representativeness, we found significant differences in wind speed and direction between the four satellite sites and the central site. The representativeness of the central site wind measurements depended strongly on surface wind speed and direction, and atmospheric stability. Through closer inspection of the observations at one of the satellite sites, we concluded that terrain-forced flows combined with thermally driven downslope winds caused large biases in wind direction and speed. We used these biases to generate a basic model, showing that terrain-related differences in wind observations can to a large extent be predicted. Such a model is a cost-effective way to enhance an area's wind field determination and to improve the outcome of pollutant dispersion and weather forecasting models.

The role of wind field induced flow velocities in destratification and hypoxia reduction at Meiling Bay of large shallow Lake Taihu, China.

PubMed

Jalil, Abdul; Li, Yiping; Du, Wei; Wang, Wencai; Wang, Jianwei; Gao, Xiaomeng; Khan, Hafiz Osama Sarwar; Pan, Baozhu; Acharya, Kumud

2018-01-01

Wind induced flow velocity patterns and associated thermal destratification can drive to hypoxia reduction in large shallow lakes. The effects of wind induced hydrodynamic changes on destratification and hypoxia reduction were investigated at the Meiling bay (N 31° 22' 56.4″, E 120° 9' 38.3″) of Lake Taihu, China. Vertical flow velocity profile analysis showed surface flow velocities consistency with the wind field and lower flow velocity profiles were also consistent (but with delay response time) when the wind speed was higher than 6.2 m/s. Wind field and temperature found the control parameters for hypoxia reduction and for water quality conditions at the surface and bottom profiles of lake. The critical temperature for hypoxia reduction at the surface and the bottom profile was ≤24.1C° (below which hypoxic conditions were found reduced). Strong prevailing wind field (onshore wind directions ESE, SE, SSE and E, wind speed ranges of 2.4-9.1 m/s) reduced the temperature (22C° to 24.1C°) caused reduction of hypoxia at the near surface with a rise in water levels whereas, low to medium prevailing wind field did not supported destratification which increased temperature resulting in increased hypoxia. Non-prevailing wind directions (offshore) were not found supportive for the reduction of hypoxia in study area due to less variable wind field. Daytime wind field found more variable (as compared to night time) which increased the thermal destratification during daytime and found supportive for destratification and hypoxia reduction. The second order exponential correlation found between surface temperature and Chlorophyll-a (R 2 : 0.2858, Adjusted R-square: 0.2144 RMSE: 4.395), Dissolved Oxygen (R 2 : 0.596, Adjusted R-square: 0.5942, RMSE: 0.3042) concentrations. The findings of the present study reveal the driving mechanism of wind induced thermal destratification and hypoxic conditions, which may further help to evaluate the wind role in eutrophication process and algal blooms formation in shallow water environments. Wind field is the key control factor for thermal destratification and hypoxia reduction. 24.1C° is the critical/threshold temperature for hypoxia, Chlorophyll-a and NH 3 -N concentrations of the shallow freshwater lake. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Experimental investigation of moving surfaces for boundary layer and circulation control of airfoils and wings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vets, Robert

An experimental study was conducted to assess the application of a moving surface to affect boundary layers and circulation around airfoils for the purpose of altering and enhancing aerodynamic performance of finite wings at moderate Reynolds numbers. The moving surface was established by a wide, lightweight, nylon belt that enveloped a wing's symmetric airfoil profile articulated via a friction drive cylinder such that the direction of the upper surface was in the direction of the free stream. A water tunnel visualization study accompanied wind tunnel testing at the University of Washington, Kirsten Wind Tunnel of finite wings. An experimental study was conducted to assess the application of a moving surface to affect boundary layers and circulation around airfoils for the purpose of altering and enhancing aerodynamic performance of finite wings at moderate Reynolds numbers. The moving surface was established by a wide, lightweight, nylon belt that enveloped a wing's symmetric airfoil profile articulated via a friction drive cylinder such that the direction of the upper surface was in the direction of the free stream. A water tunnel visualization study accompanied wind tunnel testing at the University of Washington, Kirsten Wind Tunnel of finite wings. The defining non-dimensional parameter for the system is the ratio of the surface velocity to the free stream velocity, us/Uo. Results show a general increase in lift with increasing us/Uo. The endurance parameter served as an additional metric for the system's performance. Examining the results of the endurance parameter shows general increase in endurance and lift with the moving surface activated. Peak performance in terms of increased endurance along with increased lift occurs at or slightly above us/Uo = 1. Water tunnel visualization showed a marked difference in the downwash for velocity ratios greater than 1, supporting the measured data. Reynolds numbers for this investigation were 1.9E5 and 4.3E5, relevant to the class of fixed wing, Tier-1, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).

Surface pressure maps from scatterometer data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, R. A.; Levy, Gad

1991-01-01

The ability to determine surface pressure fields from satellite scatterometer data was shown by Brown and Levy (1986). The surface winds are used to calculate the gradient winds above the planetary boundary layer, and these are directly related to the pressure gradients. There are corrections for variable stratification, variable surface roughness, horizontal inhomogeneity, humidity and baroclinity. The Seasat-A Satellite Scatterometer (SASS) data have been used in a systematic study of 50 synoptic weather events (regions of approximately 1000 X 1000 km). The preliminary statistics of agreement with national weather service surface pressure maps are calculated. The resulting surface pressure maps can be used together with SASS winds and Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) water vapor and liquid water analyses to provide good front and storm system analyses.

Cold Front Driven Flows Through Multiple Inlets of Lake Pontchartrain Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wei; Li, Chunyan

2017-11-01

With in situ observations using acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) and numerical experiments using the Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM), this study investigates atmospheric cold front induced exchange of water between Lake Pontchartrain Estuary and coastal ocean through multiple inlets. Results show that the subtidal hydrodynamic response is highly correlated with meteorological parameters. Northerly and westerly winds tend to push water out of Lake Pontchartrain, while south and east winds tend to produce currents flowing into it. For most cases, the subtidal water level is inversely correlated with the east wind, with the correlation coefficient being ˜0.8. The most important finding of this work is that, contrary to intuition, the cold front induced remote wind effect has the greatest contribution to the overall water level variation, while the local wind stress determines the surface slope inside the estuary. It is found that wind driven flow is roughly quasi steady state: the surface slope in the north-south direction is determined by the north-south wind stress, explaining ˜83% of the variability but less so in the east-west direction (˜43%). In other words, the north-south local wind stress determines the water level gradient in that direction in the estuary while the overall water level change is pretty much controlled by the open boundary which is the "remote wind effect," a regional response that can be illustrated only by a numerical model for a much larger area encompassing the estuary.

Modelling Wind Effects on Subtidal Salinity in Apalachicola Bay, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, W.; Jones, W. K.; Wu, T. S.

2002-07-01

Salinity is an important factor for oyster and estuarine productivity in Apalachicola Bay. Observations of salinity at oyster reefs have indicated a high correlation between subtidal salinity variations and the surface winds along the bay axis in an approximately east-west direction. In this paper, we applied a calibrated hydrodynamic model to examine the surface wind effects on the volume fluxes in the tidal inlets and the subtidal salinity variations in the bay. Model simulations show that, due to the large size of inlets located at the east and west ends of this long estuary, surface winds have significant effects on the volume fluxes in the estuary inlets for the water exchanges between the estuary and ocean. In general, eastward winds cause the inflow from the inlets at the western end and the outflow from inlets at the eastern end of the bay. Winds at 15 mph speed in the east-west direction can induce a 2000 m3 s-1 inflow of saline seawater into the bay from the inlets, a rate which is about 2·6 times that of the annual average freshwater inflow from the river. Due to the varied wind-induced volume fluxes in the inlets and the circulation in the bay, the time series of subtidal salinity at oyster reefs considerably increases during strong east-west wind conditions in comparison to salinity during windless conditions. In order to have a better understanding of the characteristics of the wind-induced subtidal circulation and salinity variations, the researchers also connected model simulations under constant east-west wind conditions. Results show that the volume fluxes are linearly proportional to the east-west wind stresses. Spatial distributions of daily average salinity and currents clearly show the significant effects of winds on the bay.

Objective Operational Utilization of Satellite Microwave Scatterometer Observations of Tropical Cyclones

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardone, Vincent J.; Cox, Andrew T.

2000-01-01

This study has demonstrated that high-resolution scatterometer measurements in tropical cyclones and other high-marine surface wind regimes may be retrieved accurately for wind speeds up to about 35 mls (1-hour average at 10 m) when the scatterometer data are processed through a revised geophysical model function, and a spatial adaptive algorithm is applied which utilizes the fact that wind direction is so tightly constrained in tile inner core of severe marine storms that wind direction may be prescribed from conventional data. This potential is demonstrated through case studies with NSCAT data in a severe West Pacific Typhoon (Violet, 1996) and an intense North Atlantic hurricane (Lili, 1996). However, operational scatterometer winds from NSCAT and QuickScat in hurricanes and severe winter storms are biased low in winds above 25 m/s. We have developed an inverse model to specify the entire surface wind field about a tropical cyclone from operational QuickScat scatterometer measurements within 150 nm of a storm center with the restriction that only wind speeds up to 20 m/s are used until improved model function are introduced. The inverse model is used to specify the wind field over the entire life-cycle of Hurricane Floyd (1999) for use to drive an ocean wave model. The wind field compares very favorably with wind fields developed from the copious aircraft flight level winds obtained in this storm.

Quality Control Methodology Of A Surface Wind Observational Database In North Eastern North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucio-Eceiza, Etor E.; Fidel González-Rouco, J.; Navarro, Jorge; Conte, Jorge; Beltrami, Hugo

2016-04-01

This work summarizes the design and application of a Quality Control (QC) procedure for an observational surface wind database located in North Eastern North America. The database consists of 526 sites (486 land stations and 40 buoys) with varying resolutions of hourly, 3 hourly and 6 hourly data, compiled from three different source institutions with uneven measurement units and changing measuring procedures, instrumentation and heights. The records span from 1953 to 2010. The QC process is composed of different phases focused either on problems related with the providing source institutions or measurement errors. The first phases deal with problems often related with data recording and management: (1) compilation stage dealing with the detection of typographical errors, decoding problems, site displacements and unification of institutional practices; (2) detection of erroneous data sequence duplications within a station or among different ones; (3) detection of errors related with physically unrealistic data measurements. The last phases are focused on instrumental errors: (4) problems related with low variability, placing particular emphasis on the detection of unrealistic low wind speed records with the help of regional references; (5) high variability related erroneous records; (6) standardization of wind speed record biases due to changing measurement heights, detection of wind speed biases on week to monthly timescales, and homogenization of wind direction records. As a result, around 1.7% of wind speed records and 0.4% of wind direction records have been deleted, making a combined total of 1.9% of removed records. Additionally, around 15.9% wind speed records and 2.4% of wind direction data have been also corrected.

The GNSS Reflectometry Response to the Ocean Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Paul; Jelenak, Zorana; Soisuvarn, Seubson; Said, Faozi

2016-04-01

Global Navigation Satellite System - Reflectometry (GNSS-R) exploits signals of opportunity from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). GNSS transmitters continuously transmit navigation signals at L-band toward the earth's surface. The scattered power reflected off the earth's surface can be sensed by specially designed GNSS-R receivers. The reflected signal can then be used to glean information about the surface of the earth, such as ocean surface roughness, snow depth, sea ice extent, and soil moisture. The use of GNSS-R for ocean wind retrievals was first demonstrated from aircraft. On July 8 2014, the TechDemoSat-1 satellite (TDS-1) was launched by Surrey Satellite Technology, Ltd as a technology risk reduction mission into sun-synchronous orbit. This paper investigates the GNSS-R measurements collected by the Space GNSS Receiver-Remote Sensing Instrument (SGR-ReSI) on board the TDS-1 satellite. The sensitivity of the SGR-ReSI measurements to the ocean surface winds and waves are characterized. The effects of sea surface temperature, wind direction, and rain are also investigated. The SGR-ReSI measurements exhibited sensitivity through the entire range of wind speeds sampled in this dataset, up to 35 m/s. A significant dependence on the larger waves was observed for winds < 6 m/s. Additionally, an interesting dependence on SST was observed where the slope of the SGR-ReSI measurements is positive for winds < 5 m/s and reverses for winds > 5 m/s. There appeared to be very little wind direction signal, and investigation of the rain impacts found no apparent sensitivity in the data. These results are shown through the analysis of global statistics and examination of a few case studies. This released SGR-ReSI dataset provided the first opportunity to comprehensively investigate the sensitivity of satellite-based GNSS-R measurements to various ocean surface parameters. The upcoming NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) satellite constellation will utilize a similar receiver to SGI-ReSI and thus this data provides valuable pre-launch knowledge for the CYGNSS mission.

Estimates of oceanic surface wind speed and direction using orthogonal beam scatterometer measurements and comparison of recent sea scattering theories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, R. K.; Fung, A. K.; Dome, G. J.; Birrer, I. J.

1978-01-01

The wind direction properties of radar backscatter from the sea were empirically modelled using a cosine Fourier series through the 4th harmonic in wind direction (referenced to upwind). A comparison with 1975 JONSWAP (Joint North Sea Wave Project) scatterometer data, at incidence angles of 40 and 65, indicates that effects to third and fourth harmonics are negligible. Another important result is that the Fourier coefficients through the second harmonic are related to wind speed by a power law expression. A technique is also proposed to estimate the wind speed and direction over the ocean from two orthogonal scattering measurements. A comparison between two different types of sea scatter theories, one type presented by the work of Wright and the other by that of Chan and Fung, was made with recent scatterometer measurements. It demonstrates that a complete scattering model must include some provisions for the anisotropic characteristics of the sea scatter, and use a sea spectrum which depends upon wind speed.

Effects of Offshore Wind Turbines on Ocean Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wimer, Nicholas; Churchfield, Matthew; Hamlington, Peter

2014-11-01

Wakes from horizontal axis wind turbines create large downstream velocity deficits, thus reducing the available energy for downstream turbines while simultaneously increasing turbulent loading. Along with this deficit, however, comes a local increase in the velocity around the turbine rotor, resulting in increased surface wind speeds. For offshore turbines, these increased speeds can result in changes to the properties of wind-induced waves at the ocean surface. In this study, the characteristics and implications of such waves are explored by coupling a wave simulation code to the Simulator for Offshore Wind Farm Applications (SOWFA) developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The wave simulator and SOWFA are bi-directionally coupled using the surface wind field produced by an offshore wind farm to drive an ocean wave field, which is used to calculate a wave-dependent surface roughness that is fed back into SOWFA. The details of this combined framework are outlined. The potential for using the wave field created at offshore wind farms as an additional energy resource through the installation of on-site wave converters is discussed. Potential negative impacts of the turbine-induced wave field are also discussed, including increased oscillation of floating turbines.

Flight measurement and analysis of AAFE RADSCAT wind speed signature of the ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schroeder, L. C.; Jones, W. L.; Schaffner, P. R.; Mitchell, J. L.

1984-01-01

The advanced aerospace flight experiment radiometer scatterometer (AAFE RADSCAT) which was developed as a research tool to evaluate the use of microwave frequency remote sensors to provide wind speed information at the ocean surface is discussed. The AAFE RADSCAT helped establish the feasibility of the satellite scatterometer for measuring both wind speed and direction. The most important function of the AAFE RADSCAT was to provide a data base of ocean normalized radar cross section (NRCS) measurements as a function of surface wind vector at 13.9 GHz. The NRCS measurements over a wide parametric range of incidence angles, azimuth angles, and winds were obtained in a series of RADSCAT aircraft missions. The obtained data base was used to model the relationship between k sub u band radar signature and ocean surface wind vector. The models developed therefrom are compared with those used for inversion of the SEASAT-A satellite scatterometer (SASS) radar measurements to wind speeds.

Earth aeolian wind streaks: Comparison to wind data from model and stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen-Zada, A. L.; Maman, S.; Blumberg, D. G.

2017-05-01

Wind streak is a collective term for a variety of aeolian features that display distinctive albedo surface patterns. Wind streaks have been used to map near-surface winds and to estimate atmospheric circulation patterns on Mars and Venus. However, because wind streaks have been studied mostly on Mars and Venus, much of the knowledge regarding the mechanism and time frame of their formation and their relationship to the atmospheric circulation cannot be verified. This study aims to validate previous studies' results by a comparison of real and modeled wind data with wind streak orientations as measured from remote-sensing images. Orientations of Earth wind streaks were statistically correlated to resultant drift direction (RDD) values calculated from reanalysis and wind data from 621 weather stations. The results showed good agreement between wind streak orientations and reanalysis RDD (r = 0.78). A moderate correlation was found between the wind streak orientations and the weather station data (r = 0.47); a similar trend was revealed on a regional scale when the analysis was performed by continent, with r ranging from 0.641 in North America to 0.922 in Antarctica. At sites where wind streak orientations did not correspond to the RDDs (i.e., a difference of 45°), seasonal and diurnal variations in the wind flow were found to be responsible for deviation from the global pattern. The study thus confirms that Earth wind streaks were formed by the present wind regime and they are indeed indicative of the long-term prevailing wind direction on global and regional scales.

Intraseasonal variability of sea level and circulation in the Gulf of Thailand: the role of the Madden-Julian Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, Eric C. J.

2014-01-01

Intraseasonal variability of the tropical Indo-Pacific ocean is strongly related to the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). Shallow seas in this region, such as the Gulf of Thailand, act as amplifiers of the direct ocean response to surface wind forcing by efficient setup of sea level. Intraseasonal ocean variability in the Gulf of Thailand region is examined using statistical analysis of local tide gauge observations and surface winds. The tide gauges detect variability on intraseasonal time scales that is related to the MJO through its effect on local wind. The relationship between the MJO and the surface wind is strongly seasonal, being most vigorous during the monsoon, and direction-dependent. The observations are then supplemented with simulations of sea level and circulation from a fully nonlinear barotropic numerical ocean model (Princeton Ocean Model). The numerical model reproduces well the intraseasonal sea level variability in the Gulf of Thailand and its seasonal modulations. The model is then used to map the wind-driven response of sea level and circulation in the entire Gulf of Thailand. Finally, the predictability of the setup and setdown signal is discussed by relating it to the, potentially predictable, MJO index.

Dunes on Titan observed by Cassini Radar

USGS Publications Warehouse

Radebaugh, J.; Lorenz, R.D.; Lunine, J.I.; Wall, S.D.; Boubin, G.; Reffet, E.; Kirk, R.L.; Lopes, R.M.; Stofan, E.R.; Soderblom, L.; Allison, M.; Janssen, M.; Paillou, P.; Callahan, P.; Spencer, C.; ,

2008-01-01

Thousands of longitudinal dunes have recently been discovered by the Titan Radar Mapper on the surface of Titan. These are found mainly within ??30?? of the equator in optically-, near-infrared-, and radar-dark regions, indicating a strong proportion of organics, and cover well over 5% of Titan's surface. Their longitudinal duneform, interactions with topography, and correlation with other aeolian forms indicate a single, dominant wind direction aligned with the dune axis plus lesser, off-axis or seasonally alternating winds. Global compilations of dune orientations reveal the mean wind direction is dominantly eastwards, with regional and local variations where winds are diverted around topographically high features, such as mountain blocks or broad landforms. Global winds may carry sediments from high latitude regions to equatorial regions, where relatively drier conditions prevail, and the particles are reworked into dunes, perhaps on timescales of thousands to tens of thousands of years. On Titan, adequate sediment supply, sufficient wind, and the absence of sediment carriage and trapping by fluids are the dominant factors in the presence of dunes. ?? 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Locust displacing winds in eastern Australia reassessed with observations from an insect monitoring radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Zhenhua; Drake, V. Alistair; Sidhu, Leesa; Taylor, John R.

2017-12-01

Based on previous investigations, adult Australian plague locusts are believed to migrate on warm nights (with evening temperatures >25 °C), provided daytime flight is suppressed by surface winds greater than the locusts' flight speed, which has been shown to be 3.1 m s-1. Moreover, adult locusts are believed to undertake briefer `dispersal' flights on nights with evening temperature >20 °C. To reassess the utility of these conditions for forecasting locust flight, contingency tests were conducted comparing the nights selected on these bases (predicted nights) for the months of November, January, and March and the nights when locust migration were detected with an insect monitoring radar (actual nights) over a 7-year period. In addition, the wind direction distributions and mean wind directions on all predicted nights and actual nights were compared. Observations at around 395 m above ground level (AGL), the height at which radar observations have shown that the greatest number of locusts fly, were used to determine the actual nights. Tests and comparisons were also made for a second height, 990 m AGL, as this was used in the previous investigation. Our analysis shows that the proposed criteria are successful from predicting migratory flight only in March, when the surface temperature is effective as a predicting factor. Surface wind speed has no predicting power. It is suggested that a strong daytime surface wind speed requirement should not be considered and other meteorological variables need to be added to the requirement of a warm surface temperature around dusk for the predictions to have much utility.

Surface waves on the tailward flanks of the Earth's magnetopause

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seon, J.; Frank, L. A.; Lazarus, A. J.; Lepping, R. P.

1995-01-01

Forty-three examples of ISEE 1 tailward flank side magnetopause crossings are examined and directly compared with upstream solar wind parameters. The crossings are classified into two groups. In the first group, a few sudden magnetopause crossings are observed, whereas repeated magnetopause crossings and oscillatory motions, often with boundary layer signatures, are observed in the second group. These distinctive characteristics of the two groups are interpreted in terms of the surface waves due to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. It is found that low solar wind speed tends to favor characteristics of the first group, whereas high solar wind speed yields those of the second group. However, no evident correlations between the groups and the interplanetary magnetic field directions are found.

The measurement of the winds near the ocean surface with a radiometer-scatterometer on Skylab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pierson, W. J.; Moore, R. K.; Mcclain, E. P. (Principal Investigator); Cardone, V. J.; Young, J. D.; Greenwood, J. A.; Greenwood, C.; Fung, A. K.; Salfi, R.; Chan, H. L.

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. There were a total of twenty-six passes in the ZLV mode that yielded useful data. Six were in the in-track noncontiguous mode; all others were in the cross-track noncontiguous mode. The wind speed and direction, as effectively determined in a neutral atmosphere at 19.5 m above the sea surface, were found for each cell scanned by S193. It is shown how the passive microwave measurements were used both to compute the attenuation of the radar beam and to determine those cells where the backscatter measurement was suspect. Given the direction of the wind from some independent source, with the typical accuracy of measurement by available meteorological methods, a backscatter measurement at a nadir angle of 50, 43, or 32 deg can be used to compute the speed of the wind averaged over the illuminated area.

Identification of best particle radiation shielded region through Energetic Neutral Atoms mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milillo, A.; De Angelis, E.; Mura, A.; Orsini, S.; Mangano, V.; Massetti, S.; Rispoli, R.; Lazzarotto, F.; Vertolli, N.; Lavagna, M.; Ferrari, F.; Lunghi, P.; Attinà, P.; Parissenti, G.

2017-09-01

The lunar surface is directly exposed either to direct solar wind, or to Earth's magnetospheric plasma due to the Moon's lack of a magnetosphere or a dense atmosphere. This exposure could create inhospitable conditions for a possible human presence on the Moon, so it is crucial to investigate the close-to-surface environment for establishing the best reliable locations for future human bases. Although it lacks a global magnetic field, the Moon possesses magnetic anomalies that create mini-magnetospheres, where the solar wind is partly deflected. The local protection of the surface from the solar wind radiation inside the mini-magnetospheres could make these sites preferred for future lunar colonization. It is crucial a detailed characterization of these sites. In this paper, an investigation based on the detection of Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA) from the surface for identifying the best particle radiation shielded region is proposed. A high spatial resolution mapping via ENA is a feasible and it is powerful way for reaching this goal.

Atmospheric stability effects on wind farm performance using large-eddy simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archer, C. L.; Ghaisas, N.; Xie, S.

2014-12-01

Atmospheric stability has been recently found to have significant impacts on wind farm performance, especially since offshore and onshore wind farms are known to operate often under non-neutral conditions. Recent field observations have revealed that changes in stability are accompanied by changes in wind speed, direction, and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). In order to isolate the effects of stability, large-eddy simulations (LES) are performed under neutral, stable, and unstable conditions, keeping the wind speed and direction unchanged at a fixed height. The Lillgrund wind farm, comprising of 48 turbines, is studied in this research with the Simulator for Offshore/Onshore Wind Farm Applications (SOWFA) developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Unlike most previous numerical simulations, this study does not impose periodic boundary conditions and therefore is ideal for evaluating the effects of stability in large, but finite, wind farms. Changes in power generation, velocity deficit, rate of wake recovery, TKE, and surface temperature are quantified as a function of atmospheric stability. The sensitivity of these results to wind direction is also discussed.

Definition and preliminary design of the LAWS (Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder), volume 2, phase 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Accurate knowledge of winds is critical to our understanding of the earth's climate and to our ability to predict climate change. Winds are a fundamental component of highly nonlinear interactions between oceans, land surfaces, and the atmosphere. Interactions at these interfaces are the focus of much climate change research. Although wind information is critical for advancing our understanding, currently most of our description of atmospheric motion is obtained indirectly - i.e., derived from observations of temperature and moisture through geostrophic relationships. Direct measurement of winds over the globe is limited to land-based rawinsonde surface stations and a few ship/aircraft reports. Cloud track winds using satellite imagery are calculated but must be used with great care. The LAWS mission objective, therefore, is to provide diurnal and global direct observations of winds - an observation that will incrementally enhance our knowledge of the earth's climate and physical processes responsible for its change. This document is Volume 2 of the LAWS Phase 2 Final Study Report and describes the definition and preliminary design of the LAWS instrument, together with details of the laser breadboard program conducted during the last 18 months of the program.

ERS-1 and Seasat scatterometer measurements of ocean winds: Model functions and the directional distribution of short waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freilich, Michael H.; Dunbar, R. Scott

1993-01-01

Calculation of accurate vector winds from scatterometers requires knowledge of the relationship between backscatter cross-section and the geophysical variable of interest. As the detailed dynamics of wind generation of centimetric waves and radar-sea surface scattering at moderate incidence angles are not well known, empirical scatterometer model functions relating backscatter to winds must be developed. Less well appreciated is the fact that, given an accurate model function and some knowledge of the dominant scattering mechanisms, significant information on the amplitudes and directional distributions of centimetric roughness elements on the sea surface can be inferred. accurate scatterometer model functions can thus be used to investigate wind generation of short waves under realistic conditions. The present investigation involves developing an empirical model function for the C-band (5.3 GHz) ERS-1 scatterometer and comparing Ku-band model functions with the C-band model to infer information on the two-dimensional spectrum of centimetric roughness elements in the ocean. The C-band model function development is based on collocations of global backscatter measurements with operational surface analyses produced by meteorological agencies. Strengths and limitations of the method are discussed, and the resulting model function is validated in part through comparison with the actual distributions of backscatter cross-section triplets. Details of the directional modulation as well as the wind speed sensitivity at C-band are investigated. Analysis of persistent outliers in the data is used to infer the magnitudes of non-wind effects (such as atmospheric stratification, swell, etc.). The ERS-1 C-band instrument and the Seasat Ku-band (14.6 GHz) scatterometer both imaged waves of approximately 3.4 cm wavelength assuming that Bragg scattering is the dominant mechanism. Comparisons of the C-band and Ku-band model functions are used both to test the validity of the postulated Bragg mechanism and to investigate the directional distribution of the imaged waves under a variety of conditions where Bragg scatter is dominant.

Seattle FWS, Washington. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F

DTIC Science & Technology

1970-08-28

FREQUENCY OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED til (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS) 24244 SEATTLE wAHtIGTON FWC __iAR - -ALL WATHER _--- ~ALL -- CONDmON - SPEED 34MEAN (KNTS...10 PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED 11J1 (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS) 2.4244 SEATTLE WASHINGTOjN FW -6 C ALL WATHER - -M ~0-0 50O

Patterns of weak, near-surface winds at Melbourne, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapp, R. G.

1985-12-01

Up to 30 months of near-surface anemograph records have been examined from 13 locations in and near Melbourne, Australia, to determine the wind patterns which existed during prolonged periods of light winds (at least 3 hours at 2 m s-1 or less). A coherent katabatic wind system was found to develop in at least part of the monitored region on approximately 30% of nights. The flow broadly followed the slope of the basin surrounding the city, with a strong flow down the main river valley, and was partly reinforced by a land breeze in bayside areas. Other valleys also acted as channels for these winds. The general tendency of these katabatic winds was to converge towards the central business district and the northern part of Port Phillip Bay adjacent to the city centre. Where winds from different directions interacted, one of the winds dominated or successive replacement occurred causing the wind direction to vary considerably during a period. There were indications that in the presence of low-level stability with a synoptic gradient wind between east and north, the gradient flow may be deflected around the major topographic barrier to the northeast of the city. The existence of such a situation would have major implications in terms of air quality due to the possibility of pollutants being recirculated in conditions when vertical diffusion was very limited.

Dust and nutrient enrichment by wind erosion from Danish soils in dependence of tillage direction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammadian Behbahani, Ali; Fister, Wolfgang; Heckrath, Goswin; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

2016-04-01

Wind erosion is a selective process, which promotes erosion of fine particles. Therefore, it can be assumed that increasing erosion rates are generally associated with increasing loss of dust sized particles and nutrients. However, this selective process is strongly affected by the orientation and respective trapping efficiency of tillage ridges and furrows. Since tillage ridges are often the only protection measure available on poorly aggregated soils in absence of a protective vegetation cover, it is very important to know which orientation respective to the dominant wind direction provides best protection. This knowledge could be very helpful for planning erosion protection measures on fields with high wind erosion susceptibility. The main objective of this study, therefore, was to determine the effect of tillage direction on dust and nutrient mobilization by wind, using wind tunnel simulations. In order to assess the relationship between the enrichment ratio of specific particle sizes and the amount of eroded nutrients, three soils with loamy sand texture, but varying amounts of sand-sized particles, were selected. In addition, a soil with slightly less sand, but much higher organic matter content was chosen. The soils were tested with three different soil surface scenarios - flat surface, parallel tillage, perpendicular tillage. The parallel tillage operation experienced the greatest erosion rates, independent of soil type. Particles with D50 between 100-155 μm showed the greatest risk of erosion. However, due to a greater loss of dust sized particles from perpendicularly tilled surfaces, this wind-surface arrangement showed a significant increase in nutrient enrichment ratio compared to parallel tillage and flat surfaces. The main reason for this phenomenon is most probably the trapping of larger particles in the perpendicular furrows. This indicates that the highest rate of soil protection does not necessarily coincide with lowest soil nutrient losses and dust emissions. For the evaluation of protection measures on these soil types in Denmark it is, therefore, important to differentiate between their effectivity to reduce total soil erosion amount, dust emission, and nutrient loss.

Triton's streaks as windblown dust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sagan, Carl; Chyba, Christopher

1990-01-01

Explanations for the surface streaks observed by Voyager 2 on Triton's southern hemisphere are discussed. It is shown that, despite Triton's tenuous atmosphere, low-cohesion dust trains with diameters of about 5 micron or less may be carried into suspension by aeolian surface shear stress, given expected geostrophic wind speeds of about 10 m/s. For geyser-like erupting dust plumes, it is shown that dust-settling time scales and expected wind velocities can produce streaks with length scales in good agreement with those of the streaks. Thus, both geyserlike eruptions or direct lifting by surface winds appear to be viable mechanisms for the origin of the streaks.

Orographic forcing of dune forming winds on Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larson, E. J.; Toon, O. B.; Friedson, A. J.

2013-12-01

Cassini has observed hundreds of dune fields on Titan, nearly all of which lie in the tropics and suggest westerly (from west to east) winds dominate at the surface [1,2]. Most GCMs however have obtained easterly surface winds in the tropics, seemingly contradicting the wind direction suggested by the dunes. This has led to an active debate in the community about the origin of the dune forming winds on Titan and their direction and modality. This discussion is mostly driven by a study of Earth dunes seen as analogous to Titan [1,2,3]. One can find examples of dunes on Earth that fit several wind regimes. To date only one GCM, that of Tokano [4,5], has presented detailed analysis of its near surface winds and their dune forming capabilities. Despite the bulk of the wind being easterly, this GCM produces faster westerlies at equinox, thus transporting sand to the east. Our model, the Titan CAM [6], is unable to reproduce the fast westerlies, although it is possible we are not outputting frequently enough to catch them. Our GCM has been updated to include realistic topography released by the Cassini radar team. Preliminary results suggest our tropical wind regime now has net westerly winds in the tropics, albeit weak. References: [1], Lorenz, R. et al. 2006. Science, 312, 724-727. [2], Radebaugh, J. et al. 2008. Icarus, 194, 690-703. [3] Rubin, D. and Hesp, P. 2009. Nature Geoscience 2, 653-658. [4] Tokano, T. 2008. Icarus 194, 243-262. [5] Tokano, T. 2010. Aeolian Research 2, 113-127. [6] Friedson, J. et al. 2009. Planetary Space Science, 57, 1931-1949.

Theoretical model for scattering of radar signals in Ku- and C-bands from a rough sea surface with breaking waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voronovich, A. G.; Zavorotny, V. U.

2001-07-01

A small-slope approximation (SSA) is used for numerical calculations of a radar backscattering cross section of the ocean surface for both Ku- and C-bands for various wind speeds and incident angles. Both the lowest order of the SSA and the one that includes the next-order correction to it are considered. The calculations were made by assuming the surface-height spectrum of Elfouhaily et al for fully developed seas. Empirical scattering models CMOD2-I3 and SASS-II are used for comparison. Theoretical calculations are in good overall agreement with the experimental data represented by the empirical models, with the exception of HH-polarization in the upwind direction. It was assumed that steep breaking waves are responsible for this effect, and the probability density function of large slopes was calculated based on this assumption. The logarithm of this function in the upwind direction can be approximated by a linear combination of wind speed and the appropriate slope. The resulting backscattering cross section for upwind, downwind and cross-wind directions, for winds ranging between 5 and 15 m s-1, and for both polarizations in both wave bands corresponds to experimental results within 1-2 dB accuracy.

Empirical wind retrieval model based on SAR spectrum measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panfilova, Maria; Karaev, Vladimir; Balandina, Galina; Kanevsky, Mikhail; Portabella, Marcos; Stoffelen, Ad

The present paper considers polarimetric SAR wind vector applications. Remote-sensing measurements of the near-surface wind over the ocean are of great importance for the understanding of atmosphere-ocean interaction. In recent years investigations for wind vector retrieval using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data have been performed. In contrast with scatterometers, a SAR has a finer spatial resolution that makes it a more suitable microwave instrument to explore wind conditions in the marginal ice zones, coastal regions and lakes. The wind speed retrieval procedure from scatterometer data matches the measured radar backscattering signal with the geophysical model function (GMF). The GMF determines the radar cross section dependence on the wind speed and direction with respect to the azimuthal angle of the radar beam. Scatterometers provide information on wind speed and direction simultaneously due to the fact that each wind vector cell (WVC) is observed at several azimuth angles. However, SAR is not designed to be used as a high resolution scatterometer. In this case, each WVC is observed at only one single azimuth angle. That is why for wind vector determination additional information such as wind streak orientation over the sea surface is required. It is shown that the wind vector can be obtained using polarimetric SAR without additional information. The main idea is to analyze the spectrum of a homogeneous SAR image area instead of the backscattering normalized radar cross section. Preliminary numerical simulations revealed that SAR image spectral maxima positions depend on the wind vector. Thus the following method for wind speed retrieval is proposed. In the first stage of the algorithm, the SAR spectrum maxima are determined. This procedure is carried out to estimate the wind speed and direction with ambiguities separated by 180 degrees due to the SAR spectrum symmetry. The second stage of the algorithm allows us to select the correct wind direction ambiguity from polarimetric SAR. A criterion based on the complex correlation coefficient between the VV and VH signals sign is applied to select the wind direction. An additional quality control on the wind speed value retrieved with the spectral method is applied. Here, we use the direction obtained with the spectral method and the backscattered signal for CMOD wind speed estimate. The algorithm described above may be refined by the use of numerous SAR data and wind measurements. In the present preliminary work the first results of SAR images combined with in situ data processing are presented. Our results are compared to the results obtained using previously developed models CMOD, C-2PO for VH polarization and statistical wind retrieval approaches [1]. Acknowledgments. This work is supported by the Russian Foundation of Basic Research (grants 13-05-00852-a). [1] M. Portabella, A. Stoffelen, J. A. Johannessen, Toward an optimal inversion method for synthetic aperture radar wind retrieval, Journal of geophysical research, V. 107, N C8, 2002

Hurricane Isabel, AIRS Infrared and SeaWinds Scatterometer Data Combined

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-20

These two images show Hurricane Isabel as viewed by AIRS and SeaWinds scatterometers on NASA ADEOS-2 and QuikScat satellites in September, 2003. AIRS data are used to create global three-dimensional maps of temperature, humidity and clouds, while scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00429

CYGNSS Surface Wind Observations and Surface Flux Estimates within Low-Latitude Extratropical Cyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crespo, J.; Posselt, D. J.

2017-12-01

The Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), launched in December 2016, aims to improve estimates of surface wind speeds over the tropical oceans. While CYGNSS's core mission is to provide better estimates of surface winds within the core of tropical cyclones, previous research has shown that the constellation, with its orbital inclination of 35°, also has the ability to observe numerous extratropical cyclones that form in the lower latitudes. Along with its high spatial and temporal resolution, CYGNSS can provide new insights into how extratropical cyclones develop and evolve, especially in the presence of thick clouds and precipitation. We will demonstrate this by presenting case studies of multiple extratropical cyclones observed by CYGNSS early on in its mission in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres. By using the improved estimates of surface wind speeds from CYGNSS, we can obtain better estimates of surface latent and sensible heat fluxes within and around extratropical cyclones. Surface heat fluxes, driven by surface winds and strong vertical gradients of water vapor and temperature, play a key role in marine cyclogenesis as they increase instability within the boundary layer and may contribute to extreme marine cyclogenesis. In the past, it has been difficult to estimate surface heat fluxes from space borne instruments, as these fluxes cannot be observed directly from space, and deficiencies in spatial coverage and attenuation from clouds and precipitation lead to inaccurate estimates of surface flux components, such as surface wind speeds. While CYGNSS only contributes estimates of surface wind speeds, we can combine this data with other reanalysis and satellite data to provide improved estimates of surface sensible and latent heat fluxes within and around extratropical cyclones and throughout the entire CYGNSS mission.

Winds over the ocean as measured by the scatterometer on Seasat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pierson, W. J.

1981-01-01

An analysis is presented of the relative accuracy of Seasat scatterometer measurements of the wind speeds and directions at 19.5 m altitude as compared to ground truth measurements taken by surface ships and instrumented buoys. Attention is given to the JASIN, QE II, and GOASEX surface data. The validity of 2-30 min averages taken from surface stations spread out over a wide area and serving as a basis for defining wind field averages over the 50 km resolution of SASS is examined. Satisfactory wind speeds were found to be available from SASS readings in the wind speed range 6-14 m/sec. The use of 25 SASS readings around a grid point was determined to reduce scatter to 0.25 m/sec when used in numerical weather prediction modeling. Improvements to the SASS techniques by the Seasat successor, NOSS, are discussed, and inclusion of momentum, heat, and water turbulent fluxes by NOSS is noted.

Two decades [1992-2012] of surface wind analyses based on satellite scatterometer observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desbiolles, Fabien; Bentamy, Abderrahim; Blanke, Bruno; Roy, Claude; Mestas-Nuñez, Alberto M.; Grodsky, Semyon A.; Herbette, Steven; Cambon, Gildas; Maes, Christophe

2017-04-01

Surface winds (equivalent neutral wind velocities at 10 m) from scatterometer missions since 1992 have been used to build up a 20-year climate series. Optimal interpolation and kriging methods have been applied to continuously provide surface wind speed and direction estimates over the global ocean on a regular grid in space and time. The use of other data sources such as radiometer data (SSM/I) and atmospheric wind reanalyses (ERA-Interim) has allowed building a blended product available at 1/4° spatial resolution and every 6 h from 1992 to 2012. Sampling issues throughout the different missions (ERS-1, ERS-2, QuikSCAT, and ASCAT) and their possible impact on the homogeneity of the gridded product are discussed. In addition, we assess carefully the quality of the blended product in the absence of scatterometer data (1992 to 1999). Data selection experiments show that the description of the surface wind is significantly improved by including the scatterometer winds. The blended winds compare well with buoy winds (1992-2012) and they resolve finer spatial scales than atmospheric reanalyses, which make them suitable for studying air-sea interactions at mesoscale. The seasonal cycle and interannual variability of the product compare well with other long-term wind analyses. The product is used to calculate 20-year trends in wind speed, as well as in zonal and meridional wind components. These trends show an important asymmetry between the southern and northern hemispheres, which may be an important issue for climate studies.

BOREAS AES MARSII Surface Meteorological Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atkinson, G. Barrie; Funk, Barry; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Knapp, David E. (Editor)

2000-01-01

Canadian AES personnel collected several data sets related to surface and atmospheric meteorological conditions over the BOREAS region. This data set contains 15-minute meteorological data from six MARSII meteorology stations in the BOREAS region in Canada. Parameters include site, time, temperature, dewpoint, visibility, wind speed, wind gust, wind direction, two cloud groups, precipitation, and station pressure. Temporally, the data cover the period of May to September 1994. Geo-graphically, the stations are spread across the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files, and are classified as AFM-Staff data.

The modification of X and L band radar signals by monomolecular sea slicks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huehnerfuss, H.; Alpers, W.; Cross, A.; Garrett, W. D.; Keller, W. C.; Plant, W. J.; Schuler, D. L.; Lange, P. A.; Schlude, F.

1983-01-01

One methyl oleate and two oleyl alcohol surface films were produced on the surface of the North Sea under comparable oceanographic and meteorological conditions in order to investigate their influence on X and L band radar backscatter. Signals are backscattered in these bands primarily by surface waves with lengths of about 2 and 12 cm, respectively, and backscattered power levels in both bands were reduced by the slicks. The reduction was larger at X band than at L band, however, indicating that shorter waves are more intensely damped by the surface films. The oleyl alcohol film caused greater attenuation of short gravity waves than the film of methyl oleate, thus demonstrating the importance of the physicochemical properties of films on the damping of wind-generated gravity capillary waves. Finally, these experiments indicate a distinct dependence of the degree of damping on the angle between wind and waves. Wind-generated waves traveling in the wind direction are more intensely damped by surface films than are waves traveling at large angles to the wind.

Canopy wake measurements using multiple scanning wind LiDARs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markfort, C. D.; Carbajo Fuertes, F.; Iungo, V.; Stefan, H. G.; Porte-Agel, F.

2014-12-01

Canopy wakes have been shown, in controlled wind tunnel experiments, to significantly affect the fluxes of momentum, heat and other scalars at the land and water surface over distances of ˜O(1 km), see Markfort et al. (EFM, 2013). However, there are currently no measurements of the velocity field downwind of a full-scale forest canopy. Point-based anemometer measurements of wake turbulence provide limited insight into the extent and details of the wake structure, whereas scanning Doppler wind LiDARs can provide information on how the wake evolves in space and varies over time. For the first time, we present measurements of the velocity field in the wake of a tall patch of forest canopy. The patch consists of two uniform rows of 40-meter tall deciduous, plane trees, which border either side of the Allée de Dorigny, near the EPFL campus. The canopy is approximately 250 m long, and it is approximately 40 m wide, along the direction of the wind. A challenge faced while making field measurements is that the wind rarely intersects a canopy normal to the edge. The resulting wake flow may be deflected relative to the mean inflow. Using multiple LiDARs, we measure the evolution of the wake due to an oblique wind blowing over the canopy. One LiDAR is positioned directly downwind of the canopy to measure the flow along the mean wind direction and the other is positioned near the canopy to evaluate the transversal component of the wind and how it varies with downwind distance from the canopy. Preliminary results show that the open trunk space near the base of the canopy results in a surface jet that can be detected just downwind of the canopy and farther downwind dissipates as it mixes with the wake flow above. A time-varying recirculation zone can be detected by the periodic reversal of the velocity near the surface, downwind of the canopy. The implications of canopy wakes for measurement and modeling of surface fluxes will be discussed.

Canopy wake measurements using multiple scanning wind LiDARs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markfort, Corey D.; Carbajo Fuertes, Fernando; Valerio Iungo, Giacomo; Stefan, Heinz; Porté-Agel, Fernando

2014-05-01

Canopy wakes have been shown, in controlled wind tunnel experiments, to significantly affect the fluxes of momentum, heat and other scalars at the land and water surface over distances of ~O(1 km), see Markfort et al. (EFM, 2013). However, there are currently no measurements of the velocity field downwind of a full-scale forest canopy. Point-based anemometer measurements of wake turbulence provide limited insight into the extent and details of the wake structure, whereas scanning Doppler wind LiDARs can provide information on how the wake evolves in space and varies over time. For the first time, we present measurements of the velocity field in the wake of a tall patch of forest canopy. The patch consists of two uniform rows of 35-meter tall deciduous, plane trees, which border either side of the Allée de Dorigny, near the EPFL campus. The canopy is approximately 250 m long, and it is 35 m wide, along the direction of the wind. A challenge faced while making field measurements is that the wind rarely intersects a canopy normal to the edge. The resulting wake flow may be deflected relative to the mean inflow. Using multiple LiDARs, we measure the evolution of the wake due to an oblique wind blowing over the canopy. One LiDAR is positioned directly downwind of the canopy to measure the flow along the mean wind direction and the other is positioned near the canopy to evaluate the transversal component of the wind and how it varies with downwind distance from the canopy. Preliminary results show that the open trunk space near the base of the canopy results in a surface jet that can be detected just downwind of the canopy and farther downwind dissipates as it mixes with the wake flow above. A time-varying recirculation zone can be detected by the periodic reversal of the velocity vector near the surface, downwind of the canopy. The implications of canopy wakes for measurement and modeling of surface fluxes will be discussed.

Impacts of interactive dust and its direct radiative forcing on interannual variations of temperature and precipitation in winter over East Asia: Impacts of Dust on IAVs of Temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lou, Sijia; Russell, Lynn M.; Yang, Yang

We used 150-year pre-industrial simulations of the Community Earth System Model (CESM) to quantify the impacts of interactively-modeled dust emissions on the interannual variations of temperature and precipitation over East Asia during the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) season. The simulated December-January-February dust column burden and dust optical depth are lower over northern China in the strongest EAWM years than those of the weakest years, with regional mean values lower by 38.3% and 37.2%, respectively. The decrease in dust over the dust source regions (the Taklamakan and Gobi Deserts) and the downwind region (such as the North China Plain) leadsmore » to an increase in direct radiative forcing (RF) both at the surface and top of atmosphere by up to 1.5 and 0.75 W m-2, respectively. The effects of EAWM-related variations in surface winds, precipitation and their effects on dust emissions and wet removal contribute about 67% to the total dust-induced variations of direct RF at the surface and partly offset the cooling that occurs with the EAWM strengthening by heating the surface. The variations of surface air temperature induced by the changes in wind and dust emissions increase by 0.4-0.6 K over eastern coastal China, northeastern China, and Japan, which weakens the impact of EAWM on surface air temperature by 3–18% in these regions. The warming results from the combined effects of changes in direct RF and easterly wind anomalies that bring warm air from the ocean to these regions. Moreover, the feedback of the changes in wind on dust emissions weakens the variations of the sea level pressure gradient on the Siberian High while enhancing the Maritime Continent Low. Therefore, cold air is prevented from being transported from Siberia, Kazakhstan, western and central China to the western Pacific Ocean and decreases surface air temperature by 0.6 K and 2 K over central China and the Tibetan Plateau, respectively. Over eastern coastal China, the variations of large-scale precipitation induced by the feedback of EAWM-related changes in wind on dust emissions increase by 10-30% in winter because of the increase in surface air temperature and the anomalous circulation.« less

Doppler lidar investigation of wind turbine wake characteristics and atmospheric turbulence under different surface roughness.

PubMed

Zhai, Xiaochun; Wu, Songhua; Liu, Bingyi

2017-06-12

Four field experiments based on Pulsed Coherent Doppler Lidar with different surface roughness have been carried out in 2013-2015 to study the turbulent wind field in the vicinity of operating wind turbine in the onshore and offshore wind parks. The turbulence characteristics in ambient atmosphere and wake area was analyzed using transverse structure function based on Plane Position Indicator scanning mode. An automatic wake processing procedure was developed to determine the wake velocity deficit by considering the effect of ambient velocity disturbance and wake meandering with the mean wind direction. It is found that the turbine wake obviously enhances the atmospheric turbulence mixing, and the difference in the correlation of turbulence parameters under different surface roughness is significant. The dependence of wake parameters including the wake velocity deficit and wake length on wind velocity and turbulence intensity are analyzed and compared with other studies, which validates the empirical model and simulation of a turbine wake for various atmosphere conditions.

Nearshore currents on the southern Namaqua shelf of the Benguela upwelling system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fawcett, A. L.; Pitcher, G. C.; Shillington, F. A.

2008-05-01

Nearshore currents of the southern Namaqua shelf were investigated using data from a mooring situated three and a half kilometres offshore of Lambert's Bay, downstream of the Cape Columbine upwelling cell, on the west coast of South Africa. This area is susceptible to harmful algal blooms (HABs) and wind-forced variations in currents and water column structure are critical in determining the development, transport and dissipation of blooms. Time series of local wind data, and current and temperature profile data are described for three periods, considered to be representative of the latter part of the upwelling season (27 January-22 February), winter conditions (5-29 May) and the early part of the upwelling season (10 November-12 December) in 2005. Differences observed in mean wind strength and direction between data sets are indicative of seasonal changes in synoptic meteorological conditions. These quasi-seasonal variations in wind forcing affect nearshore current flow, leading to mean northward flow in surface waters early in the upwelling season when equatorward, upwelling-favourable winds are persistent. Mean near-surface currents are southward during the latter part of the upwelling season, consistent with more prolonged periods of relaxation from equatorward winds, and under winter conditions when winds were predominantly poleward. Within these seasonal variations in mean near-surface current direction, two scales of current variability were evident within all data sets: strong inertial oscillations were driven by diurnal winds and introduced vertical shear into the water column enhancing mixing across the thermocline, while sub-inertial current variability was driven by north-south wind reversals at periods of 2-5 days. Sub-inertial currents were found to lag wind reversals by approximately 12 h, with a tendency for near-surface currents to flow poleward in the absence of wind forcing. Consistent with similar sites along the Californian and Iberian coasts, the headland at Cape Columbine is considered to influence currents and circulation patterns during periods of relaxation from upwelling-favourable winds, favouring the development of a nearshore poleward current, leading to poleward advection of warm water, the development of stratification, and the creation of potentially favourable conditions for HAB development.

A comparison of three approaches for simulating fine-scale surface winds in support of wildland fire management. Part II. An exploratory study of the effect of simulated winds on fire growth simulations

Treesearch

Jason M. Forthofer; Bret W. Butler; Charles W. McHugh; Mark A. Finney; Larry S. Bradshaw; Richard D. Stratton; Kyle S. Shannon; Natalie S. Wagenbrenner

2014-01-01

The effect of fine-resolution wind simulations on fire growth simulations is explored. The wind models are (1) a wind field consisting of constant speed and direction applied everywhere over the area of interest; (2) a tool based on the solution of the conservation of mass only (termed mass-conserving model) and (3) a tool based on a solution of conservation of mass...

The polarization patterns of skylight reflected off wave water surface.

PubMed

Zhou, Guanhua; Xu, Wujian; Niu, Chunyue; Zhao, Huijie

2013-12-30

In this paper we propose a model to understand the polarization patterns of skylight when reflected off the surface of waves. The semi-empirical Rayleigh model is used to analyze the polarization of scattered skylight; the Harrison and Coombes model is used to analyze light radiance distribution; and the Cox-Munk model and Mueller matrix are used to analyze reflections from wave surface. First, we calculate the polarization patterns and intensity distribution of light reflected off wave surface. Then we investigate their relationship with incident radiation, solar zenith angle, wind speed and wind direction. Our results show that the polarization patterns of reflected skylight from waves and flat water are different, while skylight reflected on both kinds of water is generally highly polarized at the Brewster angle and the polarization direction is approximately parallel to the water's surface. The backward-reflecting Brewster zone has a relatively low reflectance and a high DOP in all observing directions. This can be used to optimally diminish the reflected skylight and avoid sunglint in ocean optics measurements.

Double-Edge Molecular Measurement of Lidar Wind Profiles in the VALID Campaign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korb, C. Laurence; Flesia, Cristina; Lolli, Simone; Hirt, Christian

2000-01-01

We have developed a transportable container based direct detection Doppler lidar based on the double-edge molecular technique. The pulsed solid state system was built at the University of Geneva. It was used to make range resolved measurements of the atmospheric wind field as part of the VALID campaign at the Observatoire de Haute Provence in Provence, France in July 1999. Comparison of our lidar wind measurements, which were analyzed without knowledge of the results of rawinsonde measurements made under the supervision of ESA, show good agreement with these rawinsondes. These are the first Doppler lidar field measurements made with an eyesafe direct detection molecular-based system at 355 nm and serve as a demonstrator for future spaceborne direct detection wind systems such as the Atmospheric Dynamics mission. Winds are an important contributor to sea surface temperature measurements made with the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and also affect the TRMM rainfall estimates.

Surface current dynamics under sea breeze conditions observed by simultaneous HF radar, ADCP and drifter measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sentchev, Alexei; Forget, Philippe; Fraunié, Philippe

2017-04-01

Ocean surface boundary layer dynamics off the southern coast of France in the NW Mediterranean is investigated by using velocity observations by high-frequency (HF) radars, surface drifting buoys and a downward-looking drifting acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). The analysis confirms that velocities measured by HF radars correspond to those observed by an ADCP at the effective depth z f = k -1, where k is wavenumber of the radio wave emitted by the radar. The radials provided by the radars were in a very good agreement with in situ measurements, with the relative errors of 1 and 9 % and root mean square (RMS) differences of 0.02 and 0.04 m/s for monostatic and bistatic radar, respectively. The total radar-based velocities appeared to be slightly underestimated in magnitude and somewhat biased in direction. At the end of the survey period, the difference in the surface current direction, based on HF radar and ADCP data, attained 10°. It was demonstrated that the surface boundary layer dynamics cannot be reconstructed successfully without taking into the account velocity variation with depth. A significant misalignment of ˜30° caused by the sea breeze was documented between the HF radar (HFR-derived) surface current and the background current. It was also found that the ocean response to a moderate wind forcing was confined to the 4-m-thick upper layer. The respective Ekman current attained the maximum value of 0.15 m/s, and the current rotation was found to be lagging the wind by approximately 40 min, with the current vector direction being 15-20° to the left of the wind. The range of velocity variability due to wind forcing was found comparable with the magnitude of the background current variability.

Effects of wind on the dynamics of the central jet during drop impact onto a deep-water surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xinan; Wang, An; Wang, Shuang; Dai, Dejun

2018-05-01

The cavity and central jet generated by the impact of a single water drop on a deep-water surface in a wind field are experimentally studied. Different experiments are performed by varying the impacting drop diameter and wind speed. The contour profile histories of the cavity (also called crater) and central jet (also called stalk) are measured in detail with a backlit cinematic shadowgraph technique. The results show that shortly after the drop hits the water surface an asymmetrical cavity appears along the wind direction, with a train of capillary waves on the cavity wall. This is followed by the formation of an inclined central jet at the location of the drop impact. It is found that the wind has little effect on the penetration depth of the cavity at the early stage of the cavity expansion, but markedly changes the capillary waves during the retraction of the cavity. The capillary waves in turn shift the position of the central jet formation leeward. The dynamics of the central jet are dominated by two mechanisms: (i) the oblique drop impact produced by the wind and (ii) the wind drag force directly acting on the jet. The maximum height of the central jet, called the stalk height, is drastically affected by the wind, and the nondimensional stalk height H /D decreases with increasing θ Re-1 , where D is the drop diameter, θ is the impingement angle of drop impact, and Re=ρaUwD /μa is the Reynolds number with air density ρa, wind speed Uw, and air viscosity μa.

Simulation of the Impact of New Ocean Surface Wind Measurements on H*Wind Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy; Atlas, Robert; Black, Peter; Chen, Shuyi; Hood, Robbie; Johnson, James; Jones, Linwood; Ruf, Chris; Uhlhorn, Eric

2008-01-01

The H*Wind analysis, a product of the Hurricane Research Division of NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, brings together wind measurements from a variety of observation platforms into an objective analysis of the distribution of surface wind speeds in a tropical cyclone. This product is designed to improve understanding of the extent and strength of the wind field, and to improve the assessment of hurricane intensity. See http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/data sub/wind.html. The Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) is a new passive microwave remote sensor for hurricane observations that is currently under development by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, NOAA Hurricane Research Division, the University of Central Florida and the University of Michigan. HIRAD is being designed to enhance the current real-time airborne ocean surface winds observation capabilities of NOAA and USAF Weather Squadron hurricane hunter aircraft using the operational airbome Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR). Unlike SFMR, which measures wind speed and rain rate along the ground track directly beneath the aircraft, HIRAD will provide images of the surface wind and rain field over a wide swath (approximately 3 x the aircraft altitude, or approximately 2 km from space). The instrument is described in a separate paper presented at this conference. The present paper describes a set of Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) in which measurements from the new instrument as well as those from existing instruments (air, surface, and space-based) are simulated from the output of a numerical model from the University of Miami, and those results are used to construct H*Wind analyses. Evaluations will be presented on the relative impact of HIRAD and other instruments on H*Wind analyses, including the use of HIRAD from 2 aircraft altitudes and from a space-based platform.

Wind Carved Rock

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-19

The distinctively fluted surface and elongated hills in this image in Medusae Fossae are caused by wind erosion of a soft fine-grained rock. Called yardangs, these features are aligned with the prevailing wind direction. This wind direction would have dominated for a very long time to carve these large-scale features into the exposed rock we see today. Yardangs not only reveal the strength and direction of historic winds, but also reveal something of the host rock itself. Close inspection by HiRISE shows an absence of boulders or rubble, especially along steep yardang cliffs and buttresses. The absence of rubble and the scale of the yardangs tells us that the host rock consists only of weakly cemented fine granules in tens of meters or more thick deposits. Such deposits could have come from extended settling of volcanic ash, atmospheric dust, or accumulations of wind deposited fine sands. After a time these deposits became cemented and cohesive, illustrated by the high standing relief and exposed cliffs. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21111

Application of Surface Protective Coating to Enhance Environment-Withstanding Property of the MEMS 2D Wind Direction and Wind Speed Sensor.

PubMed

Shin, Kyu-Sik; Lee, Dae-Sung; Song, Sang-Woo; Jung, Jae Pil

2017-09-19

In this study, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) two-dimensional (2D) wind direction and wind speed sensor consisting of a square heating source and four thermopiles was manufactured using the heat detection method. The heating source and thermopiles of the manufactured sensor must be exposed to air to detect wind speed and wind direction. Therefore, there are concerns that the sensor could be contaminated by deposition or adhesion of dust, sandy dust, snow, rain, and so forth, in the air, and that the membrane may be damaged by physical shock. Hence, there was a need to protect the heating source, thermopiles, and the membrane from environmental and physical shock. The upper protective coating to protect both the heating source and thermopiles and the lower protective coating to protect the membrane were formed by using high-molecular substances such as SU-8, Teflon and polyimide (PI). The sensor characteristics with the applied protective coatings were evaluated.

THE USE OF MODELED ATMOSPHERIC WIND TRAJECTORIES TO DETERMINE POTENTIAL DOWNWIND GENE FLOW; A CASE STUDY USING GM-BENTGRASS

EPA Science Inventory

The down-wind dispersal of pollen and the airborne spread of seed are affected by the size, shape and weight of the particles and by the strength, buoyancy and direction of surface winds. An atmospheric model (HYSPLIT model: www.arl.noaa.gov\\ready.html) was used to reconstruct w...

How important is getting the land surface energy exchange correct in WRF for wind energy forecasting?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wharton, S.; Simpson, M.; Osuna, J. L.; Newman, J. F.; Biraud, S.

2013-12-01

Wind power forecasting is plagued with difficulties in accurately predicting the occurrence and intensity of atmospheric conditions at the heights spanned by industrial-scale turbines (~ 40 to 200 m above ground level). Better simulation of the relevant physics would enable operational practices such as integration of large fractions of wind power into power grids, scheduling maintenance on wind energy facilities, and deciding design criteria based on complex loads for next-generation turbines and siting. Accurately simulating the surface energy processes in numerical models may be critically important for wind energy forecasting as energy exchange at the surface strongly drives atmospheric mixing (i.e., stability) in the lower layers of the planetary boundary layer (PBL), which in turn largely determines wind shear and turbulence at heights found in the turbine rotor-disk. We hypothesize that simulating accurate a surface-atmosphere energy coupling should lead to more accurate predictions of wind speed and turbulence at heights within the turbine rotor-disk. Here, we tested 10 different land surface model configurations in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model including Noah, Noah-MP, SSiB, Pleim-Xiu, RUC, and others to evaluate (1) the accuracy of simulated surface energy fluxes to flux tower measurements, (2) the accuracy of forecasted wind speeds to observations at rotor-disk heights, and (3) the sensitivity of forecasting hub-height rotor disk wind speed to the choice of land surface model. WRF was run for four, two-week periods covering both summer and winter periods over the Southern Great Plains ARM site in Oklahoma. Continuous measurements of surface energy fluxes and lidar-based wind speed, direction and turbulence were also available. The SGP ARM site provided an ideal location for this evaluation as it centrally located in the wind-rich Great Plains and multi-MW wind farms are rapidly expanding in the area. We found significant differences in simulated wind speeds at rotor-disk heights from WRF which indicated, in part, the sensitivity of lower PBL winds to surface energy exchange. We also found significant differences in energy partitioning between sensible heat and latent energy depending on choice of land surface model. Overall, the most consistent, accurate model results were produced using Noah-MP. Noah-MP was most accurate at simulating energy fluxes and wind shear. Hub-height wind speed, however, was predicted with most accuracy with Pleim-Xiu. This suggests that simulating wind shear in the surface layer is consistent with accurately simulating surface energy exchange while the exact magnitudes of wind speed may be more strongly influenced by the PBL dynamics. As the nation is working towards a 20% wind energy goal by 2030, increasing the accuracy of wind forecasting at rotor-disk heights becomes more important considering that utilities require wind farms to estimate their power generation 24 to 36 hours ahead and face penalties for inaccuracies in those forecasts.

Response of water temperatures and stratification to changing climate in three lakes with different morphometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magee, Madeline R.; Wu, Chin H.

2017-12-01

Water temperatures and stratification are important drivers for ecological and water quality processes within lake systems, and changes in these with increases in air temperature and changes to wind speeds may have significant ecological consequences. To properly manage these systems under changing climate, it is important to understand the effects of increasing air temperatures and wind speed changes in lakes of different depths and surface areas. In this study, we simulate three lakes that vary in depth and surface area to elucidate the effects of the observed increasing air temperatures and decreasing wind speeds on lake thermal variables (water temperature, stratification dates, strength of stratification, and surface heat fluxes) over a century (1911-2014). For all three lakes, simulations showed that epilimnetic temperatures increased, hypolimnetic temperatures decreased, the length of the stratified season increased due to earlier stratification onset and later fall overturn, stability increased, and longwave and sensible heat fluxes at the surface increased. Overall, lake depth influences the presence of stratification, Schmidt stability, and differences in surface heat flux, while lake surface area influences differences in hypolimnion temperature, hypolimnetic heating, variability of Schmidt stability, and stratification onset and fall overturn dates. Larger surface area lakes have greater wind mixing due to increased surface momentum. Climate perturbations indicate that our larger study lakes have more variability in temperature and stratification variables than the smaller lakes, and this variability increases with larger wind speeds. For all study lakes, Pearson correlations and climate perturbation scenarios indicate that wind speed has a large effect on temperature and stratification variables, sometimes greater than changes in air temperature, and wind can act to either amplify or mitigate the effect of warmer air temperatures on lake thermal structure depending on the direction of local wind speed changes.

Impact of wind direction on near-road pollutant concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatram, Akula; Snyder, Michelle; Isakov, Vlad; Kimbrough, Sue

2013-12-01

Exposure to roadway emissions is an emerging area of research because of recent epidemiological studies reporting association between living within a few hundred meters of high-traffic roadways and adverse health effects. The air quality impact of roadway emissions has been studied in a number of field experiments, most of which have not fully considered the impact of wind direction on near-road concentrations. This paper examines the role of wind direction by using a dispersion model to analyze data from three field studies that include measurements under varying wind directions: 1) a tracer study conducted adjacent to highway 99 in Sacramento, CA in 1981-82, 2) a field study next to a highway in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2006, and 3) a field study conducted next to a depressed highway in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2010. We find that wind direction is an important variable in characterizing exposure to roadway emissions. Under stable conditions, the near-surface concentrations at receptors up to 100 m from the road increase with wind angle before dropping off at angles close to parallel to the road. It is only for pollutants with short life times does the maximum concentration occur when the wind direction is normal to the road. We also show that current dispersion models are reliable tools for interpreting observations and for formulating plans for field studies.

Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling of 137Cs generated from Nuclear Spent Fuel under Hypothetic Accidental Condition in the BNPP Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jongkuk; Lee, Kwan-Hee; Yook, Daesik; Kim, Sung Il; Lee, Byung Soo

2016-04-01

This study presents the results of atmosphere dispersion modeling using CALPUFF code that are based on computational simulation to evaluate the environmental characteristics of the Barakah nuclear power plant (BNPP) in west area of UAE. According to meteorological data analysis (2012~2013), the winds from the north(7.68%) and west(9.05%) including NNW(41.63%), NW(28.55%), and WNW(6.31%) winds accounted for more than 90% of the wind directions. East(0.2%) and south(0.6%) direction wind, including ESE(0.31%), SE(0.38%), and SSE(0.38%) were rarely distributed during the simulation period. Seasonal effects were not showed. However, a discrepancy in the tendency between daytime and night-time was observed. Approximately 87% of the wind speed was distributed below 5.4m/s (17%, 47% and 23% between the speeds of 0.5-1.8m/s 1.8-3.3m/s and 3.3-5.4m/s, respectively) during the annual period. Seasonal wind speed distribution results presented very similar pattern of annual distribution. Wind speed distribution of day and night, on the other hand, had a discrepancy with annual modeling results than seasonal distribution in some sections. The results for high wind speed (more than 10.8m/s) showed that this wind blew from the west. This high wind speed is known locally as the 'Shamal', which occurs rarely, lasting one or two days with the strongest winds experienced in association with gust fronts and thunderstorms. Six variations of cesium-137 (137Cs) dispersion test were simulated under hypothetic severe accidental condition. The 137Cs dispersion was strongly influenced by the direction and speed of the main wind. From the test cases, east-south area of the BNPP site was mainly influenced by 137Cs dispersion. A virtual receptor was set and calculated for observation of the 137Cs movement and accumulation. Surface roughness tests were performed for the analysis of topographic conditions. According to the surface condition, there are various surface roughness length. Four types of surface conditions were selected, including city area, hedge area, cut grass, and desert area. Four cases of simulations were performed under the same conditions except for surface the roughness factor. The results indicated that relatively high concentrations were found at the high surface roughness near the origin of the source point. The city area contained approximately four times 137Cs concentration than that of desert area. The atmospheric dispersion of 137Cs was affected by the surface condition in the proximal area. Moreover, movement of the radioactive material had a tendency to be dispersed in a relatively wide range in the desert areas compared to in the higher surface roughness areas. The results of these study offer useful information for developing environmental radiation monitoring systems (ERMSs) and evacuation plan under unexpected emergency condition for the BNPP and can be used to assess the environmental effects of new nuclear power plant. This work was supported by the Nuclear Safety Research Program through the Korea Nuclear Safety Foundation(KORSAFe), granted financial resource from the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission(NSSC), Republic of Korea (No. 1503003).

The potential impact of scatterometry on oceanography - A wave forecasting case

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cane, M. A.; Cardone, V. J.

1981-01-01

A series of observing system simulation experiments have been performed in order to assess the potential impact of marine surface wind data on numerical weather prediction. In addition to conventional data, the experiments simulated the time-continuous assimilation of remotely sensed marine surface wind or temperature sounding data. The wind data were fabricated directly for model grid points intercepted by a Seasat-1 scatterometer swath and were assimilated into the lowest active level (945 mb) of the model using a localized successive correction method. It is shown that Seasat wind data can greatly improve numerical weather forecasts due to better definition of specific features. The case of the QE II storm is examined.

BOREAS AES Campbell Scientific Surface Meteorological Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atkinson, G. Barrie; Funk, Barrie; Knapp. David E. (Editor); Hall, Forrest G. (Editor)

2000-01-01

Canadian AES personnel collected data related to surface and atmospheric meteorological conditions over the BOREAS region. This data set contains 15-minute meteorological data from 14 automated meteorology stations located across the BOREAS region. Included in this data are parameters of date, time, mean sea level pressure, station pressure, temperature, dew point, wind speed, resultant wind speed, resultant wind direction, peak wind, precipitation, maximum temperature in the last hour, minimum temperature in the last hour, pressure tendency, liquid precipitation in the last hour, relative humidity, precipitation from a weighing gauge, and snow depth. Temporally, the data cover the period of August 1993 to December 1996. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files, and are classified as AFM-Staff data.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Weiguo; Shaw, William J.

This paper compares the wind field from a diagnostic model (CALMET) over complex terrain in the Phoenix region in the USA with observations that are gridded by a state-of-the-art Four-Dimensional Data Assimilation (FDDA) system. The wind difference between the CALMET and FDDA wind fields is larger at night than in the day. The magnitude of the wind difference can be smaller than 5% of the mean wind speed at low levels in areas with dense observational stations, while it can be larger than 80% in areas without observational stations or at high altitudes. The vector-mean wind direction difference over themore » domain is 15 deg on the surface level and 25 deg between 10 and 1500 m. To evaluate the effects of the wind difference on dispersion calculations, dispersion of a hypothetical passive tracer released from surface point sources is simulated by the second-order closure integrated puff (SCIPUFF) model driven by the CALMET and FDDA wind fields, respectively. Differences in the two simulated tracer concentration fields increase with time due to accumulation of effects of the wind differences both near the surface and at higher altitudes. Even for the release in the area with the densest distribution of surface stations, the relative difference in the peak surface concentration from CALMET-SCIPUFF and from FDDA-SCIPUFF is less than 10% only within 0.5 hr after the release in the afternoon, and increases to 70% at 1.5 hr; this is because of large differences in wind above the surface. For the release in the area with few stations, the difference can be larger than 100% or even larger after 1.5 hr from the release. To improve dispersion simulations driven by the CALMET wind in the region, observations at upper-air stations are needed and the current surface observation network needs to be reorganized or more stations are needed to account for the influence of terrain.« less

Walker Circulation, El Niño and La Niña

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halpern, D.

2014-12-01

Ocean surface wind vector is likely the critical variable to predict onset, maintenance and dissipation of El Niño and La Niña. Analyses of SeaWinds and ASCAT 10-m height (called "surface") vector winds in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans from 1°S-1°N during March 2000 - June 2011 revealed the longitudinal distribution of the surface zonal wind component associated with the Walker Circulation. In the Pacific Ocean east of 140°E and west of 85°W, the mean wind direction was westward towards the maritime continent with maximum mean zonal wind speed (- 6.5 m s-1) at 150°W; east of 85°W the mean direction was toward the convection zone over South America. Four El Niños and five La Niñas occurred from March 2000 - June 2011. In the Pacific from 150°E to 160°W, the average El Niño (La Niña) westward wind speed was 2 m s-1 (1 m s-1) smaller (larger) than normal. In the west Pacific, the variation in westward wind speeds in El Niño and La Niña conditions relative to normal conditions would be expected to substantially uplift the thermocline during El Niño compared to La Niña, which is consistent with conventional wisdom. In the east Pacific from 130°W - 100°W, average El Niño westward wind speeds were less than normal and La Niña conditions by 0.5 m s-1 and 1 m s-1, respectively. The "central" Pacific nature of the El Niños may have influenced the smaller difference between El Niño and La Niña westward wind speeds in the east Pacific compared to the west Pacific. Analyses of longitudinal distributions of thermocline depths will be discussed. Surface zonal wind speeds in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans showed no evidence of El Niño and La Niña; surface meridional winds showed an apparent response in the Indian and Pacific Oceans but not in the Atlantic Ocean. At 700-m height, the MISR zonal wind component in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans had similar features as those at the surface, except in the east Pacific where the westward wind speeds were identical during El Niño, La Niña and normal conditions. In the east Pacific, the shear between 10- and 700-m heights increased (decreased) during La Niña (El Niño).

Surface boundary layer turbulence in the Southern ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merrifield, Sophia; St. Laurent, Louis; Owens, Breck; Naveira Garabato, Alberto

2015-04-01

Due to the remote location and harsh conditions, few direct measurements of turbulence have been collected in the Southern Ocean. This region experiences some of the strongest wind forcing of the global ocean, leading to large inertial energy input. While mixed layers are known to have a strong seasonality and reach 500m depth, the depth structure of near-surface turbulent dissipation and diffusivity have not been examined using direct measurements. We present data collected during the Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean (DIMES) field program. In a range of wind conditions, the wave affected surface layer (WASL), where surface wave physics are actively forcing turbulence, is contained to the upper 15-20m. The lag-correlation between wind stress and turbulence shows a strong relationship up to 6 hours (˜1/2 inertial period), with the winds leading the oceanic turbulent response, in the depth range between 20-50m. We find the following characterize the data: i) Profiles that have a well-defined hydrographic mixed layer show that dissipation decays in the mixed layer inversely with depth, ii) WASLs are typically 15 meters deep and 30% of mixed layer depth, iii) Subject to strong winds, the value of dissipation as a function of depth is significantly lower than predicted by theory. Many dynamical processes are known to be missing from upper-ocean parameterizations of mixing in global models. These include surface-wave driven processes such as Langmuir turbulence, submesocale frontal processes, and nonlocal representations of mixing. Using velocity, hydrographic, and turbulence measurements, the existence of coherent structures in the boundary layer are investigated.

Phase-dependent space weathering effects and spectroscopic identification of retained helium in a lunar soil grain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgess, K. D.; Stroud, R. M.

2018-03-01

The solar wind is an important driver of space weathering on airless bodies. Over time, solar wind exposure alters the physical, chemical, and optical properties of exposed materials and can also impart a significant amount of helium into the surfaces of these bodies. However, common materials on the surface of the Moon, such as glass, crystalline silicates, and oxides, have highly variable responses to solar wind irradiation. We used scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) to examine the morphology and chemistry of a single grain of lunar soil that includes silicate glass, chromite and ilmenite, all present and exposed along the same surface. The exposure of the silicate glass and oxides to the same space weathering conditions allows for direct comparisons of the responses of natural materials to the complex lunar surface environment. The silicate glass shows minimal effects of solar wind irradiation, whereas both the chromite and ilmenite exhibit defect-rich rims that currently contain trapped helium. Only the weathered rim in ilmenite is rich in nanophase metallic iron (npFe0) and larger vesicles that retain helium at a range of internal pressures. The multiple exposed surfaces of the single grain of ilmenite demonstrate strong crystallographic controls of planar defects and non-spherical npFe0. The direct spectroscopic identification of helium in the vesicles and planar defects in the oxides provides additional evidence of the central role of solar wind irradiation in the formation of some common space weathering features.

Maintenance of Coastal Surface Blooms by Surface Temperature Stratification and Wind Drift

PubMed Central

Ruiz-de la Torre, Mary Carmen; Maske, Helmut; Ochoa, José; Almeda-Jauregui, César O.

2013-01-01

Algae blooms are an increasingly recurrent phenomenon of potentially socio-economic impact in coastal waters globally and in the coastal upwelling region off northern Baja California, Mexico. In coastal upwelling areas the diurnal wind pattern is directed towards the coast during the day. We regularly found positive Near Surface Temperature Stratification (NSTS), the resulting density stratification is expected to reduce the frictional coupling of the surface layer from deeper waters and allow for its more efficient wind transport. We propose that the net transport of the top layer of approximately 2.7 kilometers per day towards the coast helps maintain surface blooms of slow growing dinoflagellate such as Lingulodinium polyedrum. We measured: near surface stratification with a free-rising CTD profiler, trajectories of drifter buoys with attached thermographs, wind speed and direction, velocity profiles via an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, Chlorophyll and cell concentration from water samples and vertical migration using sediment traps. The ADCP and drifter data agree and show noticeable current shear within the first meters of the surface where temperature stratification and high cell densities of L. polyedrum were found during the day. Drifters with 1m depth drogue moved towards the shore, whereas drifters at 3 and 5 m depth showed trajectories parallel or away from shore. A small part of the surface population migrated down to the sea floor during night thus reducing horizontal dispersion. The persistent transport of the surface bloom population towards shore should help maintain the bloom in favorable environmental conditions with high nutrients, but also increasing the potential socioeconomic impact of the blooms. The coast wise transport is not limited to blooms but includes all dissolved and particulate constituents in surface waters. PMID:23593127

Maintenance of coastal surface blooms by surface temperature stratification and wind drift.

PubMed

Ruiz-de la Torre, Mary Carmen; Maske, Helmut; Ochoa, José; Almeda-Jauregui, César O

2013-01-01

Algae blooms are an increasingly recurrent phenomenon of potentially socio-economic impact in coastal waters globally and in the coastal upwelling region off northern Baja California, Mexico. In coastal upwelling areas the diurnal wind pattern is directed towards the coast during the day. We regularly found positive Near Surface Temperature Stratification (NSTS), the resulting density stratification is expected to reduce the frictional coupling of the surface layer from deeper waters and allow for its more efficient wind transport. We propose that the net transport of the top layer of approximately 2.7 kilometers per day towards the coast helps maintain surface blooms of slow growing dinoflagellate such as Lingulodinium polyedrum. We measured: near surface stratification with a free-rising CTD profiler, trajectories of drifter buoys with attached thermographs, wind speed and direction, velocity profiles via an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, Chlorophyll and cell concentration from water samples and vertical migration using sediment traps. The ADCP and drifter data agree and show noticeable current shear within the first meters of the surface where temperature stratification and high cell densities of L. polyedrum were found during the day. Drifters with 1m depth drogue moved towards the shore, whereas drifters at 3 and 5 m depth showed trajectories parallel or away from shore. A small part of the surface population migrated down to the sea floor during night thus reducing horizontal dispersion. The persistent transport of the surface bloom population towards shore should help maintain the bloom in favorable environmental conditions with high nutrients, but also increasing the potential socioeconomic impact of the blooms. The coast wise transport is not limited to blooms but includes all dissolved and particulate constituents in surface waters.

Grid-Free 2D Plasma Simulations of the Complex Interaction Between the Solar Wind and Small, Near-Earth Asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, M. I.; Farrell, W. M.; Poppe, A. R.

2014-01-01

We present results from a new grid-free 2D plasma simulation code applied to a small, unmagnetized body immersed in the streaming solar wind plasma. The body was purposely modeled as an irregular shape in order to examine photoemission and solar wind plasma flow in high detail on the dayside, night-side, terminator and surface-depressed 'pocket' regions. Our objective is to examine the overall morphology of the various plasma interaction regions that form around a small body like a small near-Earth asteroid (NEA). We find that the object obstructs the solar wind flow and creates a trailing wake region downstream, which involves the interplay between surface charging and ambipolar plasma expansion. Photoemission is modeled as a steady outflow of electrons from illuminated portions of the surface, and under direct illumination the surface forms a non-monotonic or ''double-sheath'' electric potential upstream of the body, which is important for understanding trajectories and equilibria of lofted dust grains in the presence of a complex asteroid geometry. The largest electric fields are found at the terminators, where ambipolar plasma expansion in the body-sized night-side wake merges seamlessly with the thin photoelectric sheath on the dayside. The pocket regions are found to be especially complex, with nearby sunlit regions of positive potential electrically connected to unlit negative potentials and forming adjacent natural electric dipoles. For objects near the surface, we find electrical dissipation times (through collection of local environmental solar wind currents) that vary over at least 5 orders of magnitude: from 39 Micro(s) inside the near-surface photoelectron cloud under direct sunlight to less than 1 s inside the particle-depleted night-side wake and shadowed pocket regions

NASA CYGNSS Ocean Wind Observations in the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruf, C. S.; Balasubramaniam, R.; Mayers, D.; McKague, D. S.

2017-12-01

The CYGNSS constellation of eight satellites was successfully launched on 15 December 2016 into a low inclination (tropical) Earth orbit to measure ocean surface wind speed in the inner core of tropical cyclones with better than 12 hour refresh rates. Each satellite carries a four-channel bi-static radar receiver that measures GPS signals scattered by the ocean, from which ocean surface roughness, near surface wind speed, and air-sea latent heat flux are estimated. The measurements are unique in several respects, most notably in their ability to penetrate through all levels of precipitation, made possible by the low frequency at which GPS operates, and in the frequent sampling of tropical cyclone intensification, made possible by the large number of satellites. Level 2 science data products have been developed for near surface (10 m referenced) ocean wind speed, ocean surface roughness (mean square slope) and latent heat flux. Level 3 gridded versions of the L2 products have also been developed. A set of Level 4 products have also been developed specifically for direct tropical cyclone overpasses. These include the storm intensity (peak sustained winds) and size (radius of maximum winds), its extent (34, 50 and 64 knot wind radii), and its integrated kinetic energy. Results of measurements made during the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, including frequent overpasses of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, will be presented.

WIND SPEED Monitoring in Northern Eurasia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulygina, O.; Korshunova, N. N.; Razuvaev, V. N.; Groisman, P. Y.

2016-12-01

The wind regime of Russia varies a great deal due to the large size of the country's territory and variety of climate and terrain conditions. Changes in the regime of surface wind are of great practical importance. They can affect heat and water balance. Strong wind is one of the most hazardous meteorological event for various sectors of economy and for infrastructure. The main objective of this research is to monitoring wind speed change in Northern Eurasia At meteorological stations wind speed and wind direction are measured at the height of 10-12 meters over the land surface with the help of wind meters or wind wanes. Calculations were made on the basis of data for the period of 1980-2015. It allowed the massive scale disruption of homogeneity to be eliminated and sufficient period needed to obtain sustainable statistic characteristics to be retained. Data on average and maximum wind speed measured at 1457 stations of Russia were used. The analysis of changes in wind characteristics was made on the basis of point data and series of average characteristics obtained for 18 quasi-homogeneous climatic regions. Statistical characteristics (average and maximum values of wind speed, prevailing wind direction, values of the boundary of the 90%, 95% and 99%-confidence interval in the distribution of maximum wind speed) were obtained for all seasons and for the year as a whole. Values of boundaries of the 95% and 99%-confidence interval in the distribution of maximum wind speed were considered as indicators of extremeness of the wind regime. The trend of changes in average and maximum wind speed was assessed with a linear trend coefficient. A special attention was paid to wind changes in the Arctic where dramatic changes in surface air temperature and sea ice extent and density have been observed during the past decade. The analysis of the results allowed seasonal and regional features of changes in the wind regime on the territory of the northern part of Eurasia to be determined. The outcomes could help to provide specific recommendations to users of hydrometeorological information for making reasonable decisions to minimize losses caused by adverse wind-related weather conditions. The work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (grant 14.B25.31.0026).

Investigation of statistical parameters of the evolving wind wave field using a laser slope gauge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavadsky, A.; Shemer, L.

2017-05-01

Statistical parameters of water waves generated by wind in a small scale facility are studied using extensively a Laser Slope Gauge (LSG), in addition to conventional measuring instruments such as a wave gauge and Pitot tube. The LSG enables direct measurements of two components of the instantaneous surface slope. Long sampling duration in a relatively small experimental facility allowed accumulating records of the measured parameters containing a large number of waves. Data were accumulated for a range of wind velocities at multiple fetches. Frequency spectra of the surface elevation and of the instantaneous local slope variation measured under identical conditions are compared. Higher moments of the surface slope are presented. Information on the waves' asymmetry is retrieved from the computed skewness of the surface slope components.

North Atlantic Surface Winds Examined as the Source of Warm Advection into Europe in Winter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otterman, J.; Angell, J. K.; Ardizzone, J.; Atlas, Robert; Schubert, S.; Starr, D.; Wu, M.-L.

2002-01-01

When from the southwest, North Atlantic ocean surface winds are known to bring warm and moist airmasses into central Europe in winter. By tracing backward trajectories from western Europe, we establish that these airmasses originate in the southwestern North Atlantic, in the very warm regions of the Gulf Stream. Over the eastern North Atlantic, Lt the gateway to Europe, the ocean-surface winds changed directions in the second half of the XXth century, those from the northwest and from the southeast becoming so infrequent, that the direction from the southwest became even more dominant. For the January-to-March period, the strength of south-westerlies in this region, as well as in the source region, shows in the years 1948-1995 a significant increase, above 0.2 m/sec/ decade. Based on the sensitivity of the surface temperature in Europe, slightly more than 1 C for a 1m/sec increase in the southwesterly wind, found in the previous studies, the trend in the warm advection accounts for a large part of the warming in Europe established for this period in several reports. However, for the most recent years, 1996-2001, the positive trend in the southwesterly advection appears to be is broken, which is consistent with unseasonally cold events reported in Europe in those winters. This study had, some bearing on evaluating the respective roles of the North Atlantic Oscillation and the Greenhouse Gas Global warming, GGG, in the strong winter warming observed for about half a century over the northern-latitude continents. Changes in the ocean-surface temperatures induced by GGG may have produced the dominant southwesterly direction of the North Atlantic winds. However, this implies a monotonically (apart from inherent interannual variability) increasing advection, and if the break in the trend which we observe after 1995 persists, this mechanism is counter-indicated. The 1948-1995 trend in the south-westerlies could then be considered to a large degree attributable to the North Atlantic Oscillation.

Investigation of Surface Waves in Deep and Shallow Water using Coherent Radars at Grazing Incidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckley, M.; Horstmann, J.; Carrasco, R.; Seemann, J.; Stresser, M.

2016-02-01

Coherent microwave radars operating at X-band near grazing incidence are utilized to measure the backscatter intensity and Doppler velocity from the small-scale surface roughness of the ocean. The radar backscatter is dependent on the wind and strongly modulated by the surface waves and therefore enables to retrieve the surface wind as well as surface waves. The radar measured Doppler velocities are also modulated by contributions from the wind, current and waves and allow getting additional information on these parameters. In addition coherent marine radars allow to observe breaking waves, which lead to a increase in radar backscatter as well as a strong change of the Doppler speed.Within this presentation we will introduce and validate new methods to measure spectral wave properties such as wave directions, periods and significant wave height from coherent marine radars. The methods have been applied in deep and shallow water and validated to measurements of directional wave riders as well as an Acoustic Wave and Current Profiler. These comparisons show an overall excellent performance of coherent radars for the retrieval of spectral wave properties (e.g. Hs rms of 0.2 m). Furthermore, new methodologies will be presented that enable to observe and quantify wave breaking in deep water as well as in the littoral zone. The above mentioned methods have been applied to investigate the influence of Offshore Wind Farms (OWF) on the wave field with respect to the spectral properties as well as the amount of wave breaking. We will present the results obtained during a cruise in May 2015 within and around the OWF Dantysk in the German Bight of the North Sea, which consist of eighty 3.5 MW wind turbines. In addition we will present our initial results on the investigation of wave dissipation in the littoral zone at the coast of the island Sylt using marine radars, pressure gauges as well as directional wave riders.

Diamagnetic effect in the foremoon solar wind observed by Kaguya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishino, M. N.; Saito, Y.; Tsunakawa, H.; Miyake, Y.; Harada, Y.; Yokota, S.; Takahashi, F.; Matsushima, M.; Shibuya, H.; Shimizu, H.

2016-12-01

Interaction between the lunar surface and incident solar wind is one of the crucial phenomena of the lunar plasma sciences. Recent observations by lunar orbiters revealed that strength of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) at spacecraft altitude increases over crustal magnetic fields on the dayside. In addition, variations of the IMF on the lunar night side have been reported in the viewpoint of diamagnetic effect around the lunar wake. However, few studies have been performed for the IMF over non-magnetized regions on the dayside. Here we show an event where strength of the IMF decreases at 100 km altitude on the lunar dayside (i.e. in the foremoon solar wind) when the IMF is almost parallel to the incident solar wind flow, comparing the upstream solar wind data from ACE and WIND with Kaguya magnetometer data. The lunar surface below the Kaguya orbit is not magnetized (or very weakly magnetized), and the sunward-travelling protons show signatures of those back-scattered at the lunar surface. We find that the decrease in the magnetic pressure is compensated by the thermal pressure of the back-scattered protons. In other words, the IMF strength in the foremoon solar wind decreases by diamagnetic effect of sunward-travelling protons back-scattered at the lunar dayside surface. Such diamagnetic effect would be prominent in the high-beta solar wind environment, and may be ubiquitous in the environment where planetary surface directly interacts with surrounding space plasma.

WindWizard: A New Tool for Fire Management Decision Support

Treesearch

Bret W. Butler; Mark Finney; Larry Bradshaw; Jason Forthofer; Chuck McHugh; Rick Stratton; Dan Jimenez

2006-01-01

A new software tool has been developed to simulate surface wind speed and direction at the 100m to 300 m scale. This tool is useful when trying to estimate fire behavior in mountainous terrain. It is based on widely used computational fluid dynamics technology and has been tested against measured wind flows. In recent years it has been used to support fire management...

On the role of high frequency waves in ocean altimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandemark, Douglas C.

This work mines a coastal and open ocean air-sea interaction field experiment data set where the goals are to refine satellite retrieval of wind, wind stress, and sea level using a microwave radar altimeter. The data were collected from a low-flying aircraft using a sensor suite designed to measure the surface waves, radar backscatter, the atmospheric flow, and turbulent fluxes within the marine boundary layer. This uncommon ensemble provides the means to address several specific altimeter-related topics. First, we examine and document the impact that non wind-driven gravity wave variability, e.g. swell, has upon the commonly-invoked direct relationship between altimeter backscatter and near surface wind speed. The demonstrated impact is larger in magnitude and more direct than previously suggested. The study also isolates the wind-dependence of short-scale slope variance and suggests its magnitude is somewhat lower than shown elsewhere while a second-order dependence on long waves is also evident. A second study assesses the hypothesis that wind-aligned swell interacts with the atmospheric boundary flow leading to a depressed level of turbulence. Cases of reduced drag coefficient at moderate wind speeds were in evidence within the data set, and buoy observations indicate that swell was present and a likely control during these events. Coincidentally, short-scale wave roughness was also depressed suggesting decreased wind stress. Attempts to confirm the theory failed, however, due to numerous limitations in the quantity and quality of the data in hand. A lesson learned is that decoupling atmospheric stability and wave impacts in field campaigns requires both a very large amount of data as well as vertical resolution of fluxes within the first 10--20 m of the surface.

Inclusion of surface gravity wave effects in vertical mixing parameterizations with application to Chesapeake Bay, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, A. W.; Sanford, L. P.; Scully, M. E.; Suttles, S. E.

2016-02-01

Enhancement of wind-driven mixing by Langmuir turbulence (LT) may have important implications for exchanges of mass and momentum in estuarine and coastal waters, but the transient nature of LT and observational constraints make quantifying its impact on vertical exchange difficult. Recent studies have shown that wind events can be of first order importance to circulation and mixing in estuaries, prompting this investigation into the ability of second-moment turbulence closure schemes to model wind-wave enhanced mixing in an estuarine environment. An instrumented turbulence tower was deployed in middle reaches of Chesapeake Bay in 2013 and collected observations of coherent structures consistent with LT that occurred under regions of breaking waves. Wave and turbulence measurements collected from a vertical array of Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters (ADVs) provided direct estimates of TKE, dissipation, turbulent length scale, and the surface wave field. Direct measurements of air-sea momentum and sensible heat fluxes were collected by a co-located ultrasonic anemometer deployed 3m above the water surface. Analyses of the data indicate that the combined presence of breaking waves and LT significantly influences air-sea momentum transfer, enhancing vertical mixing and acting to align stress in the surface mixed layer in the direction of Lagrangian shear. Here these observations are compared to the predictions of commonly used second-moment turbulence closures schemes, modified to account for the influence of wave breaking and LT. LT parameterizations are evaluated under neutrally stratified conditions and buoyancy damping parameterizations are evaluated under stably stratified conditions. We compare predicted turbulent quantities to observations for a variety of wind, wave, and stratification conditions. The effects of fetch-limited wave growth, surface buoyancy flux, and tidal distortion on wave mixing parameterizations will also be discussed.

Mars Pathfinder Landing Site: Evidence for a Change in Wind Regime from Lander and Orbiter Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, Ronald; Kraft, Michael D.; Kuzmin, Ruslan O.; Bridges, Nathan T.

2000-01-01

Surface features related to the wind are observed in the vicinity of the Mars Pathfinder (MPR landing site data from the lander and in data from orbit by the Viking Orbiter and Mars Global Surveyor missions. Features seen from the surface include wind tails associated with small rocks, barchanoid duneforms, ripplelike patterns, and ventifact flutes cut into some rocks. Features seen from orbit include wind tails associated with impact craters, ridges inferred to be duneforms, and modified crater rims interpreted to have been eroded and mantled by windblown material. The orientations of these features show two prevailing directions. One is inferred to represent winds from the northeast, which is consistent with strongest winds predicted by a general circulation model to occur during the Martian northern winter under current conditions. A second wind blowing from the ESE was responsible for modifying the crater rims and cutting some of the ventifacts. The two wind regimes could reflect a change in climate related to Mars' obliquity or some other, unknown factor. Regardless of the cause, the MPF area has been subjected to a complex pattern of winds and supply of small particles, and the original surface formed by sedimentary processes from Tiu and Ares Vallis flooding events has been modified by repeated burial and exhumation.

Subtidal circulation in a deep-silled fjord: Douglas Channel, British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Di; Hannah, Charles G.; Foreman, Michael G. G.; Dosso, Stan

2017-05-01

Douglas Channel, a deep fjord on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, is the main waterway in the fjord system that connects the town of Kitimat to Queen Charlotte Sound and Hecate Strait. A 200 m depth sill divides Douglas Channel into an outer and an inner basin. This study examines the low-frequency (from seasonal to meteorological bands) circulation in Douglas Channel from data collected at three moorings deployed during 2013-2015. The deep flows are dominated by a yearly renewal that takes place from May/June to early September. A dense bottom layer with a thickness of 100 m that cascades through the system at the speed of 0.1-0.2 m s-1, which is consistent with gravity currents. Estuarine flow dominates the circulation above the sill depth, and the observed landward net volume flux suggests that it is necessary to include the entire complex channel network to fully understand the estuarine circulation in the system. The influence of the wind forcing on the subtidal circulation is not only at the surface, but also at middepth. The along-channel wind dominates the surface current velocity fluctuations and the sea level response to the wind produces a velocity signal at 100-120 m in the counter-wind direction. Overall, the circulation in the seasonal and the meteorological bands is a mix of estuarine flow, direct wind-driven flow, and the barotropic and baroclinic responses to changes to the surface pressure gradient caused by the wind stress.

The dependence of sea surface slope on atmospheric stability and swell conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hwang, Paul A.; Shemdin, Omar H.

1988-01-01

A tower-mounted optical device is used to measure the two-orthogonal components of the sea surface slope. The results indicate that an unstable stratification at the air-sea interface tends to enhance the surface roughness. The presence of a long ocean swell system steers the primary direction of shortwave propagation away from wind direction, and may increase or reduce the mean square slope of the sea surface.

NASA's Newest SeaWinds Instrument Breezes Into Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

One of NASA's newest Earth-observing instruments, the SeaWinds scatterometer aboard Japan's Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (Adeos) 2--now renamed Midori 2--has successfully transmitted its first radar data to our home planet, generating its first high-quality images.

From its orbiting perch high above Earth, SeaWinds on Midori 2 ('midori' is Japanese for the color green, symbolizing the environment) will provide the world's most accurate, highest resolution and broadest geographic coverage of ocean wind speed and direction, sea ice extent and properties of Earth's land surfaces. It will complement and eventually replace an identical instrument orbiting since June 1999 on NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) satellite. Its three- to five-year mission will augment a long-term ocean surface wind data series that began in 1996 with launch of the NASA Scatterometer on Japan's first Adeos spacecraft.

Climatologists, meteorologists and oceanographers will soon routinely use data from SeaWinds on Midori 2 to understand and predict severe weather patterns, climate change and global weather abnormalities like El Nino. The data are expected to improve global and regional weather forecasts, ship routing and marine hazard avoidance, measurements of sea ice extent and the tracking of icebergs, among other uses.

'Midori 2, its SeaWinds instrument and associated ground processing systems are functioning very smoothly,' said Moshe Pniel, scatterometer projects manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 'Following initial checkout and calibration, we look forward to continuous operations, providing vital data to scientists and weather forecasters around the world.'

'These first images show remarkable detail over land, ice and oceans,' said Dr. Michael Freilich, Ocean Vector Winds Science Team Leader, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore. 'The combination of SeaWinds data and measurements from other instruments on Midori 2 with data from other international satellites will enable detailed studies of ocean circulation, air-sea interaction and climate variation simply not possible until now.'

The released image, obtained from data collected January 28-29, depicts Earth's continents in green, polar glacial ice-covered regions in blue-red and sea ice in gray. Color and intensity changes over ice and land are related to ice melting, variations in land surface roughness and vegetation cover. Ocean surface wind speeds, measured during a 12-hour period on January 28, are shown by colors, with blues corresponding to low wind speeds and reds to wind speeds up to 15 meters per second (30 knots). Black arrows denote wind direction. White gaps over the oceans represent unmeasured areas between SeaWinds swaths (the instrument measures winds over about 90 percent of the oceans each day).

SeaWinds transmits high-frequency microwave pulses to Earth's land masses, ice cover and ocean surface and measures the strength of the radar pulses that bounce back to the instrument. It takes millions of radar measurements covering about 93 percent of Earth's surface every day, operating under all weather conditions, day and night. Over the oceans, SeaWinds senses ripples caused by the winds, from which scientists can compute wind speed and direction. These ocean surface winds drive Earth's oceans and control the exchange of heat, moisture and gases between the atmosphere and the sea.

Launched December 14, 2002, from Japan, the instrument was first activated on January 10 and transitioned to its normal science mode on January 28. A four-day dedicated checkout period was completed on January 31. A six-month calibration/validation phase will begin in April, with regular science operations scheduled to begin this October.

SeaWinds on Midori 2 is managed for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, D.C., by JPL, which developed the instrument and performs instrument operations and science data processing, archiving and distribution. NASA also provides U.S. ground system support. The National Space Development Agency of Japan, or NASDA, provided the Midori 2 spacecraft, H-IIA launch vehicle, mission operations and the Japanese ground network. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides near-real-time data processing and distribution for SeaWinds operational data users. The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA.

Sensitivity of Turbine-Height Wind Speeds to Parameters in Planetary Boundary-Layer and Surface-Layer Schemes in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Ben; Qian, Yun; Berg, Larry K.

We evaluate the sensitivity of simulated turbine-height winds to 26 parameters applied in a planetary boundary layer (PBL) scheme and a surface layer scheme of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model over an area of complex terrain during the Columbia Basin Wind Energy Study. An efficient sampling algorithm and a generalized linear model are used to explore the multiple-dimensional parameter space and quantify the parametric sensitivity of modeled turbine-height winds. The results indicate that most of the variability in the ensemble simulations is contributed by parameters related to the dissipation of the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE), Prandtl number, turbulencemore » length scales, surface roughness, and the von Kármán constant. The relative contributions of individual parameters are found to be dependent on both the terrain slope and atmospheric stability. The parameter associated with the TKE dissipation rate is found to be the most important one, and a larger dissipation rate can produce larger hub-height winds. A larger Prandtl number results in weaker nighttime winds. Increasing surface roughness reduces the frequencies of both extremely weak and strong winds, implying a reduction in the variability of the wind speed. All of the above parameters can significantly affect the vertical profiles of wind speed, the altitude of the low-level jet and the magnitude of the wind shear strength. The wind direction is found to be modulated by the same subset of influential parameters. Remainder of abstract is in attachment.« less

Good Days, Bad Days: Wind as a Driver of Foraging Success in a Flightless Seabird, the Southern Rockhopper Penguin

PubMed Central

Dehnhard, Nina; Ludynia, Katrin; Poisbleau, Maud; Demongin, Laurent; Quillfeldt, Petra

2013-01-01

Due to their restricted foraging range, flightless seabirds are ideal models to study the short-term variability in foraging success in response to environmentally driven food availability. Wind can be a driver of upwelling and food abundance in marine ecosystems such as the Southern Ocean, where wind regime changes due to global warming may have important ecological consequences. Southern rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome) have undergone a dramatic population decline in the past decades, potentially due to changing environmental conditions. We used a weighbridge system to record daily foraging mass gain (the difference in mean mass of adults leaving the colony in the morning and returning to the colony in the evening) of adult penguins during the chick rearing in two breeding seasons. We related the day-to-day variability in foraging mass gain to ocean wind conditions (wind direction and wind speed) and tested for a relationship between wind speed and sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA). Foraging mass gain was highly variable among days, but did not differ between breeding seasons, chick rearing stages (guard and crèche) and sexes. It was strongly correlated between males and females, indicating synchronous changes among days. There was a significant interaction of wind direction and wind speed on daily foraging mass gain. Foraging mass gain was highest under moderate to strong winds from westerly directions and under weak winds from easterly directions, while decreasing under stronger easterly winds and storm conditions. Ocean wind speed showed a negative correlation with daily SSTA, suggesting that winds particularly from westerly directions might enhance upwelling and consequently the prey availability in the penguins' foraging areas. Our data emphasize the importance of small-scale, wind-induced patterns in prey availability on foraging success, a widely neglected aspect in seabird foraging studies, which might become more important with increasing changes in climatic variability. PMID:24236139

Observations of Near-Surface Relative Humidity in a Wind Turbine Array Boundary Layer Using an Instrumented Unmanned Aerial System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adkins, K. A.; Sescu, A.

2016-12-01

Simulation and modeling have shown that wind farms have an impact on the near-surface atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) as turbulent wakes generated by the turbines enhance vertical mixing. These changes alter downstream atmospheric properties. With a large portion of wind farms hosted within an agricultural context, changes to the environment can potentially have secondary impacts such as to the productivity of crops. With the exception of a few observational data sets that focus on the impact to near-surface temperature, little to no observational evidence exists. These few studies also lack high spatial resolution due to their use of a limited number of meteorological towers or remote sensing techniques. This study utilizes an instrumented small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) to gather in-situ field measurements from two Midwest wind farms, focusing on the impact that large utility-scale wind turbines have on relative humidity. Wind turbines are found to differentially alter the relative humidity in the downstream, spanwise and vertical directions under a variety of atmospheric stability conditions.

Calculation of wind-driven surface currents in the North Atlantic Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rees, T. H.; Turner, R. E.

1976-01-01

Calculations to simulate the wind driven near surface currents of the North Atlantic Ocean are described. The primitive equations were integrated on a finite difference grid with a horizontal resolution of 2.5 deg in longitude and latitude. The model ocean was homogeneous with a uniform depth of 100 m and with five levels in the vertical direction. A form of the rigid-lid approximation was applied. Generally, the computed surface current patterns agreed with observed currents. The development of a subsurface equatorial countercurrent was observed.

Surface Buoyancy Fluxes and the Strength of the Subpolar Gyre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogg, A. M.; Gayen, B.

2017-12-01

Midlatitude ocean gyres have long been considered to be driven by the mechanical wind stress on the ocean's surface (strictly speaking, the potential vorticity input from wind stress curl). However, surface buoyancy forcing (i.e. heating/cooling or freshening/salinification) also modifies the potential vorticity at the surface. Here, we present a simple argument to demonstrate that ocean gyres may (in principle) be driven by surface buoyancy forcing. This argument is derived in two ways: A Direct Numerical Simulation, driven purely by buoyancy forcing, which generates strong nonlinear gyers in the absence of wind stress; and A series of idealised eddy-resolving numerical ocean model simulations, in which wind stress and buoyancy flux are varied independently and together, are used to understand the relative importance of these two types of forcing. In these simulations, basin-scale gyres and western boundary currents with realistic magnitudes, remain even in the absence of mechanical forcing by surface wind stress. These results support the notion that surface buoyancy forcing can reorganise the potential vorticity in the ocean in such a way as to drive basin-scale gyres. The role of buoyancy is stronger in the subpolar gyre than in the subtropical gyre. We infer that surface buoyancy fluxes are likely to play a contributing role in governing the strength, variability and predictability of the North Atlantic subpolar gyre.

Wind and solar powered turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, I. D.; Koh, J. L.; Holmes, M. (Inventor)

1984-01-01

A power generating station having a generator driven by solar heat assisted ambient wind is described. A first plurality of radially extendng air passages direct ambient wind to a radial flow wind turbine disposed in a centrally located opening in a substantially disc-shaped structure. A solar radiation collecting surface having black bodies is disposed above the fist plurality of air passages and in communication with a second plurality of radial air passages. A cover plate enclosing the second plurality of radial air passages is transparent so as to permit solar radiation to effectively reach the black bodies. The second plurality of air passages direct ambient wind and thermal updrafts generated by the black bodies to an axial flow turbine. The rotating shaft of the turbines drive the generator. The solar and wind drien power generating system operates in electrical cogeneration mode with a fuel powered prime mover.

Nutrient and dust enrichment in Danish wind erosion sediments for different tillage directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammadian Behbahani, Ali; Fister, Wolfgang; Heckrath, Goswin; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

2015-04-01

More than 80% of the soil types in Denmark have a sandy texture. Denmark is also subject to strong offshore and onshore winds, therefore, Danish soils are considered especially vulnerable to wind erosion. Where conventional tillage operations are applied on poorly aggregated soils, tillage ridges are more or less the only roughness element that can be used to protect soils against wind erosion until crop plants are large enough to provide sufficient breaks. Since wind erosion is a selective process, it can be assumed that increasing erosion rates are associated with increasing loss of dust sized particles and nutrients. However, selective erosion is strongly affected by the orientation and respective trapping efficiency of tillage ridges and furrows. The main objective of this study, therefore, was to determine the effect of tillage direction on nutrient mobilization by wind erosion from agricultural land in Denmark. In order to assess the relationship between the enrichment ratio of specific particle sizes and the amount of eroded nutrients, three soils with loamy sand texture, but varying amounts of sand-sized particles, were selected. In addition, a soil with slightly less sand, but much higher organic matter content was chosen. The soils were tested with three different soil surface scenarios (flat surface, parallel tillage, perpendicular tillage) in a wind tunnel simulation. The parallel tillage operation experienced the greatest erosion rates, independent of soil type. Particles with D50 between 100-155 µm showed the greatest risk of erosion. However, due to a greater loss of dust sized particles from perpendicularly tilled surfaces, this wind-surface arrangement showed a significant increase in nutrient enrichment ratio compared to parallel tillage and flat surfaces. The main reason for this phenomenon is most probably the trapping of larger particles in the perpendicular furrows. This indicates that the highest rate of soil protection does not necessarily coincide with lowest soil nutrient losses and dust emissions. For the evaluation of protection measures on these soil types in Denmark it is, therefore, important to differentiate between their effectivity to reduce total soil erosion amount, dust emission, and nutrient loss.

Cross-wind profiling based on the scattered wave scintillation in a telescope focus.

PubMed

Banakh, V A; Marakasov, D A; Vorontsov, M A

2007-11-20

The problem of wind profile reconstruction from scintillation of an optical wave scattered off a rough surface in a telescope focus plane is considered. Both the expression for the spatiotemporal correlation function and the algorithm of cross-wind velocity and direction profiles reconstruction based on the spatiotemporal spectrum of intensity of an optical wave scattered by a diffuse target in a turbulent atmosphere are presented. Computer simulations performed under conditions of weak optical turbulence show wind profiles reconstruction by the developed algorithm.

Ocean Winds and Turbulent Air-Sea Fluxes Inferred From Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bourassa, Mark A.; Gille, Sarah T.; Jackson, Daren L.; Roberts, J. Brent; Wick, Gary A.

2010-01-01

Air-sea turbulent fluxes determine the exchange of momentum, heat, freshwater, and gas between the atmosphere and ocean. These exchange processes are critical to a broad range of research questions spanning length scales from meters to thousands of kilometers and time scales from hours to decades. Examples are discussed (section 2). The estimation of surface turbulent fluxes from satellite is challenging and fraught with considerable errors (section 3); however, recent developments in retrievals (section 3) will greatly reduce these errors. Goals for the future observing system are summarized in section 4. Surface fluxes are defined as the rate per unit area at which something (e.g., momentum, energy, moisture, or CO Z ) is transferred across the air/sea interface. Wind- and buoyancy-driven surface fluxes are called surface turbulent fluxes because the mixing and transport are due to turbulence. Examples of nonturbulent processes are radiative fluxes (e.g., solar radiation) and precipitation (Schmitt et al., 2010). Turbulent fluxes are strongly dependent on wind speed; therefore, observations of wind speed are critical for the calculation of all turbulent surface fluxes. Wind stress, the vertical transport of horizontal momentum, also depends on wind direction. Stress is very important for many ocean processes, including upper ocean currents (Dohan and Maximenko, 2010) and deep ocean currents (Lee et al., 2010). On short time scales, this horizontal transport is usually small compared to surface fluxes. For long-term processes, transport can be very important but again is usually small compared to surface fluxes.

Similarity scaling of turbulence in small temperate lake: implication for gas flux: implication for gas flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tedford, E. W.; MacIntyre, S.; Miller, S. D.; Czikowsky, M. J.

2013-12-01

The actively mixing layer, or surface layer, is the region of the upper mixed layer of lakes, oceans and the atmosphere directly influenced by wind, heating and cooling. Turbulence within the surface mixing layer has a direct impact on important ecological processes. The Monin-Obukhov length scale (LMO) is a critical length scale used in predicting and understanding turbulence in the actively mixed layer. On the water side of the air-water interface, LMO is defined as: LMO=-u*^3/(0.4 JB0) where u*, the shear velocity, is defined as (τ/rho)^0.5 where τ is the shear stress and rho is the density of water and JBO is the buoyancy flux at the surface. Above the depth equal to the absolute value of the Monin-Obukhov length scale (zMO), wind shear is assumed to dominate the production of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). Below zMO, the turbulence is assumed to be suppressed when JB0 is stabilizing (warming surface waters) and enhanced when the buoyancy flux is destabilizing (cooling surface waters). Our observed dissipations were well represented using the canonical similarity scaling equations. The Monin-Obukhov length scale was generally effective in separating the surface-mixing layer into two regions: an upper region, dominated by wind shear; and a lower region, dominated by buoyancy flux. During both heating and cooling and above a depth equal to |LMO|, turbulence was dominated by wind shear and dissipation followed law of the wall scaling although was slightly augmented by buoyancy flux during both heating and cooling. Below a depth equal to |LMO| during cooling, dissipation was nearly uniform with depth. Although distinguishing between an upper region of the actively mixing layer dominated by wind stress and a lower portion dominated by buoyancy flux is typically accurate the most accurate estimates of dissipation include the effects of both wind stress and buoyancy flux throughout the actively mixed layer. We demonstrate and discuss the impact of neglecting the non-dominant forcing (buoyancy flux above zMO and wind stress below zMO) above and below zMO.

Whitecap coverage from aerial photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Austin, R. W.

1970-01-01

A program for determining the feasibility of deriving sea surface wind speeds by remotely sensing ocean surface radiances in the nonglitter regions is discussed. With a knowledge of the duration and geographical extent of the wind field, information about the conventional sea state may be derived. The use of optical techniques for determining sea state has obvious limitations. For example, such means can be used only in daylight and only when a clear path of sight is available between the sensor and the surface. However, sensors and vehicles capable of providing the data needed for such techniques are planned for the near future; therefore, a secondary or backup capability can be provided with little added effort. The information currently being sought regarding white water coverage is also of direct interest to those working with passive microwave systems, the study of energy transfer between winds and ocean currents, the aerial estimation of wind speeds, and many others.

Characterization of the Boundary Layer Wind and Turbulence in the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pichugina, Y. L.; Banta, R. M.; Choukulkar, A.; Brewer, A.; Hardesty, R. M.; McCarty, B.; Marchbanks, R.

2014-12-01

A dataset of ship-borne Doppler lidar measurements taken in the Gulf of Mexico was analyzed to provide insight into marine boundary-layer (BL) features and wind-flow characteristics, as needed for offshore wind energy development. This dataset was obtained as part of the intensive Texas Air Quality Study in summer of 2006 (TexAQS06). During the project, the ship, the R/V Ronald H. Brown, cruised in tracks in the Gulf of Mexico along the Texas coast, in Galveston Bay, and in the Houston Ship Channel obtaining air chemistry and meteorological data, including vertical profile measurements of wind and temperature. The primary observing system used in this paper is NOAA/ESRL's High Resolution Doppler Lidar (HRDL), which features high-precision and high-resolution wind measurements and a motion compensation system to provide accurate wind data despite ship and wave motions. The boundary layer in this warm-water region was found to be weakly unstable typically to a depth of 300 m above the sea surface. HRDL data were analyzed to provide 15-min averaged profiles of wind flow properties (wind speed, direction, and turbulence) from the water surface up to 2.5 km at a vertical resolution of 15 m. The paper will present statistics and distributions of these parameters over a wide range of heights and under various atmospheric conditions. Detailed analysis of the BL features including LLJs, wind and directional ramps, and wind shear through the rotor level heights, along with examples of hub-height and equivalent wind will be presented. The paper will discuss the diurnal fluctuations of all quantities critical to wind energy and their variability along the Texas coast.

Estimating Sea Surface Salinity and Wind Using Combined Passive and Active L-Band Microwave Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yueh, Simon H.; Chaubell, Mario J.

2012-01-01

Several L-band microwave radiometer and radar missions have been, or will be, operating in space for land and ocean observations. These include the NASA Aquarius mission and the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, both of which use combined passive/ active L-band instruments. Aquarius s passive/active L-band microwave sensor has been designed to map the salinity field at the surface of the ocean from space. SMAP s primary objectives are for soil moisture and freeze/thaw detection, but it will operate continuously over the ocean, and hence will have significant potential for ocean surface research. In this innovation, an algorithm has been developed to retrieve simultaneously ocean surface salinity and wind from combined passive/active L-band microwave observations of sea surfaces. The algorithm takes advantage of the differing response of brightness temperatures and radar backscatter to salinity, wind speed, and direction, thus minimizing the least squares error (LSE) measure, which signifies the difference between measurements and model functions of brightness temperatures and radar backscatter. The algorithm uses the conjugate gradient method to search for the local minima of the LSE. Three LSE measures with different measurement combinations have been tested. The first LSE measure uses passive microwave data only with retrieval errors reaching 1 to 2 psu (practical salinity units) for salinity, and 1 to 2 m/s for wind speed. The second LSE measure uses both passive and active microwave data for vertical and horizontal polarizations. The addition of active microwave data significantly improves the retrieval accuracy by about a factor of five. To mitigate the impact of Faraday rotation on satellite observations, the third LSE measure uses measurement combinations invariant under the Faraday rotation. For Aquarius, the expected RMS SSS (sea surface salinity) error will be less than about 0.2 psu for low winds, and increases to 0.3 psu at 25 m/s wind speed for warm waters (25 C). To achieve the required 0.2 psu accuracy, the impact of sea surface roughness (e.g. wind-generated ripples) on the observed brightness temperature has to be corrected to better than one tenth of a degree Kelvin. With this algorithm, the accuracy of retrieved wind speed will be high, varying from a few tenths to 0.6 m/s. The expected direction accuracy is also excellent (less than 10 ) for mid to high winds, but degrades for lower speeds (less than 7 m/s).

Wind driven saltation: a hitherto overlooked challenge for life on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bak, Ebbe; Goul, Michael; Rasmussen, Martin; Moeller, Ralf; Nørnberg, Per; Knak Jensen, Svend; Finster, Kai

2017-04-01

The Martian surface is a hostile environment characterized by low water availability, low atmospheric pressure and high UV and ionizing radiation. Furthermore, wind-driven saltation leads to abrasion of silicates with a production of reactive surface sites and, through triboelectric charging, a release of electrical discharges with a concomitant production of reactive oxygen species. While the effects of low water availability, low pressure and radiation have been extensively studied in relation to the habitability of the Martian surface and the preservation of organic biosignatures, the effects of wind-driven saltation have hitherto been ignored. In this study, we have investigated the effect of exposing bacteria to wind-abraded silicates and directly to wind-driven saltation on Mars in controlled laboratory simulation experiments. Wind-driven saltation was simulated by tumbling mineral samples in a Mars-like atmosphere in sealed quartz ampoules. The effects on bacterial survival and structure were evaluated by colony forming unit counts in combination with scanning electron microscopy, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and life/dead-staining with flow cytometry. The viability of vegetative cells of P. putida, B. subtilis and D. radiodurans in aqueous suspensions was reduced by more than 99% by exposure to abraded basalt, while the viability of B. subtilis endospores was unaffected. B. subtilis mutants lacking different spore components were likewise highly resistant to the exposure to abraded basalt, which indicates that the resistance of spores is not associated with any specific spore component. We found a significant but reduced effect of abraded quartz and we suggest that the stress effect of abraded silicates is induced by a production of reactive oxygen species and hydroxyl radicals produced by Fenton-like reactions in the presence of transition metals. Direct exposure to simulated saltation had a dramatic effect on both D. radiodurans cells and B. subtilis spore with a more than 99.9% decrease in survival after 17 days. The high susceptibility of the usually multi-resistant D. radiodurans cells and B. sublitis spores to the effects of wind-driven saltation indicates that wind abraded silicates as well as direct exposure to saltation represent a considerable stress for microorganisms at the Martian surface, which may have limited the chance of indigenous life, could limit the risk of forward contamination and may have degraded potential organic biosignatures.

Shelter Index and a simple wind speed parameter to characterize vegetation control of sand transport threshold and Flu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillies, J. A.; Nield, J. M.; Nickling, W. G.; Furtak-Cole, E.

2014-12-01

Wind erosion and dust emissions occur in many dryland environments from a range of surfaces with different types and amounts of vegetation. Understanding how vegetation modulates these processes remains a research challenge. Here we present results from a study that examines the relationship between an index of shelter (SI=distance from a point to the nearest upwind vegetation/vegetation height) and particle threshold expressed as the ratio of wind speed measured at 0.45 times the mean plant height divided by the wind speed at 17 m when saltation commences, and saltation flux. The results are used to evaluate SI as a parameter to characterize the influence of vegetation on local winds and sediment transport conditions. Wind speed, wind direction, saltation activity and point saltation flux were measured at 35 locations in defined test areas (~13,000 m2) in two vegetation communities: mature streets of mesquite covered nebkhas and incipient nebkhas dominated by low mesquite plants. Measurement positions represent the most open areas, and hence those places most susceptible to wind erosion among the vegetation elements. Shelter index was calculated for each measurement position for each 10° wind direction bin using digital elevation models for each site acquired using terrestrial laser scanning. SI can show the susceptibility to wind erosion at different time scales, i.e., event, seasonal, or annual, but in a supply-limited system it can fail to define actual flux amounts due to a lack of knowledge of the distribution of sediment across the surface of interest with respect to the patterns of SI.

The Huygens Doppler Wind Experiment: Ten Years Ago

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bird, Michael; Dutta-Roy, Robin; Dzierma, Yvonne; Atkinson, David; Allison, Michael; Asmar, Sami; Folkner, William; Preston, Robert; Plettemeier, Dirk; Tyler, Len; Edenhofer, Peter

2015-04-01

The Huygens Doppler Wind Experiment (DWE) achieved its primary scientific goal: the derivation of Titan's vertical wind profile from the start of Probe descent to the surface. The carrier frequency of the ultra-stable Huygens radio signal at 2040 MHz was recorded using special narrow-band receivers at two large radio telescopes on Earth: the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia and the Parkes Radio Telescope in Australia. Huygens drifted predominantly eastward during the parachute descent, providing the first in situ confirmation of Titan's prograde super-rotational zonal winds. A region of surprisingly weak wind with associated strong vertical shear reversal was discovered within the range of altitudes from 65 to 100 km. Below this level, the zonal wind subsided monotonically from 35 m/s to about 7 km, at which point it reversed direction. The vertical profile of the near-surface winds implies the existence of a planetary boundary layer. Recent results on Titan atmospheric circulation within the context of the DWE will be reviewed.

Mars Pathfinder Landing Site: Evidence for a Change in Wind Regime and Climate from Lander and Orbiter Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, R.; Kraft, M. D.; Kuzmin, R. O.; Bridges, N. T.

1999-01-01

Surface features related to the wind are observed in data from the Mars Pathfinder lander and from orbit by the Viking Orbiter and Mars Global Surveyor missions. Features seen from the surface include wind tails associated with small rocks, barchanoid duneforms, ripplelike patterns, and ventifact flutes cut into some rocks. Features seen from orbit include wind tails associated with impact craters, ridges inferred to be duneforms, and modified crater rims interpreted to have been eroded and mantled by windblown material. The orientations of these features show two prevailing directions, one inferred to represent winds from the northeast which is consistent with strongest winds predicted by a general circulation model to occur during the Martian northern winter under current conditions, and a second wind pattern oriented approx. 90 degrees to the first. This latter wind could be from the W-NW or from the E-SE and was responsible for cutting the ventifacts and modifying the crater rims. The two wind regimes could reflect a change in climate related to Mars' obliquity or some other, unknown factor. Regardless of the cause, the MPF area has been subjected to a complex pattern of winds and supply of small particles, in which the original surface formed by sedimentary processes from Tiu and Ares Vallis events has been modified by repeated burial and exhumation.

Inventory of File nam.t00z.smartpr00.tm00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

layer WDIR analysis Wind Direction (from which blowing) [degtrue] 016 planetary boundary layer WIND analysis Wind Speed [m/s] 017 planetary boundary layer RH analysis Relative Humidity [%] 018 planetary boundary layer DIST analysis Geometric Height [m] 019 surface 4LFTX analysis Best (4 layer) Lifted Index [K

Inventory of File nam.t00z.smartak00.tm00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

layer WDIR analysis Wind Direction (from which blowing) [degtrue] 016 planetary boundary layer WIND analysis Wind Speed [m/s] 017 planetary boundary layer RH analysis Relative Humidity [%] 018 planetary boundary layer DIST analysis Geometric Height [m] 019 surface 4LFTX analysis Best (4 layer) Lifted Index [K

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.smartguam00.tm00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

boundary layer WDIR analysis Wind Direction (from which blowing) [degtrue] 013 planetary boundary layer WIND analysis Wind Speed [m/s] 014 planetary boundary layer RH analysis Relative Humidity [%] 015 planetary boundary layer DIST analysis Geometric Height [m] 016 surface 4LFTX analysis Best (4 layer) Lifted

Inventory of File nam.t00z.smarthi00.tm00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

layer WDIR analysis Wind Direction (from which blowing) [degtrue] 016 planetary boundary layer WIND analysis Wind Speed [m/s] 017 planetary boundary layer RH analysis Relative Humidity [%] 018 planetary boundary layer DIST analysis Geometric Height [m] 019 surface 4LFTX analysis Best (4 layer) Lifted Index [K

The viability of photovoltaics on the Martian surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Perez-Davis, Marla E.

1994-01-01

The viability of photovoltaics (PV) on the Martian surface may be determined by their ability to withstand significant degradation in the Martian environment. Probably the greatest threat is posed by fine dust particles which are continually blown about the surface of the planet. In an effort to determine the extent of the threat, and to investigate some abatement strategies, a series of experiments were conducted in the Martian Surface Wind Tunnel (MARSWIT) at NASA Ames Research Center. The effects of dust composition, particle size, wind velocity, angle of attack, and protective coatings on the transmittance of light through PV coverglass were determined. Both initially clear and initially dusted samples were subjected both to clear winds and simulated dust storms in the MARSWIT. It was found that wind velocity, particle size, and angle of attack are important parameters affecting occlusion of PV surfaces, while dust composition and protective coatings were not. Neither induced turbulence nor direct current biasing up to 200 volts were effective abatement techniques. Abrasion diffused the light impinging on the PV cells, but did not reduce total coverglass transmittance by more than a few percent.

Wave-Induced Momentum Flux over Wind-driven Surface Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yousefi, Kianoosh; Veron, Fabrice; Buckley, Marc; Husain, Nyla; Hara, Tetsu

2017-11-01

In recent years, the exchange of momentum between the atmosphere and the ocean has been the subject of several investigations. Although the role of surface waves on the air-sea momentum flux is now well established, detailed quantitative measurements of wave-induced momentum fluxes are lacking. In the current study, using a combined Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) system, we obtained laboratory measurements of the airflow velocity above surface waves for wind speeds ranging from 0.86 to 16.63 m s-1. The mean, turbulent, and wave-coherent velocity fields are then extracted from instantaneous measurements. Wave-induced stress can, therefore, be estimated. In strongly forced cases in high wind speeds, the wave-induced stress near the surface is a significant fraction of the total stress. At lower wind speeds and larger wave ages, the wave-induced stress is positive very close to the surface, below the critical height and decreases to a negative value further above the critical height. This indicates a shift in the direction of the wave-coherent momentum flux across the critical layer. NSF OCE1458977, NSF OCE1634051.

Nomographs for estimating surface fire behavior characteristics

Treesearch

Joe H. Scott

2007-01-01

A complete set of nomographs for estimating surface fire rate of spread and flame length for the original 13 and new 40 fire behavior fuel models is presented. The nomographs allow calculation of spread rate and flame length for wind in any direction with respect to slope and allow for nonheading spread directions. Basic instructions for use are included.

Northeast Coast, Hokkaido, Japan

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-04-02

The northeast coast of Hokkaido and Kunashir Island, Japan (44.0N, 143.0E) are seen bordered by drifting sea ice. The sea ice has formed a complex pattern of eddies in response to surface water currents and winds. Photos of this kind aid researchers in describing local ocean current patterns and the effects of wind speed and direction on the drift of surface material, such as ice floes or oil. Kunashir is the southernmost of the Kuril Islands.

Modern pollen distribution in the northeastern Indian Ocean and its significance.

PubMed

Luo, Chuanxiu; Jiang, Weiming; Chen, Chixin; Peng, Huanhuan; Xiang, Rong; Liu, Jianguo; Lu, Jun; Su, Xiang; Zhang, Qiang; Yang, Mingxi

2018-06-26

In order to provide a reference for reconstructing the paleoclimate of the northeastern Indian Ocean, 36 airborne pollen samples were analyzed using methods for airborne pollen, and 26 surface water samples were analyzed using a lab method for surface water. We found that little pollen is airborne over the Indian Ocean in spring, but airborne pollen types and concentrations can help to deduce paleomonsoon strength and direction. The conclusions included the following: (1) Pollen in the sediment was transported mainly via ocean currents instead of the early summer or spring wind. (2) Airborne pollen types and concentrations are proportional to the wind speed and inversely proportional to the pollen distance transported and depend on whether the wind is from the land or from the sea. If the wind is from the land, the pollen concentration is proportional to the angle between the wind direction and the coastline. (3) The pollen concentration in the sample collected from a water depth of 30-45 m is higher than in the samples collected from a depth of 5 m. The pollen concentration and salinity are higher in the equatorial area than in the Northern Hemisphere.

Santa Ana Winds Over Los Angeles

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-08

High-resolution ocean surface wind data from NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) illustrate the strength of Santa Ana winds that pounded Southern California this week, causing damage and spreading brush fires. The colored arrows represent various ranges of wind speed, which were still well in excess of 30 knots (34 miles per hour), even after reaching the ocean and weakening. Santa Ana winds are offshore and down-slope winds unique to Southern California that are usually channeled through mountain gaps. These Santa Ana winds extend more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) offshore before changing direction to flow along the shore. The wind speeds and directions are retrieved from range-compressed backscatter data measured by QuikScat that has much higher spatial resolution than QuikScat's standard data products. Useful applications of high-resolution science-quality wind products derived from range-compressed backscatter have been demonstrated in two scientific papers: one on Hurricane Floyd and the other on Catalina Eddies. This is the first demonstration on near-real-time retrieval applications. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03892

Ocean surface waves in Hurricane Ike (2008) and Superstorm Sandy (2012): Coupled model predictions and observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shuyi S.; Curcic, Milan

2016-07-01

Forecasting hurricane impacts of extreme winds and flooding requires accurate prediction of hurricane structure and storm-induced ocean surface waves days in advance. The waves are complex, especially near landfall when the hurricane winds and water depth varies significantly and the surface waves refract, shoal and dissipate. In this study, we examine the spatial structure, magnitude, and directional spectrum of hurricane-induced ocean waves using a high resolution, fully coupled atmosphere-wave-ocean model and observations. The coupled model predictions of ocean surface waves in Hurricane Ike (2008) over the Gulf of Mexico and Superstorm Sandy (2012) in the northeastern Atlantic and coastal region are evaluated with the NDBC buoy and satellite altimeter observations. Although there are characteristics that are general to ocean waves in both hurricanes as documented in previous studies, wave fields in Ike and Sandy possess unique properties due mostly to the distinct wind fields and coastal bathymetry in the two storms. Several processes are found to significantly modulate hurricane surface waves near landfall. First, the phase speed and group velocities decrease as the waves become shorter and steeper in shallow water, effectively increasing surface roughness and wind stress. Second, the bottom-induced refraction acts to turn the waves toward the coast, increasing the misalignment between the wind and waves. Third, as the hurricane translates over land, the left side of the storm center is characterized by offshore winds over very short fetch, which opposes incoming swell. Landfalling hurricanes produce broader wave spectra overall than that of the open ocean. The front-left quadrant is most complex, where the combination of windsea, swell propagating against the wind, increasing wind-wave stress, and interaction with the coastal topography requires a fully coupled model to meet these challenges in hurricane wave and surge prediction.

Wind flow modulation due to variations of the water surface roughness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shomina, Olga; Ermakov, Stanislav; Kapustin, Ivan; Lazareva, Tatiana

2016-04-01

Air-ocean interaction is a classical problem in atmosphere and ocean physics, which has important geophysical applications related to calculation of vertical and horizontal humidity, aerosol and gas fluxes, development of global climate models and weather forecasts. The structure of wind flow over fixed underlying surfaces, such as forestry, buildings, mountains, is well described, while the interaction between a rough water surface and turbulent wind is far more complicated because of the presence of wind waves with different wavelength and amplitudes and propagating with different velocities and directions. The aim of this study was to investigate experimentally the variability of the wind profile structure due to variations of wave characteristics. The surface roughness variations were produced using a) surfactant films (oleic acid) spread on the water surface and b) mechanically generated waves superimposed on wind waves. The first case is related to oil slicks on sea surface, the second one - to the sea swell, which propagates into zones with lower wind velocities and interacts with wind flow. Laboratory experiments were conducted in the Oval Wind Wave Tank (OWWT) at the Institute of Applied Physics, cross-section of the wind channel is 30 cm x30 cm. Wave amplitude and the spectrum of surface waves were measured by a wire wave gauge, the wind speed was measured using a hot-wire anemometer DISA and a Pitot tube. In the experiments with surfactants, two frequencies of dripping of the oleic acid were studied, so that low concentration films with the elasticity parameters of about 19 mN/m and the high concentration ("thick") films with the elasticity of 34 mN/m were formed. In the experiments with mechanically generated waves (MGW) different regimes were studied with MGW amplitude of 3.4 mm and of 4.4 mm, and with MGW frequencies of 3.3 Hz and 3.7 Hz. It was shown, that: a) the mean velocity of the wind flow in the presence of surfactant and MGW can be described by a logarithmic profile; b) in the presence of a surfactant film an increase of wind speed was revealed; the more elastic films was deployed on the surface - the stronger wind acceleration was detected; c) MGW result in deceleration of wind flow, the larger MGW amplitude the stronger wind flow reduction is; d) the wind deceleration effect is more pronounced for MGW with higher frequency, i.e. for slower propagating MGW. e) experimental dependencies of the logarithmic wind profile characteristics as functions of the rout mean square (RMS) wave height were obtained demonstrating the growth of the wind friction velocity and the roughness coefficient with RMS. The work has been supported by the Russian Foundation of Basic Research (Projects № 14-05-31535, 14-05-00876, 15-35-20992).

Optimizing wind farm layout via LES-calibrated geometric models inclusive of wind direction and atmospheric stability effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archer, Cristina; Ghaisas, Niranjan

2015-04-01

The energy generation at a wind farm is controlled primarily by the average wind speed at hub height. However, two other factors impact wind farm performance: 1) the layout of the wind turbines, in terms of spacing between turbines along and across the prevailing wind direction; staggering or aligning consecutive rows; angles between rows, columns, and prevailing wind direction); and 2) atmospheric stability, which is a measure of whether vertical motion is enhanced (unstable), suppressed (stable), or neither (neutral). Studying both factors and their complex interplay with Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) is a valid approach because it produces high-resolution, 3D, turbulent fields, such as wind velocity, temperature, and momentum and heat fluxes, and it properly accounts for the interactions between wind turbine blades and the surrounding atmospheric and near-surface properties. However, LES are computationally expensive and simulating all the possible combinations of wind directions, atmospheric stabilities, and turbine layouts to identify the optimal wind farm configuration is practically unfeasible today. A new, geometry-based method is proposed that is computationally inexpensive and that combines simple geometric quantities with a minimal number of LES simulations to identify the optimal wind turbine layout, taking into account not only the actual frequency distribution of wind directions (i.e., wind rose) at the site of interest, but also atmospheric stability. The geometry-based method is calibrated with LES of the Lillgrund wind farm conducted with the Software for Offshore/onshore Wind Farm Applications (SOWFA), based on the open-access OpenFOAM libraries. The geometric quantities that offer the best correlations (>0.93) with the LES results are the blockage ratio, defined as the fraction of the swept area of a wind turbine that is blocked by an upstream turbine, and the blockage distance, the weighted distance from a given turbine to all upstream turbines that can potentially block it. Based on blockage ratio and distance, an optimization procedure is proposed that explores many different layout variables and identifies, given actual wind direction and stability distributions, the optimal wind farm layout, i.e., the one with the highest wind energy production. The optimization procedure is applied to both the calibration wind farm (Lillgrund) and a test wind farm (Horns Rev) and a number of layouts more efficient than the existing ones are identified. The optimization procedure based on geometric models proposed here can be applied very quickly (within a few hours) to any proposed wind farm, once enough information on wind direction frequency and, if available, atmospheric stability frequency has been gathered and once the number of turbines and/or the areal extent of the wind farm have been identified.

Remote sensing tools to study ocean biogeochemistry: state of the art

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carr, M. E.

2001-01-01

Remote sensing of the world ocean presently provides measurements of sea-surface temperature, sea surface height, wind speed and direction, and ocean color, from which chlorophyll concentration and aerosol optical thickness are obtained.

Numerical modeling of wind turbine aerodynamic noise in the time domain.

PubMed

Lee, Seunghoon; Lee, Seungmin; Lee, Soogab

2013-02-01

Aerodynamic noise from a wind turbine is numerically modeled in the time domain. An analytic trailing edge noise model is used to determine the unsteady pressure on the blade surface. The far-field noise due to the unsteady pressure is calculated using the acoustic analogy theory. By using a strip theory approach, the two-dimensional noise model is applied to rotating wind turbine blades. The numerical results indicate that, although the operating and atmospheric conditions are identical, the acoustical characteristics of wind turbine noise can be quite different with respect to the distance and direction from the wind turbine.

Spatial Variability of Surface Irradiance Measurements at the Manus ARM Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riihimaki, Laura D.; Long, Charles N.

2014-05-16

The location of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site on Manus island in Papua New Guinea was chosen because it is very close the coast, in a geographically at, near-sea level area of the island, minimizing the impact of local island effects on the meteorology of the measurements [Ackerman et al., 1999]. In this study, we confirm that the Manus site is in deed less impacted by the island meteorology than slightly inland by comparing over a year of broadband surface irradiance and ceilometer measurements and derived quantities at the standard Manus site and a second location 7 km awaymore » as part of the AMIE-Manus campaign. The two sites show statistically similar distributions of irradiance and other derived quantities for all wind directions except easterly winds, when the inland site is down wind from the standard Manus site. Under easterly wind conditions, which occur 17% of the time, there is a higher occurrence of cloudiness at the down wind site likely do to land heating and orographic effects. This increased cloudiness is caused by shallow, broken clouds often with bases around 700 m in altitude. While the central Manus site consistently measures a frequency of occurrence of low clouds (cloud base height less than 1200 m) about 25+4% regardless of wind direction, the AMIE site has higher frequencies of low clouds (38%) when winds are from the east. This increase in low, locally produced clouds causes an additional -20 W/m2 shortwave surface cloud radiative effect at the AMIE site in easterly conditions than in other meteorological conditions that exhibit better agreement between the two sites.« less

Observations of the microclimate of a lake under cold air advective conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bill, R. G., Jr.; Sutherland, R. A.; Bartholic, J. F.

1977-01-01

The moderating effects of Lake Apopka, Florida, on downwind surface temperatures were evaluated under cold air advective conditions. Point temperature measurements north and south of the lake and data obtained from the NOAA satellite and a thermal scanner flown at 1.6 km, indicate that, under conditions of moderate winds (approximately 4m/sec), surface temperatures directly downwind may be higher than surrounding surface temperatures by as much as 5 C. With surface wind speed less than 1m/sec, no substantial temperature effects were observed. Results of this study are being used in land use planning, lake level control and in agriculture for selecting planting sites.

Measurements of Heat Flux Differences Within a Large Wind Farm During the 2013 Crop/Wind-Energy Experiment (CWEX-13)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajewski, D. A.

2015-12-01

Wind farms are an important resource for electrical generation in the Central U.S., however with each installation there are many poorly documented interactions with the local and surrounding environment. The impact of wind farms on surface microclimate is largely understood conceptually using numerical or wind tunnel models or ex situ satellite-detected changes. Measurements suitable for calibration of numerical simulations are few and of limited applicability but are urgently needed to improve parameterization of wind farm aerodynamics influenced by the diurnal evolution of the boundary layer. Among large eddy simulations of wind farm wakes in thermally stable stratification, there are discrepancies on the influence of turbine-induced mixing on the surface heat flux. We provide measurements from seven surface flux stations, vertical profiling LiDARs located upwind and downwind of turbines, and SCADA measurements from turbines during the 2013 Crop Wind Energy Experiment (CWEX-13) as the best evidence for the variability of turbine induced heat flux within a large wind farm. Examination of ambient conditions (wind direction, wind veer, and thermal stratification) and on turbine operation factors (hub-height wind speed, normalized power) reveal conditions that lead to the largest modification of heat flux. Our results demonstrate the highest flux change from the reference station to be where the leading few lines of turbines influence the surface. Under stably stratified conditions turbine-scale turbulence is highly efficient at bringing warmer air aloft to the surface, leading to an increase in downward heat flux. Conversely we see that the combination of wakes from several lines of turbines reduces the flux contrast from the reference station. In this regime of deep wind-farm flow, wake turbulence is similar in scale and intensity to the reference conditions. These analysis tools can be extended to other turbine SCADA and microclimate variables (e.g. temperature) to improve basic understanding of turbine-turbine and total wind farm wake interactions. Forthcoming tall-tower measurements will provide additional opportunities for comparison of simulated wind and thermal profiles in non-wake, and waked flow conditions.

Development and application of gravity-capillary wave fourier analysis for the study of air-sea interaction physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacKenzie Laxague, Nathan Jean

Short ocean waves play a crucial role in the physical coupling between the ocean and the atmosphere. This is particularly true for gravity-capillary waves, waves of a scale (O(0.01-0.1) m) such that they are similarly restored to equilibrium by gravitational and interfacial tension (capillary) effects. These waves are inextricably linked to the turbulent boundary layer processes which characterize near-interfacial flows, acting as mediators of the momentum, gas, and heat fluxes which bear greatly on surface material transport, tropical storms, and climatic processes. The observation of these waves and the fluid mechanical phenomena which govern their behavior has long posed challenges to the would-be observer. This is due in no small part to the delicacy of centimeter-scale waves and the sensitivity of their properties to disruption via tactile measurement. With the ever-growing interest in satellite remote sensing, direct observations of short wave characteristics are needed along coastal margins. These zones are characterized by a diversity of physical processes which can affect the short-scale sea surface topography that is directly sensed via radar backscatter. In a related vein, these observations are needed to more fully understand the specific hydrodynamic relationship between young, wind-generated gravity-capillary waves and longer gravity waves. Furthermore, understanding of the full oceanic current profile is hampered by a lack of observations in the near-surface domain (z = O(0.01-0.1) m), where flows can differ greatly from those at depth. Here I present the development of analytical techniques for describing gravity-capillary ocean surface waves in order to better understand their role in the mechanical coupling between the atmosphere and ocean. This is divided amongst a number of research topics, each connecting short ocean surface waves to a physical forcing process via the transfer of momentum. One involves the examination of the sensitivity of short ocean surface waves to atmospheric forcing. Another is the exploration of long wave-short wave interactions and their effects on air-sea interaction vis-a-vis hydrodynamic modulation. The third and final topic is the characterization of the gravity-capillary regime of the wavenumber-frequency spectrum for the purpose of retrieving near-surface, wind-driven current. All of these fit as part of the desire to more fully describe the mechanism by which momentum is transferred across the air-sea interface and to discuss the consequences of this flux in the very near-surface layer of the ocean. Gravity-capillary waves are found to have an outsize share of ocean surface roughness, with short wave spectral peaks showing a connection to turbulent atmospheric stress. Short wave modulation is found to occur strongest at high wavenumbers at the lowest wind speeds, with peak modulation occurring immediately downwind of the long wave crest. Furthermore, short scale roughness enhancement is found to occur upwind of the long wave crest for increasing wind forcing magnitude. Observations of the near-surface current profile show that flows retrieved via this method agree well with the results of camera-tracked dye. Application of this method to data collected in the mouth of the Columbia River (MCR) indicates the presence of a near-surface current component that departs considerably from the tidal flow and orients into the wind stress direction. These observations demonstrate that wind speed-based parameterizations may not be sufficient to estimate wind drift and hold implications for the way in which surface material (e.g., debris or spilled oil) transport is estimated when atmospheric stress is of relatively high magnitude or is steered off the mean wind direction.

Simulation of the Impact of New Aircraft- and Satellite-based Ocean Surface Wind Measurements on Estimates of Hurricane Intensity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uhlhorn, Eric; Atlas, Robert; Black, Peter; Buckley, Courtney; Chen, Shuyi; El-Nimri, Salem; Hood, Robbie; Johnson, James; Jones, Linwood; Miller, Timothy;

Determination of surface stress by Seasat-SASS - A case study with JASIN data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, W. T.; Large, W. G.

1981-01-01

The values of sea surface stress determined with the dissipation method and those determined with a surface-layer model from observations on F.S. Meteor during the Joint Air-Sea Interaction (JASIN) Experiment are compared with the backscatter coefficients measured by the scatterometer SASS on the satellite Seasat. This study demonstrates that SASS can be used to determine surface stress directly as well as wind speed. The quality of the surface observations used in the calibration of the retrieval algorithms, however, is important. This sample of measurements disagrees with the predictions by the existing wind retrieval algorithm under non-neutral conditions and the discrepancies depend on atmospheric stability.

The marbll experiment: towards a martian wind lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Määttänen, Anni; Ravetta, François; Montmessin, Franck; Bruneau, Didier; Mariscal, Jean-François; Van Haecke, Mathilde; Fayolle, Guillaume; Montaron, Christophe; Coscia, David

2018-04-01

Operating a lidar on Mars would fulfill the need of accessing wind and aerosol profiles in the atmospheric boundary layer. This is the purpose of the MARs Boundary Layer Lidar (MARBLL) instrument. We report recent developments of this compact direct-detection wind lidar designed to operate from the surface of Mars. A new laser source has been developed and an azimuthal scanning capability has been added. Preliminary results of a field campaign are presented.

Sea wind parameters retrieval using Y-configured Doppler navigation system data. Performance and accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khachaturian, A. B.; Nekrasov, A. V.; Bogachev, M. I.

2018-05-01

The authors report the results of the computer simulations of the performance and accuracy of the sea wind speed and direction retrieval. The analyzed measurements over the sea surface are made by the airborne microwave Doppler navigation system (DNS) with three Y-configured beams operated as a scatterometer enhancing its functionality. Single- and double-stage wind measurement procedures are proposed and recommendations for their implementation are described.

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.smartguam24.tm00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

boundary layer WDIR 24 hour fcst Wind Direction (from which blowing) [degtrue] 016 planetary boundary layer WIND 24 hour fcst Wind Speed [m/s] 017 planetary boundary layer RH 24 hour fcst Relative Humidity [%] 018 planetary boundary layer DIST 24 hour fcst Geometric Height [m] 019 surface 4LFTX 24 hour fcst

Memnonia Sulci

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-24

The elongated hills in this VIS image are a feature termed yardangs. Yardangs are formed by wind activity in regions where the surface material is not well cemented. The elongation indicates the direction of the wind. Orbit Number: 65299 Latitude: -10.1078 Longitude: 183.91 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-09-02 13:39 http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21019

The Impact of Sea-Surface Winds on Meteorological Conditions in Israel: An Initial Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otterman, J.; Saaroni, H.; Atlas, R.; Ardizzone, J.; Ben-Dor, E.; Druyan, L.; Jusem, C. J.; Karnieli, A.; Terry, J.

2000-01-01

The SSM/I (Spectral Sensor Microwave Imager) dataset is used to monitor surface wind speed and direction at four locations over the Eastern Mediterranean during December 1998 - January 1999. Time series of these data are compared to concurrent series of precipitation, surface temperature, humidity and winds at selected Israeli stations: Sde Dov (coastal), Bet Dagan (5 km. inland), Jerusalem (Judean Hills), Hafetz Haim (3 km. inland) and Sde Boker (central Negev). December 1998 and the beginning of January 1999 were dry in Israel, but significant precipitation was recorded at many stations during the second half of January (1999). SSM/I data show a surge in westerly surface winds west of Israel (32 N, 32.5 E) on 15 January, coinciding with the renewal of precipitation. We discuss the relevant circulation and pressure patterns during this transition in the context of the evolving meteorological conditions at the selected Israeli locations. The SSM/I dataset of near ocean surface winds, available for the last 12 years, is described. We analyze lagged correlation between these data and the Israeli station data and investigate possibility of predictive skill. Application of such relationships to short-term weather prediction would require real-time access to the SSM/I observations.

The observation of ocean surface phenomena using imagery from the SEASAT synthetic aperture radar: An assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vesecky, John F.; Stewart, Robert H.

1982-04-01

Over the period July 4 to October 10, 1978, the SEASAT synthetic aperture radar (SAR) gathered 23 cm wavelength radar images of some 108 km2 of the earth's surface, mainly of ocean areas, at 25-40 m resolution. Our assessment is in terms of oceanographic and ocean monitoring objectives and is directed toward discovering the proper role of SAR imagery in these areas of interest. In general, SAR appears to have two major and somewhat overlapping roles: first, quantitative measurement of ocean phenomena, like long gravity waves and wind fields, as well as measurement of ships; second, exploratory observations of large-scale ocean phenomena, such as the Gulf Stream and its eddies, internal waves, and ocean fronts. These roles are greatly enhanced by the ability of 23 cm SAR to operate day or night and through clouds. To begin we review some basics of synthetic aperture radar and its implementation on the SEASAT spacecraft. SEASAT SAR imagery of the ocean is fundamentally a map of the radar scattering characteristics of ˜30 cm wavelength ocean waves, distorted in some cases by ocean surface motion. We discuss how wind stress, surface currents, long gravity waves, and surface films modulate the scattering properties of these resonant waves with particular emphasis on the mechanisms that could produce images of long gravity waves. Doppler effects by ocean motion are also briefly described. Measurements of long (wavelength ≳100 m) gravity waves, using SEASAT SAR imagery, are compared with surface measurements during several experiments. Combining these results we find that dominant wavelength and direction are measured by SEASAT SAR within ±12% and ±15°, respectively. However, we note that ocean waves are not always visible in SAR images and discuss detection criteria in terms of wave height, length, and direction. SAR estimates of omnidirectional wave height spectra made by assuming that SAR image intensity is proportional to surface height fluctuations are more similar to corresponding surface measurements of wave height spectra than to wave slope spectra. Because SEASAT SAR images show the radar cross section σ° of ˜30 cm waves (neglecting doppler effects), and because these waves are raised by wind stress on the ocean surface, wind measurements are possible. Comparison between wind speeds estimated from SEASAT SAR imagery and from the SEASAT satellite scatterometer (SASS) agreed to within ±0.7 m s- over a 350-km comparison track and for wind speeds from 2 to 15 m s-. The great potential of SAR wind measurements lies in studying the spatial structure of the wind field over a range of spatial scales of from ≲1 km to ≳100 km. At present, the spatial and temporal structure of ocean wind fields is largely unknown. Because SAR responds to short waves whose energy density is a function of wind stress at the surface rather than wind speed at some distance above the surface, variations in image intensity may also reflect changes in air-sea temperature difference (thus complicating wind measurements by SAR). Because SAR images show the effects of surface current shear, air-sea temperature difference, and surface films through their modulation of the ˜30 cm waves, SEASAT images can be used to locate and study the Gulf Stream and related warm water rings, tidal flows at inlets, internal waves, and slicks resulting from surface films. In many of these applications, SAR provides a remote sensing capability that is complementary to infrared imagery because the two techniques sense largely different properties, namely, surface roughness and temperature. Both stationary ships and moving ships with their attendant wakes are often seen in SAR images. Ship images can be used to estimate ship size, heading, and speed. However, ships known to be in areas imaged by SAR are not always detectable. Clearly, a variety of factors, such as image resolution, ship size, sea state, and winds could affect ship detection. Overall, the role of SAR imagery in oceanography is definitely evolving at this time, but its ultimate role is unclear. We have assessed the ability of SEASAT SAR to measure a variety of ocean phenomena and have commented briefly on applications. In the end, oceanographers and others will have to judge from these capabilities the proper place for SAR in oceanography and remote sensing of the ocean.

Relationship between gas exchange, wind speed, and radar backscatter in a large wind-wave tank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wanninkhof, Richard H.; Bliven, L. F.

1991-01-01

The relationships between the gas exchange, wind speed, friction velocity, and radar backscatter from the water surface was investigated using data obtained in a large water tank in the Delft (Netherlands) wind-wave tunnel, filled with water supersaturated with SF6, N2O, and CH4. Results indicate that the gas-transfer velocities of these substances were related to the wind speed with a power law dependence. Microwave backscatter from water surface was found to be related to gas transfer velocities by a relationship in the form k(gas) = a 10 exp (b A0), where k is the gas transfer velocity for the particular gas, the values of a and b are obtained from a least squares fit of the average backscatter cross section and gas transfer at 80 m, and A0 is the directional (azimuthal) averaged return.

Impacts of Wind Farms on Local Land Surface Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, L.; Tian, Y.; Baidya Roy, S.; Thorncroft, C.; Bosart, L. F.; Hu, Y.

2012-12-01

The U.S. wind industry has experienced a remarkably rapid expansion of capacity in recent years and this rapid growth is expected to continue in the future. While converting wind's kinetic energy into electricity, wind turbines modify surface-atmosphere exchanges and transfer of energy, momentum, mass and moisture within the atmosphere. These changes, if spatially large enough, may have noticeable impacts on local to regional weather and climate. Here we present observational evidence for such impacts based on analyses of satellite derived land surface temperature (LST) data at ~1.1 km for the period of 2003-2011 over a region in West-Central Texas, where four of the world's largest wind farms are located. Our results show a warming effect of up to 0.7 degrees C at nighttime for the 9-year period during which data was collected, over wind farms relative to nearby non wind farm regions and this warming is gradually enhanced with time, while the effect at daytime is small. The spatial pattern and magnitude of this warming effect couple very well with the geographic distribution of wind turbines and such coupling is stronger at nighttime than daytime and in summer than winter. These results suggest that the warming effect is very likely attributable to the development of wind farms. This inference is consistent with the increasing number of operational wind turbines with time during the study period, the diurnal and seasonal variations in the frequency of wind speed and direction distribution, and the changes in near-surface atmospheric boundary layer conditions due to wind farm operations. Figure 1: Nighttime land surface temperature (LST, C) differences between 2010 and 2003 (2010 minus 2003) in summer (June-July-August). Pixels with plus symbol have at least one wind turbine. A regional mean value (0.592 C) was removed to emphasize the relative LST changes at pixel level and so the resulting warming or cooling rate represents a change relative to the regional mean value. The LST data were derived from MODIS (Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer) instruments on NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites. Note that LST measures the radiometric temperature of the Earth's surface itself - It has a larger diurnal variation than surface air temperature used in daily weather reports.

Aerosol Sampling with Low Wind Sensitivity.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalatoor, Suresh

Occupational exposure to airborne particles is generally evaluated by wearing a personal sampler that collects aerosol particles from the worker's breathing zone during the work cycle. The overall sampling efficiency of most currently available samplers is sensitive to wind velocity and direction. In addition, most samplers have internal losses due to gravitational settling, electrostatic interactions, and internal turbulence. A new sampling technique has been developed, theoretically and experimentally evaluated, and compared to existing techniques. The overall sampling efficiency of the protoype sampler was compared to that of a commonly used sampler, 25 mm closed-face cassette. Uranine was used as the challange aerosol with particle physical diameters 13.5, 20 and 30 mum. The wind velocity ranged from 100 to 300 cm s^ {-1}. It was found to have less internal losses and less dependence on wind velocity and direction. It also yielded better uniformity in the distribution of large particles on the filter surface, an advantage for several types of analysis. A new general equation for sharp-edged inlets was developed that predicts the sampling efficiency of sharp-edged (or thin-walled) inlets in most occupational environments that are weakly disturbed with air motions that cannot be strictly classified as calm-air or fast -moving air. Computational analysis was carried out using the new general equation and was applied to situations when the wind velocity vector is not steady, but fluctuates around predominant average values of its magnitude and orientation. Two sampling environments, horizontal aerosol flow (ambient atmosphere) and vertical aerosol flow (industrial stacks) have been considered. It was found, that even for small fluctuations in wind direction the sampling efficiency may be significantly less than that obtained for the mean wind direction. Time variations in wind magnitude at a fixed wind direction were found to affect the sampling efficiency to a lesser degree. This led to the development of a new sampling technique that significantly improved the sampling characteristics of the inlet. The newly-developed inlet has a curved surface with evenly spaced sampling orifices. Visualization of the streamlines over the sampler and limiting-streamline quantitative analysis showed negligible turbulence effects due to the sampler inlet's geometry. The overall sampling efficiency was found to be superior over the commonly used 25-mm closed-face cassette.

Surface and Tower Meteorological Instrumentation at NSA Handbook - January 2006

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MT Ritsche

2006-01-30

The Surface and Tower Meteorological Instrumentation at Atqasuk (METTWR2H) uses mainly conventional in situ sensors to measure wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, dew point and humidity mounted on a 10-m tower. It also obtains barometric pressure, visibility, and precipitation data from sensors at or near the base of the tower. In addition, a Chilled Mirror Hygrometer is located at 1 m for comparison purposes. Temperature and relative humidity probes are mounted at 2 m and 5 m on the tower. For more information, see the Surface and Tower Meteorological Instrumentation at Atqasuk Handbook.

Comparison of the ocean surface vector winds over the Nordic Seas and their application for ocean modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dukhovskoy, Dmitry; Bourassa, Mark

2017-04-01

Ocean processes in the Nordic Seas and northern North Atlantic are strongly controlled by air-sea heat and momentum fluxes. The predominantly cyclonic, large-scale atmospheric circulation brings the deep ocean layer up to the surface preconditioning the convective sites in the Nordic Seas for deep convection. In winter, intensive cooling and possibly salt flux from newly formed sea ice erodes the near-surface stratification and the mixed layer merges with the deeper domed layer, exposing the very weakly stratified deep water mass to direct interaction with the atmosphere. Surface wind is one of the atmospheric parameters required for estimating momentum and turbulent heat fluxes to the sea ice and ocean surface. In the ocean models forced by atmospheric analysis, errors in surface wind fields result in errors in air-sea heat and momentum fluxes, water mass formation, ocean circulation, as well as volume and heat transport in the straits. The goal of the study is to assess discrepancies across the wind vector fields from reanalysis data sets and scatterometer-derived gridded products over the Nordic Seas and northern North Atlantic and to demonstrate possible implications of these differences for ocean modeling. The analyzed data sets include the reanalysis data from the National Center for Environmental Prediction Reanalysis 2 (NCEPR2), Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR), Arctic System Reanalysis (ASR) and satellite wind products Cross-Calibrated Multi-Platform (CCMP) wind product version 1.1 and recently released version 2.0, and Remote Sensing Systems QuikSCAT data. Large-scale and mesoscale characteristics of winds are compared at interannual, seasonal, and synoptic timescales. Numerical sensitivity experiments are conducted with a coupled ice-ocean model forced by different wind fields. The sensitivity experiments demonstrate differences in the net surface heat fluxes during storm events. Next, it is hypothesized that discrepancies in the wind vorticity fields should manifest different behaviors of the isopycnals in the Nordic Seas. Time evolution of isopycnal depths in the sensitivity experiments forced by different wind fields is discussed. Results of these sensitivity experiments demonstrate a relationship between the isopycnal surfaces and the wind stress curl. The numerical experiments are also analyzed to investigate the relationship between the East Greenland Current and the wind stress curl over the Nordic Seas. The transport of the current at this location has substantial contribution from wind-driven large-scale circulation. This wind-driven part of the East Greenland Current is a western-intensified return flow of a wind-driven cyclonic gyre in the central Nordic Seas. The numerical experiments with different wind fields reveal notable sensitivity of the East Greenland Current to differences in the wind forcing.

Ocean wind and roughness retrieval with spaceborne GNSS-Reflectometry: first results from the UK TechDemoSat-1 mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gommenginger, C.; Foti, G.

2015-12-01

GNSS-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) is a ground breaking ocean remote sensing technique that exploits reflected signals from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to retrieve geophysical information about the ocean surface such as near-surface winds above the ocean. Adopting a bistatic radar configuration, signals emitted by GNSS satellites flying in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) are received by a GNSS-R receiver on a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory utilizing both a zenith antenna to receive the direct signal from the GNSS and a nadir antenna to acquire the earth-reflected signal. The reflected signal originated from a glistening zone on the ocean surface sited around the Specular Point (SP), the geometrical point on the Earth surface where GNSS signals are forward scattered in the specular direction. The two signals are correlated for different shifts in time (delay) and frequency (Doppler) relative to the specular point (SP) to produce a so-called Delay Doppler Map (DDM) of forward-scattered electromagnetic power over the surface. This paper gives an overview of recent results obtained for wind speed and ocean roughness retrieval with the Low-Earth-Orbiting UK TechDemoSat-1 satellite (TDS-1). Launched in July 2014, TDS-1 provides the first new spaceborne Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) data since the pioneering UK-Disaster Monitoring Mission experiment in 2003. We present examples of onboard-processed delay Doppler Maps, including excellent DDM data quality for winds up to 27.9 m/s. The relationship between observed GNSS-R signals, wind speed and ocean roughness is explored using global collocated matchup datasets with METOP ASCAT scatterometer winds and WaveWatch3 numerical wave model output. Several Geophysical Model Functions are proposed, that make it possible to retrieve wind speed without bias and with a precision of the order of 2 m/s even without calibration. This work demonstrates the capabilities of low-cost, low-mass, low-power GNSS-R receivers ahead of their launch on the NASA CYGNSS constellation in 2016.

An Initial Assessment of the Impact of CYGNSS Ocean Surface Wind Assimilation on Navy Global and Mesoscale Numerical Weather Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, N. L.; Tsu, J.; Swadley, S. D.

2017-12-01

We assess the impact of assimilation of CYclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) ocean surface winds observations into the NAVGEM[i] global and COAMPS®[ii] mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems. Both NAVGEM and COAMPS® used the NRL 4DVar assimilation system NAVDAS-AR[iii]. Long term monitoring of the NAVGEM Forecast Sensitivity Observation Impact (FSOI) indicates that the forecast error reduction for ocean surface wind vectors (ASCAT and WindSat) are significantly larger than for SSMIS wind speed observations. These differences are larger than can be explained by simply two pieces of information (for wind vectors) versus one (wind speed). To help understand these results, we conducted a series of Observing System Experiments (OSEs) to compare the assimilation of ASCAT wind vectors with the equivalent (computed) ASCAT wind speed observations. We found that wind vector assimilation was typically 3 times more effective at reducing the NAVGEM forecast error, with a higher percentage of beneficial observations. These results suggested that 4DVar, in the absence of an additional nonlinear outer loop, has limited ability to modify the analysis wind direction. We examined several strategies for assimilating CYGNSS ocean surface wind speed observations. In the first approach, we assimilated CYGNSS as wind speed observations, following the same methodology used for SSMIS winds. The next two approaches converted CYGNSS wind speed to wind vectors, using NAVGEM sea level pressure fields (following Holton, 1979), and using NAVGEM 10-m wind fields with the AER Variational Analysis Method. Finally, we compared these methods to CYGNSS wind speed assimilation using multiple outer loops with NAVGEM Hybrid 4DVar. Results support the earlier studies suggesting that NAVDAS-AR wind speed assimilation is sub-optimal. We present detailed results from multi-month NAVGEM assimilation runs along with case studies using COAMPS®. Comparisons include the fit of analyses and forecasts with in-situ observations and analyses from other NWP centers (e.g. ECMWF and GFS). [i] NAVy Global Environmental Model [ii] COAMPS® is a registered trademark of the Naval Research Laboratory for the Navy's Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System. [iii] NRL Atmospheric Variational Data Assimilation System

The sedimentology and dynamics of crater-affiliated wind streaks in western Arabia Terra, Mars and Patagonia, Argentina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodriguez, J.A.P.; Tanaka, K.L.; Yamamoto, A.; Berman, D.C.; Zimbelman, J.R.; Kargel, J.S.; Sasaki, S.; Jinguo, Y.; Miyamoto, H.

2010-01-01

Wind streaks comprise recent aeolian deposits that have been extensively documented on Venus, Earth and Mars. Martian wind streaks are among the most abundant surface features on the planet and commonly extend from the downwind margins of impact craters. Previous studies of wind streaks emerging from crater interior deposits suggested that the mode of emplacement was primarily related to the deposition of silt-sized particles as these settled from plumes. We have performed geologic investigations of two wind streaks clusters; one situated in western Arabia Terra, a region in the northern hemisphere of Mars, and another in an analogous terrestrial site located in southern Patagonia, Argentina, where occurrences of wind streaks emanate from playas within maar craters. In both these regions we have identified bedforms in sedimentary deposits on crater floors, along wind-facing interior crater margins, and along wind streaks. These observations indicate that these deposits contain sand-sized particles and that sediment migration has occurred via saltation from crater interior deposits to wind streaks. In Arabia Terra and in Patagonia wind streaks initiate from crater floors that contain lithic and evaporitic sedimentary deposits, suggesting that the composition of wind streak source materials has played an important role in development. Spatial and topographic analyses suggest that regional clustering of wind streaks in the studied regions directly correlates to the areal density of craters with interior deposits, the degree of proximity of these deposits, and the craters' rim-to-floor depths. In addition, some (but not all) wind streaks within the studied clusters have propagated at comparable yearly (Earth years) rates. Extensive saltation is inferred to have been involved in its propagation based on the studied terrestrial wind streak that shows ripples and dunes on its surface and the Martian counterpart changes orientation toward the downslope direction where it extends into an impact crater. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V.

Analysis of near-surface relative humidity in a wind turbine array boundary layer using an instrumented unmanned aerial system and large-eddy simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adkins, Kevin; Elfajri, Oumnia; Sescu, Adrian

2016-11-01

Simulation and modeling have shown that wind farms have an impact on the near-surface atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) as turbulent wakes generated by the turbines enhance vertical mixing. These changes alter downstream atmospheric properties. With a large portion of wind farms hosted within an agricultural context, changes to the environment can potentially have secondary impacts such as to the productivity of crops. With the exception of a few observational data sets that focus on the impact to near-surface temperature, little to no observational evidence exists. These few studies also lack high spatial resolution due to their use of a limited number of meteorological towers or remote sensing techniques. This study utilizes an instrumented small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) to gather in-situ field measurements from two Midwest wind farms, focusing on the impact that large utility-scale wind turbines have on relative humidity. Results are also compared to numerical experiments conducted using large eddy simulation (LES). Wind turbines are found to differentially alter the relative humidity in the downstream, spanwise and vertical directions under a variety of atmospheric stability conditions.

A comparative analysis of rawinsonde and NIMBUS 6 and TIROS N satellite profile data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scoggins, J. R.; Carle, W. E.; Knight, K.; Moyer, V.; Cheng, N. M.

1981-01-01

Comparisons are made between rawinsonde and satellite profiles in seven areas for a wide range of surface and weather conditions. Variables considered include temperature, dewpoint temperature, thickness, precipitable water, lapse rate of temperature, stability, geopotential height, mixing ratio, wind direction, wind speed, and kinematic parameters, including vorticity and the advection of vorticity and temperature. In addition, comparisons are made in the form of cross sections and synoptic fields for selected variables. Sounding data from the NIMBUS 6 and TIROS N satellites were used. Geostrophic wind computed from smoothed geopotential heights provided large scale flow patterns that agreed well with the rawinsonde wind fields. Surface wind patterns as well as magnitudes computed by use of the log law to extrapolate wind to a height of 10 m agreed with observations. Results of this study demonstrate rather conclusively that satellite profile data can be used to determine characteristics of large scale systems but that small scale features, such as frontal zones, cannot yet be resolved.

Mars atmospheric circulation - Aspects from Viking Landers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, J. A.

1985-01-01

Winds measured by the two Viking Landers have been filtered and then compared with predictions from the general circulation model and to Orbiter observations of clouds and surface phenomena that indicate wind direction. This was done to determine the degree to which filtered winds may represent aspects of the general circulation. Excellent agreement was found between wind direction data from Lander 1 and the model predictions and Orbiter observations. For Lander 2, agreement was generally good, but there were periods of disagreement which indicate that the filtering did not remove other extraneous effects. It is concluded that Lander 1 gives a good representation of the general circulation at 22.5 deg N latitude but that Lander 2 is suspect. Most wind data from Lander 1 have yet to be analyzed. It appears that when analyzed these Lander 1 data (covering 3.5 Mars years) can provide information about interannual variations in the general circulation at the Lander latitude.

The measurement of the ground wind structure at Wallops Island

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tielman, H. W.

1981-01-01

The mean and turbulence characteristics of the surface wind measured near the Atlantic coast were measured. The experimental data were acquired from a 76 meter tall instrumented micrometeorological tower. Mean wind and turbulence measurements were made with two types of instrumentation consisting of cup vane and temperature probes, primarily used for mean profile measurements of velocity and temperature respectively. The second system, a hot film and thermocouple system, was used for measurement of turbulence variances and covariances and spectra. The cup vane system was used to acquire data from all wind directions, while the hot film system was primarily used for turbulence measurements from the two prevailing wind directions, south and northwest. The micrometeorological tower is a self standing nonguyed tower with five working platforms at 15.2m (50 ft.) intervals, with cup vane and aspirated temperature probes mounted at each platform.

Large Scale Drivers for the Extreme Storm Season over the North Atlantic and the UK in Winter 2013-14

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wild, Simon; Befort, Daniel J.; Leckebusch, Gregor C.

2016-04-01

The British Isles experienced exceptional stormy and rainy weather conditions in winter 2013-2014 while large parts of central North America recorded near record minimum surface temperatures values. Potential drivers for these cold conditions include increasingly warm surface waters of the tropical west Pacific. It has been suggested these increasing sea surface temperatures could also be the cause for extreme weather over the Europe, particularly the UK. Testing this hypothesis, we investigate mechanisms linking the tropical west Pacific and European wind storm activity. We will firstly analyse anomaly patterns along such a potential link in winter 2013-14. Secondly, we will investigate whether these identified anomaly patterns show a strong interannual relationship in the recent past. Our results, using primarily ERA-Interim Reanalysis from 1979 to 2014, show an absolute maximum of wind storm frequency over the northeast Atlantic and the British Isles in winter 2013-14. We also find absolute minimum surface temperatures in central North America and increased convective activity over the tropical west Pacific in the same season. The winter 2013-14 was additionally characterized by anomalous warm sea surface temperatures over the subtropical northwest Atlantic. Although the interannual variability of wind storms in the northeast Atlantic and surface temperatures in North America are significantly anti-correlated, we cannot directly relate wind storm frequency with tropical west Pacific anomalies. We thus conclude that the conditions over the Pacific in winter 2013-14 were favourable but not sufficient to explain the record number of wind storms in this season. Instead, we suggest that warm north Atlantic sea surface temperature anomalies in combination with cold surface temperatures over North America played a more important role for generating higher wind storm counts over the northeast Atlantic and the UK.

Aeolus -A Mission to Study the Thermal and Wind Environment of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colaprete, Anthony

2017-01-01

Aeolus is a small satellite mission to observe surface and atmospheric forcing and general circulation of Mars, by measuring surface energy balance, atmospheric temperatures, aerosols and clouds, and winds. Critically, Aeolus will make these measurements at all local times of day, providing information on both seasonal and diurnal variability. To date, direct measurements of Martian wind speeds have only been possible at the surface, only during daylight hours, and over small areas limited by rover traverse capabilities. From orbit, thermal measurements (e.g., estimates from assumed geostrophic balance) as well as images of dust storms and dune migration have provided inputs to derive current data sets on Martian winds. However, Mars General Circulation models demonstrate that wind speeds derived from these indirect measurements may be in error by 50 to 100%. For this reason, direct wind velocity measurements have been deemed "High Priority" by MEPAG (Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group); measuring wind speeds and corresponding thermal data is vital to understanding the climate of Mars. Aeolus will carry four Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometers (SHS), coupled to two orthogonal viewing telescopes. These high-resolution near-infrared spectrometers will measure CO2 (daytime absorption) and O2 (day and night emission) lines in the Martian atmosphere. Doppler shifts in these lines can be measured during Martian day and night, resolving wind speeds down to 5 m/s. Orthogonal views allow the spectrometers to capture wind vectors over all observation locations. Aeolus will also carry the atmospheric limb-viewing Thermal Limb Sounder (TLS) to measure atmospheric temperatures, water ice clouds, and dust abundances across all altitudes where winds are measured. Finally, the Surface Radiometric Sensor Package (SuRSeP), a nadir viewing radiometer, will measure the total reflected solar and emitted thermal radiance, surface temperature, and water cloud and dust total column abundances. The combined spectral and thermal measurements will provide a new understanding of the global energy balance, dust transport processes, and climate cycles in the Martian atmosphere. Aeolus will consist of a single satellite in a near-polar orbit, allowing it to pass over all local times, with the baseline mission observing all seasons of an entire Martian year (two Earth years). Aeolus was one of two Martian smallsat concepts selected for study through the Planetary Science Deep Space SmallSat Studies program. This talk will provide an overview of the mission, including science rationale, instruments, spacecraft, and mission operations concept.

Comparison of nozzle and afterbody surface pressures from wind tunnel and flight test of the YF-17 aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucas, E. J.; Fanning, A. E.; Steers, L. I.

1978-01-01

Results are reported from the initial phase of an effort to provide an adequate technical capability to accurately predict the full scale, flight vehicle, nozzle-afterbody performance of future aircraft based on partial scale, wind tunnel testing. The primary emphasis of this initial effort is to assess the current capability and identify the cause of limitations on this capability. A direct comparison of surface pressure data is made between the results from an 0.1-scale model wind tunnel investigation and a full-scale flight test program to evaluate the current subscale testing techniques. These data were acquired at Mach numbers 0.6, 0.8, 0.9, 1.2, and 1.5 on four nozzle configurations at various vehicle pitch attitudes. Support system interference increments were also documented during the wind tunnel investigation. In general, the results presented indicate a good agreement in trend and level of the surface pressures when corrective increments are applied for known effects and surface differences between the two articles under investigation.

The relationship between wind vector and normalized radar cross section used to derive Seasat-A Satellite Scatterometer winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schroeder, L. C.; Jones, W. L.; Boggs, D. H.; Halberstam, I. M.; Dome, G.; Pierson, W. J.; Wentz, F. J.

1982-01-01

The Seasat-A Satellite Scatterometer (SASS) ocean normalized radar cross section (NRCS) dependence on the 19.5-m neutral stability wind vector may be specified as a function of radar incidence angle, the angle between wind direction and radar azimuth, and the neutral stability wind speed expressed in m/sec at a height of 19.5 m. An account is given of the development of models both expressing this relationship and providing the basis of inversion of NRCS to SASS winds, from initially aircraft scatterometer measurement-based forms to three Seasat field-validation experiments which furnish model NRCS versus surface windspeed data for comparison with SASS data.

Hydrodynamic Interaction between the Be Star and the Pulsar in the TeV Binary PSR B1259-63/LS 2883

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okazaki, Atsuo T.; Nagataki, Shigehiro; Naito, Tsuguya; Kawachi, Akiko; Hayasaki, Kimitake; Owocki, Stanley P.; Takata, Jumpei

2011-08-01

We have been studying the interaction between the Be star and the pulsar in the TeV binary PSR B1259-63/LS 2883, using 3-D SPH simulations of the tidal and wind interactions in this Be-pulsar system. We first ran a simulation without pulsar wind nor Be wind, while taking into account only the gravitational effect of the pulsar on the Be disk. In this simulation, the gas particles are ejected at a constant rate from the equatorial surface of the Be star, which is tilted in a direction consistent with multi-waveband observations. We ran the simulation until the Be disk was fully developed and started to repeat a regular tidal interaction with the pulsar. Then, we turned on the pulsar wind and the Be wind. We ran two simulations with different wind mass-loss rates for the Be star, one for a B2 V type and the other for a significantly earlier spectral type. Although the global shape of the interaction surface between the pulsar wind and the Be wind agrees with the analytical solution, the effect of the pulsar wind on the Be disk is profound. The pulsar wind strips off an outer part of the Be disk, truncating the disk at a radius significantly smaller than the pulsar orbit. Our results, therefore, rule out the idea that the pulsar passes through the Be disk around periastron, which has been assumed in previous studies. It also turns out that the location of the contact discontinuity can be significantly different between phases when the pulsar wind directly hits the Be disk and those when the pulsar wind collides with the Be wind. It is thus important to adequately take into account the circumstellar environment of the Be star, in order to construct a satisfactory model for this prototypical TeV binary.

Wind-tunnel free-flight investigation of a supersonic persistence fighter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hahne, David E.; Wendel, Thomas R.; Boland, Joseph R.

1993-01-01

Wind-tunnel free-flight tests have been conducted in the Langley 30- by 60-Foot Wind Tunnel to examine the high-angle-of-attack stability and control characteristics and control law design of a supersonic persistence fighter (SSPF) at 1 g flight conditions. In addition to conventional control surfaces, the SSPF incorporated deflectable wingtips (tiperons) and pitch and yaw thrust vectoring. A direct eigenstructure assignment technique was used to design control laws to provide good flying characteristics well into the poststall angle-of-attack region. Free-flight tests indicated that it was possible to blend effectively conventional and unconventional control surfaces to achieve good flying characteristics well into the poststall angle-of-attack region.

Coastal and rain-induced wind variability depicted by scatterometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Portabella, M.; Lin, W.; Stoffelen, A.; Turiel, A.; Verhoef, A.; Verspeek, J.; Ballabrera, J.; Vogelzang, J.

2012-04-01

A detailed knowledge of local wind variability near the shore is very important since it strongly affects the weather and microclimate in coastal regions. Since coastal areas are densely populated and most activity at sea occurs near the shore, sea-surface wind field information is important for a number of applications. In the vicinity of land sea-breeze, wave fetch, katabatic and current effects are more likely than in the open ocean, thus enhancing air-sea interaction. Also very relevant for air-sea interaction are the rain-induced phenomena, such as downbursts and convergence. Relatively cold and dry air is effectively transported to the ocean surface and surface winds are enhanced. In general, both coastal and rain-induced wind variability are poorly resolved by Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models. Satellite real aperture radars (i.e., scatterometers) are known to provide accurate mesoscale (25-50 km resolution) sea surface wind field information used in a wide variety of applications. Nowadays, there are two operating scatterometers in orbit, i.e., the C-band Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) onboard Metop-A and the Ku-band scatterometer (OSCAT) onboard Oceansat-2. The EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (OSI SAF) delivers several ASCAT level 2 wind products with 25 km and 12.5 km Wind Vector Cell (WVC) spacing, including a pre-operational coastal wind product as well as an OSCAT level 2 wind product with 50 km spacing in development status. Rain is known to both attenuate and scatter the microwave signal. In addition, there is a "splashing" effect. The roughness of the sea surface is increased because of splashing due to rain drops. The so-called "rain contamination" is larger for Ku-band scatterometer systems than for C-band systems. Moreover, the associated downdrafts lead to variable wind speeds and directions, further complicating the wind retrieval. The C-band ASCAT high resolution wind processing is validated under rainy conditions, using collocations with the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission's (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) rain data, and the tropical moored buoy wind and precipitation data. It turns out that the effect of low and moderate rain appears mainly in increasing the wind variability near the surface and, unlike for Ku-band scatterometers, the rain rate itself does not appear clearly as a limiting factor in ASCAT wind quality. Moreover, the downburst patterns as observed by ASCAT are unique and have large implications for air-sea exchange. At the conference, the main progress in scatterometer wind data processing will be shown.

Wind Stress Variability Observed Over Coastal Waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Suslow, D. G.; Haus, B. K.; Laxague, N.; Williams, N. J.; Graber, H. C.

2016-02-01

The wind stress on the ocean surface generates waves, drives currents, and enhances gas exchange; and a significant amount of work has been done to characterize the air-sea momentum flux in terms of bulk oceanographic and atmospheric parameters. However, the majority of this work to develop operational algorithms has been focused on the deep ocean and the suitability of these methods in the coastal regime has not been evaluated. The findings from a two-part field campaign will be presented which highlight the divergence of nearshore wind stress observations from conventional, deep water results. The first set of data comes from a coastal region near a relatively small, natural tidal inlet. A high degree of spatial variability was observed in both the wind stress magnitude and direction, suggestive of coastal processes (e.g., depth-limited wave affects and horizontal current shear) modulating the momentum flux from the atmosphere to the ocean surface. These shallow-water processes are typically not accounted for in conventional parameterizations. Across the experimental domain and for a given wind speed, the stress magnitude was found to be nearly 2.5 times that predicted by conventional methods; also, a high propensity for stress steering off the mean azimuthal wind direction (up to ±70 degrees) was observed and linked to horizontal current gradients produced by the tidal inlet. The preliminary findings from a second data set taken in the vicinity of the macrotidal Columbia River Mouth will also be presented. Compared to the first data set, a similar degree of variability is observed here, but the processes responsible for this are present at a much larger scale. Specifically, the Columbia River Mouth observations were made in the presence of significant swell wave energy and during periods of very high estuarine discharge. The relative angle between the wind and swell direction is expected to be significant with regards to the observed momentum flux. Also, these processes facilitate strong wave-current interaction, which may also affect the surface topography and thus play a role in air-sea exchanges. The Columbia River Mouth system showcases a complex coastal environment and future avenues for investigating these dynamics will be discussed.

Protection of surface assets on Mars from wind blown jettisoned spacecraft components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paton, Mark

2017-07-01

Jettisoned Entry, Descent and Landing System (EDLS) hardware from landing spacecraft have been observed by orbiting spacecraft, strewn over the Martian surface. Future Mars missions that land spacecraft close to prelanded assets will have to use a landing architecture that somehow minimises the possibility of impacts from these jettisoned EDLS components. Computer modelling is used here to investigate the influence of wind speed and direction on the distribution of EDLS components on the surface. Typical wind speeds encountered in the Martian Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) were found to be of sufficient strength to blow items having a low ballistic coefficient, i.e. Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators (HIADs) or parachutes, onto prelanded assets even when the lander itself touches down several kilometres away. Employing meteorological measurements and careful characterisation of the Martian PBL, e.g. appropriate wind speed probability density functions, may then benefit future spacecraft landings, increase safety and possibly help reduce the delta v budget for Mars landers that rely on aerodynamic decelerators.

Direct measurements of wind-water momentum coupling in a marsh with emergent vegetation and implications for gas transfer estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tse, I.; Poindexter, C.; Variano, E. A.

2013-12-01

Among the numerous ecological benefits of restoring wetlands is carbon sequestration. As emergent vegetation thrive, atmospheric CO2 is removed and converted into biomass that gradually become additional soil. Forecasts and management for these systems rely on accurate knowledge of gas exchange between the atmosphere and the wetland surface waters. Our previous work showed that the rate of gas transfer across the air-water interface is affected by the amount of water column mixing caused by winds penetrating through the plant canopy. Here, we present the first direct measurements of wind-water momentum coupling made within a tule marsh. This work in Twitchell Island in the California Delta shows how momentum is imparted into the water from wind stress and that this wind stress interacts with the surface waters in an interesting way. By correlating three-component velocity signals from a sonic anemometer placed within the plant canopy with data from a novel Volumetric Particle Imager (VoPI) placed in the water, we measure the flux of kinetic energy through the plant canopy and the time-scale of the response. We also use this unique dataset to estimate the air-water drag coefficient using an adjoint method.

Results of the Imager for Mars Pathfinder windsock experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sullivan, R.; Greeley, R.; Kraft, M.; Wilson, G.; Golombek, M.; Herkenhoff, K.; Murphy, J.; Smith, P.

2000-01-01

The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) windsock experiment measured wind speeds at three heights within 1.2 m of the Martian surface during Pathfinder landed operations. These wind data allowed direct measurement of near-surface wind profiles on Mars for the first time, including determination of aerodynamic roughness length and wind friction speeds. Winds were light during periods of windsock imaging, but data from the strongest breezes indicate aerodynamic roughness length of 3 cm at the landing site, with wind friction speeds reaching 1 m/s. Maximum wind friction speeds were about half of the threshold-of-motion friction speeds predicted for loose, fine-grained materials on smooth Martian terrain and about one third of the threshold-of-motion friction speeds predicted for the same size particles over terrain with aerodynamic roughness of 3 cm. Consistent with this, and suggesting that low wind speeds prevailed when the windsock array was not imaged and/or no particles were available for aeolian transport, no wind-related changes to the surface during mission operations have been recognized. The aerodynamic roughness length reported here implies that proposed deflation of fine particles around the landing site, or activation of duneforms seen by IMP and Sojourner, would require wind speeds >28 m/s at the Pathfinder top windsock height (or >31 m/s at the equivalent Viking wind sensor height of 1.6 m) and wind speeds >45 m/s above 10 m. These wind speeds would cause rock abrasion if a supply of durable particles were available for saltation. Previous analyses indicate that the Pathfinder landing site probably is rockier and rougher than many other plains units on Mars, so aerodynamic roughness length elsewhere probably is less than the 3-cm value reported for the Pathfinder site. Copyright 2000 by the American Geophysical Union.

Coastal Wind Profiles In The Mediterranean Area From A Wind Lidar During A Two Year Period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gullì, Daniel; Avolio, Elenio; Calidonna, Claudia Roberta; Lo Feudo, Teresa; Torcasio, Rosa Claudia; Sempreviva, Anna Maria

2017-04-01

Reliable measurements of vertical profiles of wind speed and direction are the basis for testing models and methodologies of use for wind energy assessment. Modelling coastal areas further introduce the challenge of the coastal discontinuity, which is often not accurately resolved in meso-scale numerical model. Here, we present the analysis of two year of 10-minute averaged wind speed and direction vertical profiles collected during a two-year period from a Wind- lidar ZEPHIR 300® at a coastal suburban area. The lidar is located at the SUPER SITE of CNR-ISAC section of Lamezia Terme, Italy and both dataset and site are unique in the Mediterranean area. The instrument monitors at 10 vertical levels, from 10 m up to 300 m. The analysis is classified according to season, and wind directions for offshore and offshore flow. For onshore flow, we note an atmospheric layer at around 100 m that likely represents the effect an internal boundary layer caused by the sharp coastal discontinuity of the surface characteristics. For offshore flows, the profiles show a layer ranging between 80m and 100m, which might be ascribed to the land night time boundary layer combined to the impact of the building around the mast.

NASA CYGNSS Mission Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruf, C. S.; Balasubramaniam, R.; Gleason, S.; McKague, D. S.; O'Brien, A.

2017-12-01

The CYGNSS constellation of eight satellites was successfully launched on 15 December 2016 into a low inclination (tropical) Earth orbit. Each satellite carries a four-channel bi-static radar receiver that measures GPS signals scattered by the ocean, from which ocean surface roughness, near surface wind speed, and air-sea latent heat flux are estimated. The measurements are unique in several respects, most notably in their ability to penetrate through all levels of precipitation, made possible by the low frequency at which GPS operates, and in the frequent sampling of tropical cyclone intensification and of the diurnal cycle of winds, made possible by the large number of satellites. Engineering commissioning of the constellation was successfully completed in March 2017 and the mission is currently in the early phase of science operations. Level 2 science data products have been developed for near surface (10 m referenced) ocean wind speed, ocean surface roughness (mean square slope) and latent heat flux. Level 3 gridded versions of the L2 products have also been developed. A set of Level 4 products have also been developed specifically for direct tropical cyclone overpasses. These include the storm intensity (peak sustained winds) and size (radius of maximum winds), its extent (34, 50 and 64 knot wind radii), and its integrated kinetic energy. Assimilation of CYGNSS L2 wind speed data into the HWRF hurricane weather prediction model has also been developed. An overview and the current status of the mission will be presented, together with highlights of early on-orbit performance and scientific results.

A laboratory measurement of drop impact on a water surface in the presence of wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xinan; Liu, Ren

2014-11-01

The impact of single water drops on a water surface was studied experimentally in a wind tunnel. Water drops were generated from a needle oriented vertically from the top of the wind tunnel test section. After leaving the needle, the drops move downward due to gravity and downstream due to the effect of the wind, eventually impinging obliquely on the surface of a pool of water on the bottom of the test section. The vertical velocities of drops were about 2.0 m/s and the wind speeds varied from 0 to 6.4 m/s. The drop impacts were recorded simultaneously from the side and above with two high-speed movie cameras with frame rates of 1,000 Hz. Our measurements show that both wind speed and initial drop size dramatically affect the drop impacts and subsequent generation of crowns, secondary drops, stalks and ring waves. In the presence of wind, an asymmetric crown forms after the drop hits the water surface and secondary drops are generated from the fragmentation of the leeward side of the crown rim. This is followed by a stalk formation and ring waves at the location of the water drop impact. It is found that the stalks tilt to leeward and the ring waves in the windward direction are stronger than that in those in the leeward. This work is supported by National Science Foundation, Division of Ocean Sciences.

Wind Noise Reduction in a Non-Porous Subsurface Windscreen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zuckerwar, Allan J.; Shams, Qamar A.; Knight, H. Keith

2012-01-01

Measurements of wind noise reduction were conducted on a box-shaped, subsurface windscreen made of closed cell polyurethane foam. The windscreen was installed in the ground with the lid flush with the ground surface. The wind was generated by means of a fan, situated on the ground, and the wind speed was measured at the center of the windscreen lid with an ultrasonic anemometer. The wind speed was controlled by moving the fan to selected distances from the windscreen. The wind noise was measured on a PCB Piezotronics 3†electret microphone. Wind noise spectra were measured with the microphone exposed directly to the wind (atop the windscreen lid) and with the microphone installed inside the windscreen. The difference between the two spectra comprises the wind noise reduction. At wind speeds of 3, 5, and 7 m/s, the wind noise reduction is typically 15 dB over the frequency range of 0.1-20 Hz.

MESSENGER Observations of Extreme Space Weather in Mercury's Magnetosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slavin, J. A.

2013-09-01

Increasing activity on the Sun is allowing MESSENGER to make its first observations of Mercury's magnetosphere under extreme solar wind conditions. At Earth interplanetary shock waves and coronal mass ejections produce severe "space weather" in the form of large geomagnetic storms that affect telecommunications, space systems, and ground-based power grids. In the case of Mercury the primary effect of extreme space weather in on the degree to which this it's weak global magnetic field can shield the planet from the solar wind. Direct impact of the solar wind on the surface of airless bodies like Mercury results in space weathering of the regolith and the sputtering of atomic species like sodium and calcium to high altitudes where they contribute to a tenuous, but highly dynamic exosphere. MESSENGER observations indicate that during extreme interplanetary conditions the solar wind plasma gains access to the surface of Mercury through three main regions: 1. The magnetospheric cusps, which fill with energized solar wind and planetary ions; 2. The subsolar magnetopause, which is compressed and eroded by reconnection to very low altitudes where the natural gyro-motion of solar wind protons may result in their impact on the surface; 3. The magnetotail where hot plasma sheet ions rapidly convect sunward to impact the surface on the nightside of Mercury. The possible implications of these new MESSENGER observations for our ability to predict space weather at Earth and other planets will be described.

Circular Conditional Autoregressive Modeling of Vector Fields.

PubMed

Modlin, Danny; Fuentes, Montse; Reich, Brian

2012-02-01

As hurricanes approach landfall, there are several hazards for which coastal populations must be prepared. Damaging winds, torrential rains, and tornadoes play havoc with both the coast and inland areas; but, the biggest seaside menace to life and property is the storm surge. Wind fields are used as the primary forcing for the numerical forecasts of the coastal ocean response to hurricane force winds, such as the height of the storm surge and the degree of coastal flooding. Unfortunately, developments in deterministic modeling of these forcings have been hindered by computational expenses. In this paper, we present a multivariate spatial model for vector fields, that we apply to hurricane winds. We parameterize the wind vector at each site in polar coordinates and specify a circular conditional autoregressive (CCAR) model for the vector direction, and a spatial CAR model for speed. We apply our framework for vector fields to hurricane surface wind fields for Hurricane Floyd of 1999 and compare our CCAR model to prior methods that decompose wind speed and direction into its N-S and W-E cardinal components.

Circular Conditional Autoregressive Modeling of Vector Fields*

PubMed Central

Modlin, Danny; Fuentes, Montse; Reich, Brian

2013-01-01

As hurricanes approach landfall, there are several hazards for which coastal populations must be prepared. Damaging winds, torrential rains, and tornadoes play havoc with both the coast and inland areas; but, the biggest seaside menace to life and property is the storm surge. Wind fields are used as the primary forcing for the numerical forecasts of the coastal ocean response to hurricane force winds, such as the height of the storm surge and the degree of coastal flooding. Unfortunately, developments in deterministic modeling of these forcings have been hindered by computational expenses. In this paper, we present a multivariate spatial model for vector fields, that we apply to hurricane winds. We parameterize the wind vector at each site in polar coordinates and specify a circular conditional autoregressive (CCAR) model for the vector direction, and a spatial CAR model for speed. We apply our framework for vector fields to hurricane surface wind fields for Hurricane Floyd of 1999 and compare our CCAR model to prior methods that decompose wind speed and direction into its N-S and W-E cardinal components. PMID:24353452

Winds Measured by the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) During the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover's Bagnold Dunes Campaign and Comparison with Numerical Modeling Using MarsWRF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, Claire E.; Gomez-Elvira, Javier; Marin, Mercedes; Navarro, Sara; Torres, Josefina; Richardson, Mark I.; Battalio, J. Michael; Guzewich, Scott D.; Sullivan, Robert; de la Torre, Manuel;

Simulation of the Impact of New Aircraft- and Satellite-Based Ocean Surface Wind Measurements on H*Wind Analyses and Numerical Forecasts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy; Atlas, Robert; Black, Peter; Buckley, Courtney; Chen, Shuyi; Hood, robbie; Johnson, James; Jones, Linwood; Ruf, Chris; Uhlhorn, Eric;

Simulation of the Impact of New Air-Based Ocean Surface Wind Measurements on H*Wind Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy; Atlas, Robert; Black, Peter; Case, Jonathan; Chen, Shuyi; Hood, Robbie; Jones, Linwood; Ruff, Chris; Uhlhorn, Eric

2008-01-01

The H'Wind analysis, a product of the Hurricane Research Division of NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, brings together wind measurements from a variety of observation platforms into an objective analysis of the distribution of wind speeds in a tropical cyclone. This product is designed to improve understanding of the extent and strength of the wind field, and to improve the assessment of hurricane intensity. See http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/data sub/wind.html. The Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRad) is a new airborne microwave remote sensor for hurricane observations that is currently under development by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, NOAA Hurricane Research Division, the University of Central Florida and the University of Michigan. HIRad is being designed to enhance the real-time airborne ocean surface winds observation capabilities of NOAA and USAF Weather Squadron hurricane hunter aircraft using the operational airborne Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR). Unlike SFMR, which measures wind speed and rain rate along the ground track directly beneath the aircraft, HIRad will provide images of the surface wind and rain field over a wide swath (approx. 3 x the aircraft altitude). The instrument is described in a paper presented to the Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology Symposium. The present paper describes a set of Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) in which measurements from the new instrument as well as those from existing instruments (air, surface, and space-based) are simulated from the output of a numerical model from the University of Miami and those results are used to construct H*Wind analyses. Evaluations will be presented on the impact of the HIRad instrument on H'Wind analyses, both in terms of adding it to the full suite of current measurements, as well as using it to replace instrument(s) that may not be functioning at the future tame the HIRad instrument is implemented.

Separating local topography from snow effects on momentum roughness in mountain regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diebold, M.; Katul, G. G.; Calaf, M.; Lehning, M.; Parlange, M. B.

2013-12-01

Parametrization of momentum surface roughness length in mountainous regions continues to be an active research topic given its application to improved weather forecasting and sub-grid scale representation of mountainous regions in climate models. A field campaign was conducted in the Val Ferret watershed (Swiss Alps) to assess the role of topographic variability and snow cover on momentum roughness. To this end, turbulence measurements in a mountainous region with and without snow cover have been analyzed. A meteorological mast with four sonic anemometers together with temperature and humidity sensors was installed at an elevation of 2500 m and data were obtained from October 2011 until May 2012. Because of the long-term nature of these experiments, natural variability in mean wind direction allowed a wide range of terrain slopes and snow depths to be sampled. A theoretical framework that accounted only for topographically induced pressure perturbations in the mean momentum balance was used to diagnose the role of topography on the effective momentum roughness height as inferred from the log-law. Surface roughness depended systematically on wind direction but was not significantly influenced by the presence of snow depth variation. Moreover, the wind direction and so the surface roughness influenced the normalized turbulent kinetic energy, which in theory should not depend on these factors in the near-neutral atmospheric surface layer. The implications of those findings to modeling momentum roughness heights and turbulent kinetic energy (e.g. in conventional K-epsilon closure) in complex terrain are briefly discussed.

A Case Study of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model Applied to the Joint Urban 2003 Tracer Field Experiment. Part 1. Wind and Turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, Matthew A.; Brown, Michael J.; Halverson, Scot A.

We found that numerical-weather-prediction models are often used to supply the mean wind and turbulence fields for atmospheric transport and dispersion plume models as they provide dense horizontally- and vertically-resolved geographic coverage in comparison to typically sparse monitoring networks. Here, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was run over the month-long period of the Joint Urban 2003 field campaign conducted in Oklahoma City and the simulated fields important to transport and dispersion models were compared to measurements from a number of sodars, tower-based sonic anemometers, and balloon soundings located in the greater metropolitan area. Time histories of computed windmore » speed, wind direction, turbulent kinetic energy (e), friction velocity (u* ), and reciprocal Obukhov length (1 / L) were compared to measurements over the 1-month field campaign. Vertical profiles of wind speed, potential temperature (θ ), and e were compared during short intensive operating periods. The WRF model was typically able to replicate the measured diurnal variation of the wind fields, but with an average absolute wind direction and speed difference of 35° and 1.9 m s -1 , respectively. Then, using the Mellor-Yamada-Janjic (MYJ) surface-layer scheme, the WRF model was found to generally underpredict surface-layer TKE but overpredict u* that was observed above a suburban region of Oklahoma City. The TKE-threshold method used by the WRF model’s MYJ surface-layer scheme to compute the boundary-layer height (h) consistently overestimated h derived from a θ gradient method whether using observed or modelled θ profiles.« less

A Case Study of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model Applied to the Joint Urban 2003 Tracer Field Experiment. Part 1. Wind and Turbulence

DOE PAGES

Nelson, Matthew A.; Brown, Michael J.; Halverson, Scot A.; ...

2015-09-25

We found that numerical-weather-prediction models are often used to supply the mean wind and turbulence fields for atmospheric transport and dispersion plume models as they provide dense horizontally- and vertically-resolved geographic coverage in comparison to typically sparse monitoring networks. Here, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was run over the month-long period of the Joint Urban 2003 field campaign conducted in Oklahoma City and the simulated fields important to transport and dispersion models were compared to measurements from a number of sodars, tower-based sonic anemometers, and balloon soundings located in the greater metropolitan area. Time histories of computed windmore » speed, wind direction, turbulent kinetic energy (e), friction velocity (u* ), and reciprocal Obukhov length (1 / L) were compared to measurements over the 1-month field campaign. Vertical profiles of wind speed, potential temperature (θ ), and e were compared during short intensive operating periods. The WRF model was typically able to replicate the measured diurnal variation of the wind fields, but with an average absolute wind direction and speed difference of 35° and 1.9 m s -1 , respectively. Then, using the Mellor-Yamada-Janjic (MYJ) surface-layer scheme, the WRF model was found to generally underpredict surface-layer TKE but overpredict u* that was observed above a suburban region of Oklahoma City. The TKE-threshold method used by the WRF model’s MYJ surface-layer scheme to compute the boundary-layer height (h) consistently overestimated h derived from a θ gradient method whether using observed or modelled θ profiles.« less

Simulation and Assessment of a Ku-Band Full-Polarized Radar Scatterometer for Ocean Surface Vector Wind Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, X.; Lin, W.; Zhu, D.; Song, Z.

2011-12-01

Spaceborne radar scatterometry is the most important tool for global ocean surface wind vector (OSVW) measurement. Performances under condition of high-wind speed and accuracy of wind direction retrievals are two very important concerns for the development of OSVW measurement techniques by radar scatterometry. Co-polarized sigma 0 measurements are employed, for all the spaceborne radar scatterometers developed in past, and future planned missions. The main disadvantages of co-polarized only radar scatterometers for OSVW measurement are: firstly, wind vector retrieval performances varies with the position of the wind vector cells (WVC) within the swath, where WVCs with small incident angels with weaker modulation effect between sigma0 and azimuth incident angle, and the WVCs located in the outer part of the swath with lower signal-to-noise ratio and lower radiometric accuracies, have worse retrieval performances; secondly, for co-polarization measurements, Sigma 0 is the even function of the azimuth incident angle with respect to the real wind direction, which can results in directional ambiguity, and more additional information is need for the ambiguity removal. Theoretical and experimental results show that the cross-polarization measurement can provide complementary directional information to the co-polarization measurements, which can provide useful improvement to the wind vector retrieval performances. In this paper, the simulation and performance assessment of a full-polarized Ku-band radar scatterometer are provided. Some important conclusions are obtained: (1) Compared with available dual co-polarized radar scatterometer, the introduction of cross-polarization information can significantly improve the OSVW retrieval accuracies, where a relatively identical performance can be obtained within the whole swath. Simulation show that without significantly power increase, system design based on rotating-pencil beam design has much better performances than rotation fan-beam system due to its higher antenna gain and signal-to-noise ratio; (2) The performances of the full-polarized measurement, where all the 9 element covariant coefficient elements will be measurement, only have a little improvement compared with the "dual-co-polarization+HVVV" design, which is because of the almost identical characteristics of HVVV and VHHH measurement due to reciprocity; (3) The propagation error of rotation pencil-beam system is obviously much smaller than that of the rotation fan-beam system, which is due to the significant difference of antenna gains and signal-to-noise ratios; (4) Introduction of cross-polarized HVVV measurement can lead to almost identical wind direction retrieval performance for both the rotation pencil-beam and rotation fan-beam systems, which show that the cross-polarization information can significantly improve the wind direction retrieval performances by increasing the number of look angles, compared with the available fixed-fan-beam systems.

Reanalysis Intercomparison on a Surface Wind Statistical Downscaling Exercise over Northeastern North America.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucio-Eceiza, Etor E.; Fidel González-Rouco, J.; Navarro, Jorge; García-Bustamante, Elena; Beltrami, Hugo; Rojas-Labanda, Cristina

2017-04-01

The area of North Eastern North America is located in a privileged position for the study of the wind behaviour as it lies within the track of many of the extratropical cyclones that travel that half of the continent. During the winter season the cyclonic activity and wind intensity are higher in the region, offering a great opportunity to analyse the relationships of the surface wind field with various large-scale configurations. The analysis of the wind behaviour is conducted via a statistical downscaling method based on Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA). This methodology exploits the relationships among the main modes of circulation over the North Atlantic and Pacific Sectors and the behaviour of an observational surface wind database. For this exercise, various predictor variables have been selected (surface wind, SLP, geopotential height at 850 and 500 hPa, and thermal thickness between these two levels), obtained by all the global reanalysis products available to date. Our predictand field consists of an observational surface wind dataset with 525 sites distributed over North Eastern North America that span over a period of about 60 years (1953-2010). These data have been previously subjected to an exhaustive quality control process. A sensitivity analysis of the methodology to different parameter configurations has been carried out, such as reanalysis product, window size, predictor variables, number of retained EOF and CCA modes, and crossvalidation subset (to test the robustness of the method). An evaluation of the predictive skill of the wind estimations has also been conducted. Overall, the methodology offers a good representation of the wind variability, which is very consistent between all the reanalysis products. The wind directly obtained from the reanalyses offer a better temporal correlation but a larger range, and in many cases, worst representation of the local variability. The long observational period has also permitted the study of intra to multidecadal variability as the statistical relationship obtained by this method also allows for the reconstruction of the regional wind behaviour back to the mid 19th century. For this task we have used two 20th century reanalysis products as well as two additional instrumental sea level pressure datasets.

Structure of the airflow above surface waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckley, Marc; Veron, Fabrice

2016-04-01

Weather, climate and upper ocean patterns are controlled by the exchanges of momentum, heat, mass, and energy across the ocean surface. These fluxes are, in turn, influenced by the small-scale physics at the wavy air-sea interface. We present laboratory measurements of the fine-scale airflow structure above waves, achieved in over 15 different wind-wave conditions, with wave ages Cp/u* ranging from 1.4 to 66.7 (where Cp is the peak phase speed of the waves, and u* the air friction velocity). The experiments were performed in the large (42-m long) wind-wave-current tank at University of Delaware's Air-Sea Interaction laboratory (USA). A combined Particle Image Velocimetry and Laser Induced Fluorescence system was specifically developed for this study, and provided two-dimensional airflow velocity measurement as low as 100 um above the air-water interface. Starting at very low wind speeds (U10~2m/s), we directly observe coherent turbulent structures within the buffer and logarithmic layers of the airflow above the air-water interface, whereby low horizontal velocity air is ejected away from the surface, and higher velocity fluid is swept downward. Wave phase coherent quadrant analysis shows that such turbulent momentum flux events are wave-phase dependent. Airflow separation events are directly observed over young wind waves (Cp/u*<3.7) and counted using measured vorticity and surface viscous stress criteria. Detached high spanwise vorticity layers cause intense wave-coherent turbulence downwind of wave crests, as shown by wave-phase averaging of turbulent momentum fluxes. Mean wave-coherent airflow motions and fluxes also show strong phase-locked patterns, including a sheltering effect, upwind of wave crests over old mechanically generated swells (Cp/u*=31.7), and downwind of crests over young wind waves (Cp/u*=3.7). Over slightly older wind waves (Cp/u* = 6.5), the measured wave-induced airflow perturbations are qualitatively consistent with linear critical layer theory.

The influence of atmospheric stratification on scatterometer data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Louis, Jean-Francois; Hoffman, Ross N.

1989-01-01

The effects of atmospheric stratification and the stability of the atmospheric stratification on the scatterometer data measuring surface winds over the ocean were investigated using the boundary layer model developed by Louis (1979). A variational analysis method is proposed, which allows direct assimilation of scatterometer data. It is shown that the effect of the stability of atmospheric stratification on the wind increment is relatively small. However, it is a systematic effect, and neglecting it would consistently underestimate the winds in stable regions.

Flowing Dunes of Shangri-La Denoised

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-09-07

This radar image of the Shangri-La Sand Sea on Titan from NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows hundreds of sand dunes are visible as dark lines snaking across the surface. These dunes display patterns of undulation and divergence around elevated mountains (which appear bright to the radar), thereby showing the direction of wind and sand transport on the surface. Sands being carried from left to right (west to east) cannot surmount the tallest obstacles; instead, they are directed through chutes and canyons between the tall features, evident in thin, blade-like, isolated dunes between bright some features. Once sands have passed around the obstacles, they resume their downwind course, at first collecting into small, patchy dunes and then organizing into larger, more pervasive linear forms, before being halted once again by obstacles. These patterns reveal the effects not only of wind -- perhaps even modern winds if the dunes are actively moving today -- but also the effects of underlying bedrock and surrounding topography. Dunes across the solar system aid in our understanding of underlying topography, winds and climate, past and present. Similar patterns can be seen in dunes of the Great Sandy Desert in Australia, where dunes undulate broadly across the uneven terrain and are halted at the margins of sand-trapping lakes. The dune orientations correlate generally with the direction of current trade winds, and reveal that winds must have been similar back when the dunes formed, during the Pleistocene glacial and interglacial periods. The image was taken by the Cassini Synthetic Aperture radar (SAR) on July 25, 2016 during the mission's 122nd targeted Titan encounter. The image has been modified by the denoising method described in A. Lucas, JGR:Planets (2014). http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20711

Flowing Dunes of Shangri-La

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-09-07

The Shangri-La Sand Sea on Titan is shown in this image from the Synthetic Aperture radar (SAR) on NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Hundreds of sand dunes are visible as dark lines snaking across the surface. These dunes display patterns of undulation and divergence around elevated mountains (which appear bright to the radar), thereby showing the direction of wind and sand transport on the surface. Sands being carried from left to right (west to east) cannot surmount the tallest obstacles; instead, they are directed through chutes and canyons between the tall features, evident in thin, blade-like, isolated dunes between bright some features. Once sands have passed around the obstacles, they resume their downwind course, at first collecting into small, patchy dunes and then organizing into larger, more pervasive linear forms, before being halted once again by obstacles. These patterns reveal the effects not only of wind -- perhaps even modern winds if the dunes are actively moving today -- but also the effects of underlying bedrock and surrounding topography. Dunes across the solar system aid in our understanding of underlying topography, winds and climate, past and present. Similar patterns can be seen in dunes of the Great Sandy Desert in Australia, where dunes undulate broadly across the uneven terrain and are halted at the margins of sand-trapping lakes. The dune orientations correlate generally with the direction of current trade winds, and reveal that winds must have been similar back when the dunes formed, during the Pleistocene glacial and interglacial periods. An annotated version of this radar image is also available.at the Photojournal. North on Titan is up in the image. Radar illuminates the scene from upper right at a 27-degree incidence angle. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20710

Saskatchewan Forest Fire Control Centre Surface Meteorological Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Newcomer, Jeffrey A. (Editor); Funk, Barry; Strub, Richard

2000-01-01

The Saskatchewan Forest Fire Control Centre (SFFCC) provided surface meteorological data to BOREAS from its archive. This data set contains hourly surface meteorological data from 18 of the Meteorological stations located across Saskatchewan. Included in these data are parameters of date, time, temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, wind speed, and precipitation. Temporally, the data cover the period of May through September of 1994 and 1995. The data are provided in comma-delimited ASCII files, and are classified as AFM-Staff data. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Hurricane Frances as Observed by NASA Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder AIRS and SeaWinds Scatterometer

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-08-30

This image shows Hurricane Frances in August 2004 as captured by instruments onboard two different NASA satellites: the AIRS infrared instrument onboard Aqua, and the SeaWinds scatterometer onboard QuikSCAT. Both are JPL-managed instruments. AIRS data are used to create global three-dimensional maps of temperature, humidity and clouds, while scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction over the ocean. The red vectors in the image show Frances' surface winds as measured by SeaWinds on QuikSCAT. The background colors show the temperature of clouds and surface as viewed in the infrared by AIRS, with cooler areas pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The color scale on the right gives the temperatures in degrees Kelvin. (The top of the scale, 320 degrees Kelvin, corresponds to 117 degrees Fahrenheit, and the bottom, 180 degrees K is -135 degrees F.) The powerful circulation of this storm is evident from the combined data as well as the development of a clearly-defined central "eye." The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the light blue areas reveal the cold clouds tops associated with strong thunderstorms embedded within the storm. In cloud-free areas the infrared signal comes from Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00435

The Hurricane Imaging Radiometer: Present and Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy L.; James, M. W.; Roberts, J. B.; Biswas, S. K.; Cecil, D.; Jones, W. L.; Johnson, J.; Farrar, S.; Sahawneh, S.; Ruf, C. S.;

Dyess AFB, Texas. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

Observations (RUSSWO); Dyess AFB TX; Texas; Abilene TX; Army Airfield Abilene TX; USTX722665. 19 Abstract: A six-part statistical data summary of...ELAT. AND S TANDARD Di-V I AtIONjS PEEESNTCVIS [’j ,T INCLUDE INCOMPLETE MONTHS. FOUR OR MORE MONTHS ARE NEEDED TO ADMILTE THE SE STATISTIC S AND...TA L NLMMYt (,F OPSIRW8IONS: 93" 6LOfAL CLPUATOLOGV FRANC " PERCENTAGE FPEiUtICY OF OCCURRENCE OF SURFACE WIND DIRECTION VERSUS WIND SPEED LiSAF7 I

On the Analysis of Wind-Induced Noise in Seismological Recordings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lott, Friederike F.; Ritter, Joachim R. R.; Al-Qaryouti, Mahmoud; Corsmeier, Ulrich

2017-03-01

Atmospheric processes, ranging from microscale turbulence to severe storms on the synoptic scale, impact the continuous ground motion of the earth and have the potential to induce strong broad-band noise in seismological recordings. We designed a target-oriented experiment to quantify the influence of wind on ground motion velocity in the Dead Sea valley. For the period from March 2014 to February 2015, a seismological array, consisting of 15 three-component short-period and broad-band stations, was operated near Madaba, Jordan, complemented by one meteorological tower providing synchronized, continuous three-component measurements of wind speed. Results reveal a pronounced, predominantly linear increase of the logarithmic power of ground motion velocity with rising mean horizontal wind speed at all recording stations. Measurements in rough, mountainous terrain further identify a strong dependency of wind-induced noise on surface characteristics, such as topography and, therefore, demonstrate the necessity to consider wind direction as well. To assess the noise level of seismological recordings with respect to a dynamically changing wind field, we develop a methodology to account for the dependency of power spectral density of ground motion velocity on wind speed and wind direction for long, statistically significant periods. We further introduce the quantitative measure of the ground motion susceptibility to estimate the vulnerability of seismological recordings to the presence of wind.

Langmuir circulation inhibits near-surface water turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Colin

2012-07-01

In the surface ocean, breaking waves are a major source of air bubbles and turbulent kinetic energy. During the presence of a consistent surface wind, these wave-generated bubbles, along with other surface material like seaweed or foam, can be drawn into long rows along the surface. Driving this organization is Langmuir circulation, a phenomenon in which the wind and waves cause surface waters to rotate helically, moving like a wire wrapped around a pole in the windward direction. These spiral currents oscillate between clockwise and counterclockwise rotations, such that in some places the surface waters are pushed together and in others they are pulled apart. Researchers have previously found that at sites of convergence the bubbles produced by breaking waves are pushed to depths of 15 meters or more, with important implications for air-sea gas mixing and other processes.

An Oceanographic and Climatological Atlas of Bristol Bay

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-10-01

36 Forecasting Method ................................ 38 SUPERSTRUCTURE ICING.............................. 41 WIND...slicks and risk general advection of oil by large-scale ice move- analysis to coastal regions were computed. ment, and specific advection of oil by the...tide 1) Fetch wind (speed and direction) from tables or other sources. Forecast time of a surface map analysis of pressure highest range based on loss of

Shelf Circulation Induced by an Orographic Wind Jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ràfols, Laura; Grifoll, Manel; Jordà, Gabriel; Espino, Manuel; Sairouní, Abdel; Bravo, Manel

2017-10-01

The dynamical response to cross-shelf wind-jet episodes is investigated. The study area is located at the northern margin of the Ebro Shelf, in the Northwestern (NW) Mediterranean Sea, where episodes of strong northwesterly wind occur. In this case, the wind is channeled through the Ebro Valley and intensifies upon reaching the sea, resulting in a wind jet. The wind-jet response in terms of water circulation and vertical density structure is investigated using a numerical model. The numerical outputs agree with water current observations from a high-frequency radar. Additionally, temperature, sea level, and wind measurements are also used for the skill assessment of the model. For the wind-jet episodes, the numerical results show a well-defined two-layer circulation in the cross-shelf direction, with the surface currents in the direction of the wind. This pattern is consistent with sea level set-down due to the wind effect. The comparison of the vertical structure response for different episodes revealed that the increase of stratification leads to an onshore displacement of the transition from inner shelf to mid-shelf. In general, the cross-shelf momentum balance during a wind-jet episode exhibits a balance between the frictional terms and the pressure gradient in shallow waters, shifting to a balance between the Coriolis force and the wind stress terms in deeper waters.

Observations of the marine environment from spaceborne side-looking real aperture radars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalmykov, A. I.; Velichko, S. A.; Tsymbal, V. N.; Kuleshov, Yu. A.; Weinman, J. A.; Jurkevich, I.

1993-01-01

Real aperture, side looking X-band radars have been operated from the Soviet Cosmos-1500, -1602, -1766 and Ocean satellites since 1984. Wind velocities were inferred from sea surface radar scattering for speeds ranging from approximately 2 m/s to those of hurricane proportions. The wind speeds were within 10-20 percent of the measured in situ values, and the direction of the wind velocity agreed with in situ direction measurements within 20-50 deg. Various atmospheric mesoscale eddies and tropical cyclones were thus located, and their strengths were inferred from sea surface reflectivity measurements. Rain cells were observed over both land and sea with these spaceborne radars. Algorithms to retrieve rainfall rates from spaceborne radar measurements were also developed. Spaceborne radars have been used to monitor various marine hazards. For example, information derived from those radars was used to plan rescue operations of distressed ships trapped in sea ice. Icebergs have also been monitored, and oil spills were mapped. Tsunamis produced by underwater earthquakes were also observed from space by the radars on the Cosmos 1500 series of satellites. The Cosmos-1500 satellite series have provided all weather radar imagery of the earths surface to a user community in real time by means of a 137.4 MHz Automatic Picture Transmission channel. This feature enabled the radar information to be used in direct support of Soviet polar maritime activities.

Observations of C-Band Brightness Temperatures and Ocean Surface Wind Speed and Rain Rate from the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) during GRIP and HS3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy L.; James, M. W.; Roberts, J. B.; Biswas, S.; Jones, W. L.; Johnson, J.; Farrar, S.; Ruf, C. S.; Uhlhorn, E. W.; Atlas, R.;

Poster 17: Methane storms as a driver of Titan's dune orientation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charnay, Benjamin; Barth, Erika; Rafkin, Scot; Narteau, Clement; Lebonnois, Sebastien; Rodriguez, Sebastien; Courech Du Pont, Sylvain; Lucas, Antoine

2016-06-01

Titan's equatorial regions are covered by eastward oriented linear dunes [1,2]. This direction is opposite to mean surface winds simulated by Global Climate Models (GCMs) at these latitudes, oriented westward as trade winds on Earth. We propose that Titan's dune orientation is actually determined by equinoctial tropical methane storms producing a coupling with superrotation and dune formation [3]. Using meso-scale simulations of convective methane clouds [4] with a GCM wind profile featuring the superrotation [5,6], we show that Titan's storms should produce fast eastward gust fronts above the surface. Such gusts dominate the aeolian transport. Using GCM wind calculations and analogies with terrestrial dune fields [7], we show that Titan's dune propagation occurs eastward under these conditions. Finally, this scenario combining global circulation winds and methane storms can explain other major features of Titan's dunes as the divergence from the equator or the dune size and spacing. It also implies an equatorial origin of Titan's dune sand and a possible occurence of dust storms.

Influencing factors on the cooling effect of coarse blocky top-layers on relict rock glaciers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pauritsch, Marcus; Wagner, Thomas; Mayaud, Cyril; Thalheim, Felix; Kellerer-Pirklbauer, Andreas; Winkler, Gerfried

2017-04-01

Coarse blocky material widely occurs in alpine landscapes particularly at the surface of bouldery rock glaciers. Such blocky layers are known to have a cooling effect on the subjacent material because of the enhanced non-conductive heat exchange with the atmosphere. This effect is used for instance by the construction of blocky embankments in the building of railways and roads in permafrost regions to prevent thawing processes. In alpine regions, this cooling effect may have a strong influence on the distribution and conservation of permafrost related to climate warming. The thermal regimes of the blocky surface layers of two comparable - in terms of size, elevation and geology - relict rock glaciers with opposing slope aspects are investigated. Therefore, the influence of the slope aspect-related climatic conditions (mainly the incident solar radiation, wind conditions and snow cover) on the cooling effect of the blocky layers is investigated. Air temperature, ground surface temperature and ground temperature at one meter depth were continuously measured over a period of four years at several locations at the NE-oriented Schöneben Rock Glacier and the adjacent SW-oriented Dürrtal Rock Glacier. At the former, additional data about wind speed and wind direction as well as precipitation are available, which are used to take wind-forced convection and snow cover into consideration. Statistical analyses of the data reveal that the blocky top layer of the Dürrtal Rock Glacier generally exhibits lower temperatures compared to the Schöneben Rock Glacier despite the more radiation-exposed aspect and the related higher solar radiation. However, the data show that the thermal regimes of the surface layers are highly heterogeneous and that data from the individual measurement sites have to be interpreted with caution. High Rayleigh numbers at both rock glaciers show that free convection occurs particularly during winter. Furthermore, wind-forced convection has a high impact on the thermal regime of the Schöneben Rock Glacier and, as the major wind direction, especially for higher wind speeds, is from west towards east, it is suspected that wind-forced convection is even more important at the Dürrtal Rock Glacier. The limited incident solar radiation at the Schöneben Rock Glacier results in a longer seasonal snow cover that appears earlier in autumn and can persist longer during the melting season. Moreover, with the predominant westerly wind, snow is supposedly transported from neighboring catchments (i.a. the Dürrtal Rock Glacier catchment) towards the Schöneben Rock Glacier catchment. Thus, in times with relatively cold air temperatures the coarse blocky surface at the Dürrtal Rock Glacier is better connected to the atmosphere than the more northern exposed Schöneben rock glacier because of the missing or only partial snow cover, which results in an enhanced cooling effect. It can be concluded that the cooling effect of coarse blocky debris is highly variable in alpine environments and can show considerable variations, depending on the heterogeneous structure of the layer itself and a complex interplay of slope aspect-related microclimatic effects such as incident solar radiation, predominant wind direction and snow cover dynamics.

Electron microscopic observations of hydrogen implantation in ilmenites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanford, G. E.

1983-01-01

Hydrogen ion beams were found to form submicrometer, bumpy textures on the surface of ilmenite grains. From this effect, it is believed that similar bumpy textures seen on lunar ilmenite, pyroxene, and olivine grains are likely to be caused by solar wind irradiation. As a consequence, the concentration of bumpy textured grains may be a useful index of surface maturity for lunar soils. An attempt was made to search for grains with these bumpy textures in interplanetary dust and lunar and meteoritic regolith breccias in order to obtain information about the duration of their exposure to the solar wind. Solar wind irradiation was simulated on natural, terrestrial ilmenite. Hydrogen ion beams were directed at small grains and polished sections which were then examined by electron microscopy.

Laboratory modeling of air-sea interaction under severe wind conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troitskaya, Yuliya; Vasiliy, Kazakov; Nicolay, Bogatov; Olga, Ermakova; Mikhail, Salin; Daniil, Sergeev; Maxim, Vdovin

2010-05-01

Wind-wave interaction at extreme wind speed is of special interest now in connection with the problem of explanation of the sea surface drag saturation at the wind speed exceeding 30 m/s. The idea on saturation (and even reduction) of the coefficient of aerodynamic resistance of the sea surface at hurricane wind speed was first suggested by Emanuel (1995) on the basis of theoretical analysis of sensitivity of maximum wind speed in a hurricane to the ratio of the enthalpy and momentum exchange coefficients. Both field (Powell, Vickery, Reinhold, 2003, French et al, 2007, Black, et al, 2007) and laboratory (Donelan et al, 2004) experiments confirmed that at hurricane wind speed the sea surface drag coefficient is significantly reduced in comparison with the parameterization obtained at moderate to strong wind conditions. Two groups of possible theoretical mechanisms for explanation of the effect of the sea surface drag reduction can be specified. In the first group of models developed by Kudryavtsev & Makin (2007) and Kukulka,Hara Belcher (2007), the sea surface drag reduction is explained by peculiarities of the air flow over breaking waves. Another approach more appropriate for the conditions of developed sea exploits the effect of sea drops and sprays on the wind-wave momentum exchange (Andreas, 2004; Makin, 2005; Kudryavtsev, 2006). The main objective of this work is investigation of factors determining momentum exchange under high wind speeds basing on the laboratory experiment in a well controlled environment. The experiments were carried out in the Thermo-Stratified WInd-WAve Tank (TSWIWAT) of the Institute of Applied Physics. The parameters of the facility are as follows: airflow 0 - 25 m/s (equivalent 10-m neutral wind speed U10 up to 60 m/s), dimensions 10m x 0.4m x 0.7 m, temperature stratification of the water layer. Simultaneous measurements of the airflow velocity profiles and wind waves were carried out in the wide range of wind velocities. Airflow velocity profile was measured by WindSonic ultrasonic wind sensor. The water elevation was measured by the three-channel wave-gauge. Top and side views of the water surface were fixed by CCD-camera. Wind friction velocity and surface drag coefficients were retrieved from the measurements by the profile method. Obtained values are in good agreement with the data of measurements by Donelan et al (2004). The directional frequency-wave-number spectra of surface waves were retrieved by the wavelet directional method (Donelan et al, 1996). The obtained dependencies of parameters of the wind waves indicate existing of two regimes of the waves with the critical wind speed Ucr about 30 m/s. For U10Ucr the dependencies of peak wave period, peak wavelength, significant wave height on the wind speed tend to saturation, in the same time the peak wave slope has the maximum at approximately Ucr and then decreases with the tendency to saturation. The surface drag also tends to saturation for U10>Ucr similarly to (Donelan et al, 2004). Video filming indicates onset of wave breaking with white-capping and spray generation at wind speeds approximately equal to Ucr. We compared the obtained experimental dependencies with the predictions of the quasi-linear model of the turbulent boundary layer over the waved water surface (Reutov&Troitskaya, 1995). Comparing shows that theoretical predictions give low estimates for the measured drag coefficient and wave fields. Taking into account momentum flux associated with the spray generation yields theoretical estimations in good agreement with the experimental data. Basing on the experimental data a possible physical mechanism of the drag is suggested. Tearing of the wave crests at severe wind conditions leads to the effective smoothing (decreasing wave slopes) of the water surface, which in turn reduces the aerodynamic roughness of the water surface. Quantitative agreement of the experimental data and theoretical estimations od the surface drag occurs if spray and drop momentum flux is taken into account. This study was supported by Russian Foundation for basic research (project code 07-05-00565, 10-05-00339). References Andreas E. L. Spray stress revised, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 2004, v.34, p.1429--1440. Black P.G., et al, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 2007, v. 88, №3, p.357-374. Donelan M.A., et al, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 26, 1901-1914, 1996 Donelan M.A., et al, Geophys. Res. Lett., 2004, v.31, L18306. Emanuel, K.A. , J. Atmos. Sci/, 1995, v.52, p.3969-3976. Fairall C.W., et al, J. Climate, 2003, v.16, № 4, p.571-591. French, J. R., et al, J. Atmos. Sci., 2007, v.64, p.1089-1102. Garratt J.R., Mon. Weather Rev., 1977, v.105, p.915-929. Kudryavtsev V. N., J. Geophys. Res., 2006, v.111, C07020. Kudryavtsev V., Makin V. , Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 2007, v.125, p. 289--303. Kukulka, T., T. Hara, and S. E. Belcher., J. Phys. Oceanogr., 37, 1811-1828, 2007 Makin V. K. ,Boundary Layer Meteorol., 2005, v. 115, №1, p.169-176. Powell, M.D., Vickery P.J., Reinhold T.A., Nature, 2003, v.422, p.279-283. Reutov V.P., Troitskaya Yu.I. ,. Izvestiya RAN, FAO, 31, 825-834, 1995

CWEX (Crop/Wind-Energy Experiment): Measurements of the interaction between crop agriculture and wind power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajewski, Daniel Andrew

The current expansion of wind farms in the U.S. Midwest promotes an alternative renewable energy portfolio to conventional energy sources derived from fossil fuels. The construction of wind turbines and large wind farms within several millions of cropland acres creates a unique interaction between two unlike energy sources: electric generation by wind and bio-fuel production derived from crop grain and plant tissues. Wind turbines produce power by extracting mean wind speed and converting a portion of the flow to turbulence downstream of each rotor. Turbine-scale turbulence modifies fluxes of momentum, heat, moisture, and other gaseous constituents (e.g. carbon dioxide) between the crop canopy and the atmospheric boundary layer. Conversely, crop surfaces and tillage elements produce drag on the hub-height wind resource, and the release of sensible and latent heat flux from the canopy or soil influences the wind speed profile. The Crop-Wind Energy Experiment (CWEX) measured momentum, energy, and CO2 fluxes at several locations within the leading line of turbines in a large operational wind farm, and overall turbines promote canopy mixing of wind speed, temperature, moisture, and carbon dioxide in both the day and night. Turbine-generated perturbations of these fluxes are dependent on several factors influencing the turbine operation (e.g. wind speed, wind direction, stability, orientation of surrounding turbines within a wind park) and the cropland surface (e.g. crop type and cultivar, planting density, chemical application, and soil composition and drainage qualities). Additional strategies are proposed for optimizing the synergy between crop and wind power.

Estimation of wind stress using dual-frequency TOPEX data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elfouhaily, Tanos; Vandemark, Douglas; Gourrion, Jéro‸me; Chapron, Bertrand

1998-10-01

The TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite carries the first dual-frequency radar altimeter. Monofrequency (Ku-band) algorithms are presently used to retrieve surface wind speed from the altimeter's radar cross-section measurement (σ0Ku). These algorithms work reasonably well, but it is also known that altimeter wind estimates can be contaminated by residual effects, such as sea state, embedded in the σ0Ku measurement. Investigating the potential benefit of using two frequencies for wind retrieval, it is shown that a simple evaluation of TOPEX data yields previously unavailable information, particularly for high and low wind speeds. As the wind speed increases, the dual-frequency data provides a measurement more directly linked to the short-scale surface roughness, which in turn is associated with the local surface wind stress. Using a global TOPEX σ0° data set and TOPEX's significant wave height (Hs) estimate as a surrogate for the sea state's degree of development, it is also shown that differences between the two TOPEX σ0 measurements strongly evidence nonlocal sea state signature. A composite scattering theory is used to show how the dual-frequency data can provide an improved friction velocity model, especially for winds above 7 m/s. A wind speed conversion is included using a sea state dependent drag coefficient fed with TOPEX Hs data. Two colocated TOPEX-buoy data sets (from the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) and the Structure des Echanges Mer-Atmosphre, Proprietes des Heterogeneites Oceaniques: Recherche Expérimentale (SEMAPHORE) campaign) are employed to test the new wind speed algorithm. A measurable improvement in wind speed estimation is obtained when compared to the monofrequency Witter and Chelton [1991] model.

Polarimetric thermal emission from periodic water surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yueh, S. H.; Nghiem, S. V.; Kwok, R.; Wilson, W. J.; Li, F. K.; Johnson, J. T.; Kong, J. A.

1993-01-01

Experimental results and theoretical calculations are presented to study the polarimetric emission from water surfaces with directional features. For our ground-based Ku-band radiometer measurements, a water pool was constructed on the roof of a building in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and a fiberglass surface with periodic corrugations in one direction was impressed on the top of the water surface to create a stationary water surface underneath it. It is observed that the measured Stokes parameters of corrugated fiberglass-covered water surfaces are functions of azimuth angles and agree very well with the theoretical calculations. The theory, after being verified by the experimental data, was then used to calculate the Stokes parameters of periodic surfaces without fiberglass surface layer and with rms height of the order of wind-generated water ripples. The magnitudes of the azimuthal variation of the calculated emissivities at horizontal and vertical polarizations corresponding to the first two Stokes parameters are found to be comparable to the values measured by airborne radiometers and SSM/I. In addition, the third Stokes parameter not shown in the literature is seen to have approximately twice the magnitude of the azimuth variation of either T(sub h) or T(sub v), which may make it more sensitive to the row direction, while less susceptive to noises because the atmospheric and system noises tend to be unpolarized and are expected to be cancelled out when the third Stokes parameter is derived as the difference of two or three power measurements, as indicated by another experiment carried out at a swimming pool with complicated surroundings. The results indicate that passive polarimetry is a potential technology in the remote sensing of ocean wind vector which is a crucial component in the understanding of global climate change. Issues related to the application of microwave passive polarimetry to ocean wind are also discussed.

High resolution simulations of orographic flow over a complex terrain on the Southeast coast of Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chou, S. C.; Zolino, M. M.; Gomes, J. L.; Bustamante, J. F.; Lima-e-Silva, P. P.

2012-04-01

The Eta Model is used operationally by CPTEC to produce weather forecasts over South America since 1997. The model has gone through upgrades. In order to prepare the model for operational higher resolution forecasts, the model is configured and tested over a region of complex topography located near the coast of Southeast Brazil. The Eta Model was configured, with 2-km horizontal resolution and 50 layers. The Eta-2km is a second nesting, it is driven by Eta-15km, which in its turn is driven by Era-Interim reanalyses. The model domain includes the two Brazilians cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, urban areas, preserved tropical forest, pasture fields, and complex terrain and coastline. Mountains can rise up to about 700m. The region suffers frequent events of floods and landslides. The objective of this work is to evaluate high resolution simulations of wind and temperature in this complex area. Verification of model runs uses observations taken from the nuclear power plant. Accurate near-surface wind direction and magnitude are needed for the plant emergency plan and winds are highly sensitive to model spatial resolution and atmospheric stability. Verification of two cases during summer shows that model has clear diurnal cycle signal for wind in that region. The area is characterized by weak winds which makes the simulation more difficult. The simulated wind magnitude is about 1.5m/s, which is close to observations of about 2m/s; however, the observed change of wind direction of the sea breeze is fast whereas it is slow in the simulations. Nighttime katabatic flow is captured by the simulations. Comparison against Eta-5km runs show that the valley circulation is better described in the 2-km resolution run. Simulated temperatures follow closely the observed diurnal cycle. Experiments improving some surface conditions such as the surface temperature and land cover show simulation error reduction and improved diurnal cycle.

Observations of inner shelf cross-shore surface material transport adjacent to a coastal inlet in the northern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roth, Mathias K.; MacMahan, Jamie; Reniers, Ad; Özgökmen, Tamay M.; Woodall, Kate; Haus, Brian

2017-04-01

Motivated by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Surfzone and Coastal Oil Pathways Experiment obtained Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) Eulerian and GPS-drifter based Lagrangian "surface" (<1 m) flow observations in the northern Gulf of Mexico to describe the influence of small-scale river plumes on surface material transport pathways in the nearshore. Lagrangian paths are qualitatively similar to surface pathlines derived from non-traditional, near-surface ADCP velocities, but both differ significantly from depth-averaged subsurface pathlines. Near-surface currents are linearly correlated with wind velocities (r =0.76 in the alongshore and r =0.85 in the cross-shore) at the 95% confidence level, and are 4-7 times larger than theoretical estimates of wind and wave-driven surface flow in an un-stratified water column. Differences in near-surface flow are attributed to the presence of a buoyant river plume forced by winds from passing extratropical storms. Plume boundary fronts induce a horizontal velocity gradient where drifters deployed outside of the plume in oceanic water routinely converge, slow, and are re-directed. When the plume flows west parallel to the beach, the seaward plume boundary front acts as a coastal barrier that prevents 100% of oceanic drifters from beaching within 27 km of the inlet. As a result, small-scale, wind-driven river plumes in the northern Gulf of Mexico act as coastal barriers that prevent offshore surface pollution from washing ashore west of river inlets.

Turbulent convection in geostrophic circulation with wind and buoyancy forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohail, Taimoor; Gayen, Bishakhdatta; Hogg, Andy

2017-11-01

We conduct a direct numerical simulation of geostrophic circulation forced by surface wind and buoyancy to model a circumpolar ocean. The imposed buoyancy forcing (represented by Rayleigh number) drives a zonal current and supports small-scale convection in the buoyancy destabilizing region. In addition, we observe eddy activity which transports heat southward, supporting a large amount of heat uptake. Increasing wind stress enhances the meridional buoyancy gradient, triggering more eddy activity inside the boundary layer. Therefore, heat uptake increases with higher wind stress. The majority of dissipation is confined within the surface boundary layer, while mixing is dominant inside the convective plume and the buoyancy destabilizing region of the domain. The relative strength of the mixing and dissipation in the system can be expressed by mixing efficiency. This study finds that mixing is much greater than viscous dissipation, resulting in higher values of mixing efficiency than previously used. Supported by Australian Research Council Grant DP140103706.

Final Report for Project: Impacts of stratification and non-equilibrium winds and waves on hub-height winds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patton, Edward G.

This project used a combination of turbulence-resolving large-eddy simulations, single-column modeling (where turbulence is parameterized), and currently available observations to improve, assess, and develop a parameterization of the impact of non-equilibrium wave states and stratification on the buoy-observed winds to establish reliable wind data at the turbine hub-height level. Analysis of turbulence-resolving simulations and observations illuminates the non-linear coupling between the atmosphere and the undulating sea surface. This analysis guides modification of existing boundary layer parameterizations to include wave influences for upward extrapolation of surface-based observations through the turbine layer. Our surface roughness modifications account for the interaction between stratificationmore » and the effects of swell’s amplitude and wavelength as well as swell’s relative motion with respect to the mean wind direction. The single-column version of the open source Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF) model (Skamarock et al., 2008) serves as our platform to test our proposed planetary boundary layer parameterization modifications that account for wave effects on marine atmospheric boundary layer flows. WRF has been widely adopted for wind resource analysis and forecasting. The single column version is particularly suitable to development, analysis, and testing of new boundary layer parameterizations. We utilize WRF’s single-column version to verify and validate our proposed modifications to the Mellor-Yamada-Nakanishi-Niino (MYNN) boundary layer parameterization (Nakanishi and Niino, 2004). We explore the implications of our modifications for two-way coupling between WRF and wave models (e.g.,Wavewatch III). The newly implemented parameterization accounting for marine atmospheric boundary layer-wave coupling is then tested in three-dimensional WRF simulations at grid sizes near 1 km. These simulations identify the behavior of simulated winds at the wind plant scale. Overall project conclusions include; In the presence of fast-moving swell (significant wave height Hs = 6.4 m, and phase speed cp = 18 ms -1), the atmospheric boundary layer grows more rapidly when waves propagate opposite to the winds compared to when winds and waves are aligned. Pressure drag increases by nearly a factor of 2 relative to the turbulent stress for the extreme case where waves propagate at 180° compared to the pressure gradient forcing. Net wind speed reduces by nearly 15% at hub-height for the 180°-case compared to the 0°-case, and turbulence intensities increase by nearly a factor of 2. These impacts diminish with decreasing wave age; Stratification increases hub height wind speeds and increases the vertical shear of the mean wind across the rotor plane. Fortuitously, this stability-induced enhanced shear does not influence turbulence intensity at hub height, but does increase (decrease) turbulence intensity below (above) hub height. Increased stability also increases the wave-induced pressure stress by ~ 10%; Off the East Coast of the United States during Coupled Boundary Layers Air-Sea Transfer - Low Wind (CBLAST-Low), cases with short fetch include thin stable boundary layers with depths of only a few tens of meters. In the coastal zone, the relationship between the mean wind and the surface fiction velocity (u*(V )) is significantly related to wind direction for weak winds but is not systematically related to the air sea difference of virtual potential temperature, δθv; since waves generally propagate from the south at the Air-Sea Interaction Tower (ASIT) tower, these results suggest that under weak wind conditions waves likely influence surface stress more than stratification does; and Winds and waves are frequently misaligned in the coastal zone. Stability conditions persist for long duration. Over a four year period, the Forschungsplattformen in Nord- und Ostsee Nr. 1 (FINO1) tower (a site with long fetch) primarily experienced weakly-unstable conditions, while stability at the ASIT tower (with a larger influence of offshore winds) experiences a mix of both unstable and stable conditions, where the summer months are predominantly stable. Wind-wave misalignment likely explains the large scatter in observed non-dimensional surface roughness under swell-dominated conditions. Andreas et al.’s (2012) relationship between u* and the 10-m wind speed under predicts the increased u* produced by wave-induced pressure drag produced by misaligned winds and waves. Incorporating wave-state (speed and direction) influences in parameterizations improves predictive skill. In a broad sense, these results suggest that one needs information on winds, temperature, and wave state to upscale buoy measurements to hub-height and across the rotor plane. Our parameterization of wave-state influences on surface drag has been submitted for inclusion in the next publicly available release. In combination, our project elucidates the impacts of two important physical processes (non-equilibrium wind/waves and stratification) on the atmosphere within which offshore turbines operate. This knowledge should help guide and inform manufacturers making critical decisions surrounding design criteria of future turbines to be deployed in the coastal zone. Reductions in annually averaged hub height wind speed error using our new wave-state-aware surface layer parameterization are relatively modest. However since wind turbine power production depends on the wind speed cubed, the error in estimated power production is close to 5%; which is significant and can substantially impact wind resource assessment and decision making with regards to the viability of particular location for a wind plant location. For a single 30-hour forecast, significant reductions in wind speed prediction errors can yield substantially improved wind power forecast skill, thereby mitigating costs and/or increasing revenue through improved; forecasting for maintenance operations and planning; day-ahead forecasting for power trading and resource allocation; and short-term forecasting for dispatch and grid balancing.« less

Unpolarized infrared emissivity with shadow from anisotropic rough sea surfaces with non-Gaussian statistics.

PubMed

Bourlier, Christophe

2005-07-10

The emissivity of two-dimensional anisotropic rough sea surfaces with non-Gaussian statistics is investigated. The emissivity derivation is of importance for retrieval of the sea-surface temperature or equivalent temperature of a rough sea surface by infrared thermal imaging. The well-known Cox-Munk slope probability-density function, considered non-Gaussian, is used for the emissivity derivation, in which the skewness and the kurtosis (related to the third- and fourth-order statistics, respectively) are included. The shadowing effect, which is significant for grazing angles, is also taken into account. The geometric optics approximation is assumed to be valid, which means that the rough surface is modeled as a collection of facets reflecting locally the light in the specular direction. In addition, multiple reflections are ignored. Numerical results of the emissivity are presented for Gaussian and non-Gaussian statistics, for moderate wind speeds, for near-infrared wavelengths, for emission angles ranging from 0 degrees (nadir) to 90 degrees (horizon), and according to the wind direction. In addition, the emissivity is compared with both measurements and a Monte Carlo ray-tracing method.

Formation of intrathermocline eddies at ocean fronts by wind-driven destruction of potential vorticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Leif N.

2008-08-01

A mechanism for the generation of intrathermocline eddies (ITEs) at wind-forced fronts is examined using a high resolution numerical simulation. Favorable conditions for ITE formation result at fronts forced by "down-front" winds, i.e. winds blowing in the direction of the frontal jet. Down-front winds exert frictional forces that reduce the potential vorticity (PV) within the surface boundary in the frontal outcrop, providing a source for the low-PV water that is the materia prima of ITEs. Meandering of the front drives vertical motions that subduct the low-PV water into the pycnocline, pooling it into the coherent anticyclonic vortex of a submesoscale ITE. As the fluid is subducted along the outcropping frontal isopycnal, the low-PV water, which at the surface is associated with strongly baroclinic flow, re-expresses itself as water with nearly zero absolute vorticity. This generation of strong anticyclonic vorticity results from the tilting of the horizontal vorticity of the frontal jet, not from vortex squashing. During the formation of the ITE, high-PV water from the pycnocline is upwelled alongside the subducting low-PV surface water. The positive correlation between the ITE's velocity and PV fields results in an upward, along-isopycnal eddy PV flux that scales with the surface frictional PV flux driven by the wind. The relationship between the eddy and wind-induced frictional PV flux is nonlocal in time, as the eddy PV flux persists long after the wind forcing is shut off. The ITE's PV flux affects the large-scale flow by driving an eddy-induced transport or bolus velocity down the outcropping isopycnal layer with a magnitude that scales with the Ekman velocity.

Lajes AB, Azores. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-11-25

10104 O A IM.4 10PM AS 0 50.11T 14W ~ O IF PP I / ’~~ PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY OF WINDSU FC WID DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS) STATION...USAFETAC 0-8-5 CL-A PREoUGS E(01051 os I, fOaM Afff 0S0,lll ILL 64 SURFACE WINDS S..PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY...4 _ _ 0_ NE .6 2.6 2.6 .5 _ 1 ,.3 6.’ ENE ,! 3.1 2.0 1.04 7.6 7. 1- t o6 2.4 4.1 .9 7.9 7.1 ESE , 1 ,6 ,A 92j 1.7 7.4 SE .4 1*( A * 194 *4 _ 3*23

Short-term Influences on Suspended Particulate Matter Distribution in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Satellite and Model Observations.

PubMed

D'Sa, Eurico J; Ko, Dong S

2008-07-15

Energetic meteorological events such as frontal passages and hurricanes often impact coastal regions in the northern Gulf of Mexico that influence geochemical processes in the region. Satellite remote sensing data such as winds from QuikSCAT, suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations derived from SeaWiFS and the outputs (sea level and surface ocean currents) of a nested navy coastal ocean model (NCOM) were combined to assess the effects of frontal passages between 23-28 March 2005 on the physical properties and the SPM characteristics in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Typical changes in wind speed and direction associated with frontal passages were observed in the latest 12.5 km wind product from QuikSCAT with easterly winds before the frontal passage undergoing systematic shifts in direction and speed and turning northerly, northwesterly during a weak and a strong front on 23 and 27 March, respectively. A quantitative comparison of model sea level results with tide gauge observations suggest better correlations near the delta than in the western part of the Gulf with elevated sea levels along the coast before the frontal passage and a large drop in sea level following the frontal passage on 27 March. Model results of surface currents suggested strong response to wind forcing with westward and onshore currents before the frontal passage reversing into eastward, southeastward direction over a six day period from 23 to 28 March 2005. Surface SPM distribution derived from SeaWiFS ocean color data for two clear days on 23 and 28 March 2005 indicated SPM plumes to be oriented with the current field with increasing concentrations in nearshore waters due to resuspension and discharge from the rivers and bays and its seaward transport following the frontal passage. The backscattering spectral slope γ, a parameter sensitive to particle size distribution also indicated lower γ values (larger particles) in nearshore waters that decreased offshore (smaller particles). The use of both satellite and model results revealed the strong interactions between physical processes and the surface particulate field in response to the frontal passage in a large riverdominated coastal margin.

On the nature of low-frequency currents over a shallow area of the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lilover, M.-J.; Pavelson, J.; Kõuts, T.

2014-01-01

This study aims to explain those factors influencing low-frequency currents in a shallow unstratified sea with complex topography. Current velocity measurements using a bottom-mounted ADCP, deployed at 8 m depth on the slope of Naissaar Bank (northern entrance to the Tallinn Bay, Gulf of Finland), were performed over five weeks in late autumn 2008. A quasi-steady current from nine sub-periods (two weeks) was relatively well correlated with wind (mean correlation coefficient of 0.70). During moderate to fresh winds, the current is veered to the right relative to the wind direction, by angles in the range of 14-38°. The flow is directed to the left, relative to the wind direction in stronger wind conditions, indicating evidence of topographic forcing. The observed current was reasonably in accordance with the flow predicted by the classical Ekman model. The modelled current speeds (wind speeds < 11 m s- 1) appear to be overestimated by 3-6 cm s- 1, whilst the observed rotation angles were mostly less than those predicted by the model. Inclusion of barotropic forcing to the Ekman model improved its performance. The discrepancies between the model and observations are discussed in terms of topographic steering, baroclinic effect and surface wave induced forcing.

Design and analysis of a direct-drive wind power generator with ultra-high torque density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jian, Linni; Shi, Yujun; Wei, Jin; Zheng, Yanchong

2015-05-01

In order to get rid of the nuisances caused by mechanical gearboxes, generators with low rated speed, which can be directly connected to wind turbines, are attracting increasing attention. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new direct-drive wind power generator (DWPG), which can offer ultra-high torque density. First, magnetic gear (MG) is integrated to achieve non-contact torque transmission and speed variation. Second, armature windings are engaged to achieve electromechanical energy conversion. Interior permanent magnet (PM) design on the inner rotor is adopted to boost the torque transmission capability of the integrated MG. Nevertheless, due to lack of back iron on the stator, the proposed generator does not exhibit prominent salient feature, which usually exists in traditional interior PM (IPM) machines. This makes it with good controllability and high power factor as the surface-mounted permanent magnet machines. The performance is analyzed using finite element method. Investigation on the magnetic field harmonics demonstrates that the permanent-magnetic torque offered by the MG can work together with the electromagnetic torque offered by the armature windings to balance the driving torque captured by the wind turbine. This allows the proposed generator having the potential to offer even higher torque density than its integrated MG.

The role of 1-D and 3-D radiative heating in the organization of shallow cumulus convection and the formation of cloud streets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakub, Fabian; Mayer, Bernhard

2017-11-01

The formation of shallow cumulus cloud streets was historically attributed primarily to dynamics. Here, we focus on the interaction between radiatively induced surface heterogeneities and the resulting patterns in the flow. Our results suggest that solar radiative heating has the potential to organize clouds perpendicular to the sun's incidence angle. To quantify the extent of organization, we performed a high-resolution large-eddy simulation (LES) parameter study. We varied the horizontal wind speed, the surface heat capacity, the solar zenith and azimuth angles, and radiative transfer parameterizations (1-D and 3-D). As a quantitative measure we introduce a simple algorithm that provides a scalar quantity for the degree of organization and the alignment. We find that, even in the absence of a horizontal wind, 3-D radiative transfer produces cloud streets perpendicular to the sun's incident direction, whereas the 1-D approximation or constant surface fluxes produce randomly positioned circular clouds. Our reasoning for the enhancement or reduction of organization is the geometric position of the cloud's shadow and its corresponding surface fluxes. Furthermore, when increasing horizontal wind speeds to 5 or 10 m s-1, we observe the development of dynamically induced cloud streets. If, in addition, solar radiation illuminates the surface beneath the cloud, i.e., when the sun is positioned orthogonally to the mean wind field and the solar zenith angle is larger than 20°, the cloud-radiative feedback has the potential to significantly enhance the tendency to organize in cloud streets. In contrast, in the case of the 1-D approximation (or overhead sun), the tendency to organize is weaker or even prohibited because the shadow is cast directly beneath the cloud. In a land-surface-type situation, we find the organization of convection happening on a timescale of half an hour. The radiative feedback, which creates surface heterogeneities, is generally diminished for large surface heat capacities. We therefore expect radiative feedbacks to be strongest over land surfaces and weaker over the ocean. Given the results of this study we expect that simulations including shallow cumulus convection will have difficulties producing cloud streets if they employ 1-D radiative transfer solvers or may need unrealistically high wind speeds to excite cloud street organization.

Establishing and applying of a coupled individual based model of edible jellyfish(Rhopilema esculentum Kishinouye) releasing in the Liaodong Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Liping; Qiao, Fangli

2017-04-01

A three-dimensional circulation-surface wave coupled hydrodynamic model coupled with an individual-based jellyfish model was established to investigate the influence of physical process on edible jellyfish releasing stock enhancement in Liaodong Bay. Sensitivity experiments show that the wind intensity and direction have both direct and indirect impacts on the distribution of the jellyfish. When the wind is strong, the surface current in Liaodong Bay has the same direction of the wind. Under the co-effect of the ocean current transport and the surface wind transport, the jellyfish inhabits in the northeast of Liaodong bay, which is consistent with the observation. In the circumstance of weak wind, the circulation is clockwise and the jellyfish will spread around the 5m isobaths following the circulation. Research of the jellyfish distribution shows that the releasing jellyfish will stay in Liaodong bay in its whole life history, hence Liaodong Bay is a quite suitable area for enhancement releasing. The influence of the temperature on releasing region and date is also investigated. The threshold date during 2008 to 2016 is calculated, which is the date when the temperature of water within 10m isobaths in Liaodong Bay rises up to 15oC. In 2010, the threshold date came about one week later while the medusa releasing date remains the same in 2009. As a result, higher fatality rate of medusa caused by the cold water resulted in lower recapture rate in 2010. Therefore, the releasing date and location should be varied according to environmental conditions. The threshold date tends to appear earlier during 2008 to 2016, which suggests an earlier releasing date. In summer, due to the cold water mass intrusion from the south, the releasing date in the north area should be earlier than in the south.

Participation in the Mars Data Analysis Program: Analysis of cloud forms in Viking and Mariner 9 images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gierasch, P.; Kahn, R. A.

1985-01-01

The first systematic account of the climate of Mars, based upon observations was produced. Cloud data were used to determine spatially and temporally varying near-surface wind direction, relative wind speed, static stability, and humidity conditions on a global scale. Existing models of meteorological processes were critically reexamined in light of the data, and more stringent constraints were set on global processes. Several discoveries were made, including the large extent and seasonal variability of the Mars equatorial Hadley cell, the failure of high latitude winds to reverse direction in early northern spring, the change in meridional wind component in southern midautum, and the almost constant cloud cover in the northern hemisphere, during spring and summer primarily by condensate clouds and in fall and winter by condensates and dust. The implications of these observations are discussed.

Simulations of Forest Fires by the Cellular Automata Model "ABBAMPAU"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

di Gregorio, S.; Bendicenti, E.

2003-04-01

Forest fires represent a serious environmental problem, whose negative impact is becoming day by day more worrisome. Forest fires are very complex phenomena; that need an interdisciplinary approach. The adopted method to modelling involves the definition of local rules, from which the global behaviour of the system can emerge. The paradigm of Cellular Automata was applied and the model ABBAMPAU was projected to simulate the evolution of forest fires. Cellular Automata features (parallelism and a-centrism) seem to match the system "forest fire"; the parameters, describing globally a forest fire, i.e. propagation rate, flame length and direction, fireline intensity, fire duration time et c. are mainly depending on some local characteristics i.e. vegetation type (live and dead fuel), relative humidity, fuel moisture, heat, territory morphology (altitude, slope), et c.. The only global characteristic is given by wind velocity and direction, but wind velocity and direction is locally altered according to the morphology; therefore wind has also to be considered at local level. ABBAMPAU accounts for the following aspects of the phenomenon: effects of combustion in surface and crown fire inside the cell, crown fire triggering off; surface and crown fire spread, determination of the local wind rate and direction. A validation of ABBAMPAU was tested on a real case of forest fire, in the territory of Villaputzu, Sardinia island, August 22nd, 1998. First simulations account for the main characteristics of the phenomenon and agree with the observations. The results show that the model could be applied for the forest fire preventions, the productions of risk scenarios and the evaluation of the forest fire environmental impact.

Infrasound Calibration Experiment in Israel: Preparation and Test Shots

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

surface shots will be conducted at Sayarim Military Range (SMR), located in southern Israel, Negev desert, including the main calibration explosion...measurements of wind direction and velocity near the surface at the airport Uvda in the Negev , very close (~10 km) to Sayarim (see Figure 1). We

CFD modelling of nocturnal low-level jet effects on wind energy related variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sogachev, Andrey; Mann, Jakob; Dellwik, Ebba; Ejsing Jørgensen, Hans

2010-05-01

The development of a wind speed maximum in the nocturnal boundary layer, referred to as a low-level jet (LLJ), is a common feature of the vertical structure of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). Characterizing and understanding LLJ streams is growing in importance as wind turbines are being built larger and taller to take advantage of higher wind speeds at increased heights. We used a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to explore LLJs effect on wind speed, wind directional and speed shear inside the surface layer 40 - 130 m, where their physical measurements are not trivial and still rare today. We used the one-dimensional version of the ABL model SCADIS (Sogachev et al. 2002: Tellus 54:784-819). The unique feature of the model, based on a two-equation closure approach, is the treatment of buoyancy effects in a universal way, which overcomes the uncertainties with model coefficients for non-shear source/sink terms (Sogachev, 2009: Boundary Layer Meteor. 130:423-435). From a variety of mechanisms suggested for formation of LLJs, such as inertial oscillations, baroclinicity over sloping terrain, and land-sea breeze effects, the one-dimensional ABL model is capable of simulating only the first one. However, that mechanism, which is caused by the diurnal oscillation of eddy viscosity, is often responsible for jet formation. Sensitivity tests carried out showed that SCADIS captures the most prominent features of the LLJ, including its vertical structure as well as its diurnal phase and amplitude. We simulated ABL pattern under conditions typical for LLJ formation (a fair day on July 1, a flat low-roughness underlying surface) at 30 and 50o latitudes. Diurnal variability of wind speed and turbulence intensity at four levels of 40, 70, 100 and 130 m above ground and of wind and directional shear between those levels were analysed. Despite of small differences in LLJ structure the properties of LLJ important for wind energy production are still common for two latitudes. Along with the wind speed increase in night time the turbulence intensity decreases and, as it was confirmed by many experiments, are insignificant in comparison with midday values (both factors are favourable for wind production). However, wind and directional shear across the entire layer occupied by hypothetical wind turbine rotors (between 40 - 130 m) provide different wind conditions above and below the turbine hub. For example, the shear exponent was higher than 0.65 during most part of night (below 0.08 at midday) and direction shear was sometimes higher than 0.3 degree per meter (about 0 at midday). Most extreme values of both parameters occurred at dawn when turbulence starts to develop. This creates large amounts of stress on the turbines, causing difficulties in their operation and fatigue issues over time. The model will have to be coupled to an aeroelastic model to be able to predict quantatively the consequences for power production and dynamic loads on wind turbines.

What caused the Extreme Storm Season over the North Atlantic and the UK in Winter 2013-14?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leckebusch, G. C.; Wild, S.; Befort, D. J.

2015-12-01

In winter 2013-2014, the UK experienced exceptional stormy and rainy weather conditions. Concurrently, surface temperatures over large parts of central North America fell to near record minimum values. One potential driver for these cold conditions is discussed to be the increasingly warm surface waters of the tropical west Pacific. It has been suggested these increasing sea surface temperatures could also be the cause for extreme weather over the British Isles. Testing this hypothesis, we investigate mechanisms linking the tropical west Pacific and European wind storm activity. We focus on two research questions. Firstly: Was a chain of anomaly patterns with origin in the west Pacific present in the winter 2013-14? And secondly: Can centres of action along such a chain be identified with a strong interannual relationship in the recent past? Our results, using primarily ERA-Interim Reanalysis from 1979 to 2014, show an absolute maximum of wind storm frequency over the northeast Atlantic and the British Isles in winter 2013-14. We also find absolute minimum surface temperatures in central North America and increased convective activity over the tropical west Pacific in the same season. The winter 2013-14 was additionally characterized by anomalous warm sea surface temperatures over the subtropical northwest Atlantic. Although the interannual variability of wind storms in the northeast Atlantic and surface temperatures in North America are significantly anti-correlated, we cannot directly relate wind storm frequency with tropical west Pacific anomalies. We thus conclude that the conditions over the Pacific in winter 2013-14 were favourable but not sufficient to explain the record number of wind storms in this season. Instead, we suggest that warm north Atlantic sea surface temperature anomalies in combination with cold surface temperatures over North America played a more important role for generating higher wind storm counts over the northeast Atlantic and the UK.

Orbiter entry leeside heat-transfer data analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Throckmorton, D. A.; Zoby, E. V.

1983-01-01

Heat-transfer data measured along the Space Shuttle Orbiter's leeward centerline and over the wing leeside surface during the STS-2 and STS-3 mission entries are presented. The flight data are compared with available wind-tunnel results. Flight heating levels are, in general, lower than those which are inferred from the wind-tunnel results. This result is apparently due to the flight leeside flowfield remaining laminar over a larger Reynolds number range than that of corresponding ground test results. The flight/wind-tunnel data comparisons confirm the adequacy of, and conservatism embodied in, the direct application of wind-tunnel data at flight conditions for the design of Orbiter leeside thermal protection.

Polarimetric Ku-Band Scatterometer for High Accuracy, Large Swath Global Wind Vector Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsai, Wu-Yang; Nghiem, Son V.; Huddleston, James; Spencer, Michael; Stiles, Bryan; West, Richard

2000-01-01

In the past, wind measurements from space using fan-beam antennas, such as Seasat Scatterometer (SASS-1), ERS-1 &2, and NASA scatterometer (NSCAT), required up to six large stick-like antennas and suffered a nadir gap of up to 400 km. In the near future, a spinning pencil-beam scatterometer system is to be used for the SeaWinds scatterometer on QuikSCAT (QSCAT) and on ADEOS-2 (SeaWinds). This scatterometer, though offering wind measurements in the nadir region, still suffers from degraded performance in the nadir and outer swath. The purpose of this paper is to present an advanced polarimetric spinning pencil-beam scatterometer system, which can significantly improve the wind performance across the entire swath. The polarimetric scatterometer simultaneously measures co-polarized backscatter and the polarimetric correlation of co- and cross-polarized radar returns from the ocean surface. The advantage over the conventional scatterometer system is that, while the co-polarization radar returns are even function of the wind direction, the polarimetric correlation is an odd function of wind direction due to the reflection symmetry of the wind roughened surface. Therefore, this polarimetric scatterometer system can provide additional, equivalent measurements at azimuth angle 45degree away from the corresponding co-polarization measurements. The combined co-polarization and correlation measurements enable good wind performance across the whole swath to be obtained. In this paper, we will first present the theoretical formulation of all of the key components required for designing a polarimetric scatterometer. Then, we show that good wind performance can be achieved by a slight improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio of the current QSCAT/SeaWinds design. We then present the predicated wind performance using computer simulation based on a model function for the co-polarized backscatter obtained from actual spaceborne scatterometer data and an estimated model function for the polarimetric correlation based on the asymmetry observed in backscatter data. Finally, we will show that, aside from ocean applications, this polarimetric scatterometer can also be used for ice and land applications.

The impact of urbanization on wind speed and surface aerodynamic characteristics in Beijing during 1991-2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Junkai; Gao, Zhiqiu; Wang, Linlin; Li, Yubin; Gao, Chloe Y.

2018-06-01

Urbanization has a significant influence on climate and meteorological conditions through altering surface aerodynamic characteristics. Based on observational data collected at 15 levels on a 325 m meteorological tower in Beijing during 1991-2011, changes in wind speed, vertical profile, aerodynamic roughness length (z0), and zero-plane displacement height (zd) were analyzed. Decreasing trends were observed predominantly during this period, especially for levels between 65 and 140 m where the largest decreasing rates often occur. The annual and seasonal (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) mean wind speeds at 15 levels all present decreasing trends with average rates of 0.029, 0.024, 0.023, 0.040, and 0.019 m s-1 a-1, respectively. The decreases in strong wind categories contribute most to the reduction of mean wind speed. Furthermore, in 2005-2011, the diurnal maximum wind speeds at lower levels tend to appear earlier as compared to those in 1991-1997, while the patterns of diurnal cycle between different levels become more similar in these periods. Besides, the phenomena of "kink" in wind profiles are visible in various atmospheric stabilities, and the average height of a kink has increased from about 40 m to nearly 80 m associated with urbanization during 1991-2011. In addition, the results of z0 and zd calculated using the wind profile method vary with wind directions due to surface heterogeneity and that larger values often occur along with southerly winds. Both z0 and zd show increasing trends in different sectors during 1991-2011, and the annual mean z0 and zd have increased from less than 1 m to greater than 2 m, and from less than 10 m to greater than 20 m, respectively.

Observational study of atmospheric surface layer and coastal weather in northern Qatar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samanta, Dhrubajyoti; Sadr, Reza

2016-04-01

Atmospheric surface layer is the interaction medium between atmosphere and Earth's surface. Better understanding of its turbulence nature is essential in characterizing the local weather, climate variability and modeling of turbulent exchange processes. The importance of Middle East region, with its unique geographical, economical and weather condition is well recognized. However, high quality micrometeorological observational studies are rare in this region. Here we show experimental results from micrometeorological observations from an experimental site in the coastal region of Qatar during August-December 2015. Measurements of winds are obtained from three sonic anemometers installed on a 9 m tower placed at Al Ghariyah beach in northern Qatar (26.08 °N, 51.36 °E). Different surface layer characteristics is analyzed and compared with earlier studies in equivalent weather conditions. Monthly statistics of wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity and heat index are made from concurrent observations from sonic anemometer and weather station to explore variations with surface layer characteristics. The results also highlights potential impact of sea breeze circulation on local weather and atmospheric turbulence. The observed daily maximum temperature and heat index during morning period may be related to sea breeze circulations. Along with the operational micrometeorological observation system, a camera system and ultrasonic wave measurement system are installed recently in the site to study coastline development and nearshore wave dynamics. Overall, the complete observational set up is going to provide new insights about nearshore wind dynamics and wind-wave interaction in Qatar.

Third Stokes parameter emission from a periodic water surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, J. T.; Kong, J. A.; Shin, R. T.; Staelin, D. H.; Oneill, K.; Lohanick, A.

1991-01-01

An experiment in which the third Stokes parameter thermal emission from a periodic water surface was measured is documented. This parameter is shown to be related to the direction of periodicity of the periodic surface and to approach brightnesses of up to 30 K at X band for the surface used in the experiment. The surface actually analyzed was a 'two-layer' periodic surface; the theory of thermal emission from such a surface is derived and the theoretical results are found to be in good agreement with the experimental measurements. These results further the idea of using the third Stokes parameter emission as an indicator of wind direction over the ocean.

Planar time-resolved PIV for velocity and pressure retrieval in atmospheric boundary layer over surface waves.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troitskaya, Yuliya; Kandaurov, Alexander; Sergeev, Daniil; Bopp, Maximilian; Caulliez, Guillemette

2017-04-01

Air-sea coupling in general is important for weather, climate, fluxes. Wind wave source is crucially important for surface waves' modeling. But the wind-wave growth rate is strongly uncertain. Using direct measurements of pressure by wave-following Elliott probe [1] showed, weak and indefinite dependence of wind-wave growth rate on the wave steepness, while Grare et.al. [2] discuss the limitations of direct measurements of pressure associated with the inability to measure the pressure close to the surface by contact methods. Recently non-invasive methods for determining the pressure on the basis of technology of time-resolved PIV are actively developed [3]. Retrieving air flow velocities by 2D PIV techniques was started from Reul et al [4]. The first attempt for retrieving wind pressure field of waves in the laboratory tank from the time-resolved PIV measurements was done in [5]. The experiments were performed at the Large Air-Sea Interaction Facility (LASIF) - MIO/Luminy (length 40 m, cross section of air channel 3.2 x 1.6 m). For 18 regimes with wind speed up to 14 m/s including presence of puddle waves, a combination of time resolved PIV technique and optical measurements of water surface form was applied to detailed investigation of the characteristics of the wind flow over the water surface. Ammonium chloride smoke was used for flow visualization illuminated by two 6 Wt blue diode lasers combined into a vertical laser plane. Particle movement was captured with high-speed camera using Scheimpflug technique (up to 20 kHz frame rate with 4-frame bursts, spatial resolution about 190 μm, field of view 314x12 mm). Velocity air flow field was retrieved by PIV images processing with adaptive cross-correlation method on the curvilinear grid following surface wave form. The resulting time resolved instantaneous velocity fields on regular grid allowed us to obtain momentum fluxes directly from measured air velocity fluctuations. The average wind velocity patterns were retrieved using conditional averaging with phase like in [5]. Basing on these data we then retrieve the pressure field and find the air-sea interaction parameters. Peculiarity of these experiments was the presence of noticeable modulation of the waves, so we describe peculiarities of the pressure distribution over a wave-train. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation of Basic Research (project codes 16-05-00839, 16-55-52025, 15-35-20953), President Grant for young scientists MK-2041.2017.5, Russian Science Foundation (Agreements 14-17-00667, 15-17-20009) and FP7 Collaborative Project No. 612610. References 1. Saveliev I., et. al. (2011) J. Phys. Oceanogr. 41. 1328-1344. 2. Grare, L., et. al. (2013) J. Fluid Mech., 722, 5-50. 3. van Oudheusden B.W. (2013) Meas. Sci. Technol. 24. 032001 (32pp) 4. Reul N., et.al. (1999) Phys. Fluids. 11. 1959-1961. 5. Troitskaya Yu., et. al.(2011). J. Phys. Oceanogr., 41, 1421-1454

ISS-RapidScat

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-01-22

Artist rendering of NASA ISS-RapidScat instrument inset, which will launch to the International Space Station in 2014 to measure ocean surface wind speed and direction and help improve weather forecasts, including hurricane monitoring.

Reattachment Zone Characterisation Under Offshore Winds With Flow Separation On The Lee Side Of Coastal Dunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delgado-Fernandez, I.; Jackson, D.; Cooper, J. A.; Baas, A. C.; Lynch, K.; Beyers, M.

2010-12-01

Airflow separation, lee-side eddies and secondary flows play an essential role on the formation and maintenance of sand dunes. Downstream from dune crests the flow surface layer detaches from the ground and generates an area characterised by turbulent eddies in the dune lee slope (the wake). At some distance downstream from the dune crest, flow separates into a reversed component directed toward the dune toe and an offshore “re-attached” component. This reattachment zone (RZ) has been documented in fluvial and desert environments, wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations, but not yet characterised in coastal dunes. This study examines the extent and temporal evolution of the RZ and its implications for beach-dune interaction at Magilligan, Northern Ireland. Wind parameters were measured over a profile extending from an 11 m height dune crest towards the beach, covering a total distance of 65 m cross-shore. Data was collected using an array of nine ultrasonic anemometers (UAs) deployed in April-May 2010, as part of a larger experiment to capture airflow data under a range of incident wind velocities and offshore directions. UAs were located along the profile (5 m tower spacing) over the beach, which allowed a detailed examination of the RZ with empirical data. Numerical modelling using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software was also conducted with input data from anemometer field measurements, running over a surface mesh generated from LiDAR and DGPS surveys. Results demonstrate that there is a wind threshold of approximately 5-6 ms-1 under which no flow separation exists with offshore winds. As wind speed increases over the threshold, a flow reversal area is quickly formed, with the maximum extent of the RZ at approximately 3.5 dune heights (h). The maximum extent of the RZ increases up to 4.5h with stronger wind speeds of 8-10 ms-1 and remains relatively constant as wind speed further increases. This suggests that the spatial extent of the RZ is independent of incident wind speed and is located between 4-5h. The magnitude of the maximum extent of the RZ is similar to that simulated using CFD and is consistent with previous studies conducted in desert dunes and wind tunnel simulations for offshore winds blowing over tall and sharp-crested dunes. Ongoing analyses are being conducted to evaluate the effect of changing wind direction, dune height and shape.

Modeling the Dynamics of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Over the Antarctic Plateau With a General Circulation Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vignon, Etienne; Hourdin, Frédéric; Genthon, Christophe; Van de Wiel, Bas J. H.; Gallée, Hubert; Madeleine, Jean-Baptiste; Beaumet, Julien

2018-01-01

Observations evidence extremely stable boundary layers (SBL) over the Antarctic Plateau and sharp regime transitions between weakly and very stable conditions. Representing such features is a challenge for climate models. This study assesses the modeling of the dynamics of the boundary layer over the Antarctic Plateau in the LMDZ general circulation model. It uses 1 year simulations with a stretched-grid over Dome C. The model is nudged with reanalyses outside of the Dome C region such as simulations can be directly compared to in situ observations. We underline the critical role of the downward longwave radiation for modeling the surface temperature. LMDZ reasonably represents the near-surface seasonal profiles of wind and temperature but strong temperature inversions are degraded by enhanced turbulent mixing formulations. Unlike ERA-Interim reanalyses, LMDZ reproduces two SBL regimes and the regime transition, with a sudden increase in the near-surface inversion with decreasing wind speed. The sharpness of the transition depends on the stability function used for calculating the surface drag coefficient. Moreover, using a refined vertical grid leads to a better reversed "S-shaped" relationship between the inversion and the wind. Sudden warming events associated to synoptic advections of warm and moist air are also well reproduced. Near-surface supersaturation with respect to ice is not allowed in LMDZ but the impact on the SBL structure is moderate. Finally, climate simulations with the free model show that the recommended configuration leads to stronger inversions and winds over the ice-sheet. However, the near-surface wind remains underestimated over the slopes of East-Antarctica.

Wind-Stress Simulations and Equatorial Dynamics in an AGCM. Part 1; Basic Results from a 1979-1999 Forced SST Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bacmeister, Julio T.; Suarez, Max J.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This is the first of a two part study examining the connection of the equatorial momentum budget in an AGCM (Atmospheric General Circulation Model), with simulated equatorial surface wind stresses over the Pacific. The AGCM used in this study forms part of a newly developed coupled forecasting system used at NASA's Seasonal- to-Interannual Prediction Project. Here we describe the model and present results from a 20-year (1979-1999) AMIP-type experiment forced with observed SSTs (Sea Surface Temperatures). Model results are compared them with available observational data sets. The climatological pattern of extra-tropical planetary waves as well as their ENSO-related variability is found to agree quite well with re-analysis estimates. The model's surface wind stress is examined in detail, and reveals a reasonable overall simulation of seasonal interannual variability, as well as seasonal mean distributions. However, an excessive annual oscillation in wind stress over the equatorial central Pacific is found. We examine the model's divergent circulation over the tropical Pacific and compare it with estimates based on re-analysis data. These comparisons are generally good, but reveal excessive upper-level convergence in the central Pacific. In Part II of this study a direct examination of individual terms in the AGCM's momentum budget is presented. We relate the results of this analysis to the model's simulation of surface wind stress.

An evaluation of gas transfer velocity parameterizations during natural convection using DNS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fredriksson, Sam T.; Arneborg, Lars; Nilsson, Hâkan; Zhang, Qi; Handler, Robert A.

2016-02-01

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of free surface flows driven by natural convection are used to evaluate different methods of estimating air-water gas exchange at no-wind conditions. These methods estimate the transfer velocity as a function of either the horizontal flow divergence at the surface, the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation beneath the surface, the heat flux through the surface, or the wind speed above the surface. The gas transfer is modeled via a passive scalar. The Schmidt number dependence is studied for Schmidt numbers of 7, 150 and 600. The methods using divergence, dissipation and heat flux estimate the transfer velocity well for a range of varying surface heat flux values, and domain depths. The two evaluated empirical methods using wind (in the limit of no wind) give reasonable estimates of the transfer velocity, depending however on the surface heat flux and surfactant saturation. The transfer velocity is shown to be well represented by the expression, ks=A |Bν|1/4 Sc-n, where A is a constant, B is the buoyancy flux, ν is the kinematic viscosity, Sc is the Schmidt number, and the exponent n depends on the water surface characteristics. The results suggest that A=0.39 and n≈1/2 and n≈2/3 for slip and no-slip boundary conditions at the surface, respectively. It is further shown that slip and no-slip boundary conditions predict the heat transfer velocity corresponding to the limits of clean and highly surfactant contaminated surfaces, respectively. This article was corrected on 22 MAR 2016. See the end of the full text for details.

Sachon AFS K-4, Sacheon, Korea. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO)

DTIC Science & Technology

1968-04-11

FREQUENCY OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OESERVATIONS) 41240 -- SACHON KflREALROK AFS K-4 55-67_________ APR UT"If STATION MANZ TSARS SON ?") ALL...KOREA/ROI( AFS K-4 55-67 ____APR SAINSTATION NAME YEARS MOSN ALL WEATHER 1500-1700 ~ LA $S NOUN$ (LST I ONITIOW (KNTSI 1 .3 4.6 7.10 11.-16 17.21 22...4S 1209 c~ ~iC4 1V/ . $ I - - ’~-4 V ~’ *-** La DATA PROCESSING DIVISION ElAc, UJSAF SURFACE WINDS ASHEVILLE, N. C. 28801 PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY OF

Ocean backscatter across the Gulf Stream sea surface temperature front

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nghiem, S.V.; Li, F.K.

1997-06-01

Ocean backscatter was measured by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with the airborne NUSCAT K{sub u}-band scatterometer, across the Gulf Stream sea surface temperature front during the Surface Wave Dynamics Experiment off the coast of Virginia and Maryland in the winter of 1991. Backscatter across the front between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration experimental coastal buoy A (44024) on the cold side and Discus C buoy (44023) on the warm side shows a difference of more than 5 dB for vertical polarization in many cases. This large frontal backscatter change is observed in all upwind, downwind, and crosswind directions. Themore » sea surface temperature difference measured by the buoys was about 9{degrees}C. The corresponding difference in wind speed cannot account for the large backscatter change in view of geophysical model functions depending only on neutral wind velocity such as SASS. The measured backscatter also has larger upwind-downwind and upwind-crosswind ratios compared to the model results. Furthermore, NUSCAT data reveal that upwind backscatter on the cold side was smaller than or close to crosswind backscatter on the warm side for incidence angles between 30{degrees} to 50{degrees}. This suggests that the temperature front can be detected by the scatterometer at these incidence angles for different wind directions in the cold and warm sides.« less

Effect of a direct current bias on the electrohydrodynamic performance of a surface dielectric barrier discharge actuator for airflow control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Huijie; Yang, Liang; Qi, Xiaohua; Ren, Chunsheng

2015-02-01

The effect of a DC bias on the electrohydrodynamics (EHD) force induced by a surface dielectric barrier AC discharge actuator for airflow control at the atmospheric pressure is investigated. The measurement of the surface potential due to charge deposition at different DC biases is carried out by using a special designed corona like discharge potential probe. From the surface potential data, the plasma electromotive force is shown not affected much by the DC biases except for some reduction of the DC bias near the exposed electrode edge for the sheath-like configuration. The total thrust is measured by an analytical balance, and an almost linear relationship to the potential voltage at the exposed electrode edge is found for the direct thrust force. The temporally averaged ionic wind characteristics are investigated by Pitot tube sensor and schlieren visualization system. It is found that the ionic wind velocity profiles with different DC biases are almost the same in the AC discharge plasma area but gradually diversified in the further downstream area as well as the upper space away from the discharge plasma area. Also, the DC bias can significantly modify the topology of the ionic wind produced by the AC discharge actuator. These results can provide an insight into how the DC biases to affect the force generation.

Quantifying the Impact of Background Atmospheric Stability on Air-Ice-Ocean Interactions the Arctic Ocean During the Fall Freeze-Up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guest, P. S.; Persson, O. P. G.; Blomquist, B.; Fairall, C. W.

2016-02-01

"Background" stability refers to the effect of vertical virtual temperature variations above the surface layer on fluxes within the surface layer. This is different from the classical surface layer stability quantified by the Obhukhov length scale. In most locations, changes in the background stability do not have a significant direct impact on surface fluxes. However in polar regions, where there is usually a strong low-level temperature inversion capping the boundary layer, changes in background stability can have big impacts on surface fluxes. Therefore, in the Arctic, there is potential for a positive feedback effect between ice cover and surface wind speed (and momentum flux) due to the background stability effects. As the surface becomes more ice free, heat fluxes from the surface weaken the temperature inversion which in turn increases the surface wind speed which further increases the surface turbulent heat fluxes and removes more sea ice by melting or advection. It is not clear how important feedbacks involving the background stability are during the fall freeze up of the Arctic Ocean; that will be the focus of this study. As part of an ONR-sponsored cruise in the fall of 2015 to examine sea state and boundary layer processes in the Beaufort Sea on the R/V Sikuliaq, the authors will perform a variety of surface layer and upper level atmospheric measurements of temperature, humidity and wind vector using ship platform instruments, radiosonde weather balloons, tethered balloons, kites, and miniature quad-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles. In addition, the authors will deploy a full suite of turbulent and radiational flux measurements from the vessel. These measurements will be used to quantify the impact of changing surface conditions on atmospheric structure and vice-versa. The goal is to directly observe how the surface and atmosphere above the surface layer interact and feedback with each other through radiational and turbulent fluxes.

Simulation of the Impact of New Aircraft- and Satellite-Based Ocean Surface Wind Measurements on H*Wind Analyses and Numerical Forecasts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy; Atlas, Robert; Black, Peter; Chen, Shuyi; Hood, Robbie; Johnson, James; Jones, Linwood; Ruf, Chris; Uhlhorn, Eric; Krishnamurti, T. N.;

Wind turbine generators having wind assisted cooling systems and cooling methods

DOEpatents

Bagepalli, Bharat [Niskayuna, NY; Barnes, Gary R [Delanson, NY; Gadre, Aniruddha D [Rexford, NY; Jansen, Patrick L [Scotia, NY; Bouchard, Jr., Charles G.; Jarczynski, Emil D [Scotia, NY; Garg, Jivtesh [Cambridge, MA

2008-09-23

A wind generator includes: a nacelle; a hub carried by the nacelle and including at least a pair of wind turbine blades; and an electricity producing generator including a stator and a rotor carried by the nacelle. The rotor is connected to the hub and rotatable in response to wind acting on the blades to rotate the rotor relative to the stator to generate electricity. A cooling system is carried by the nacelle and includes at least one ambient air inlet port opening through a surface of the nacelle downstream of the hub and blades, and a duct for flowing air from the inlet port in a generally upstream direction toward the hub and in cooling relation to the stator.

Evaluating and Extending the Ocean Wind Climate Data Record

PubMed Central

Ricciardulli, Lucrezia; Rodriguez, Ernesto; Stiles, Bryan W.; Bourassa, Mark A.; Long, David G.; Hoffman, Ross N.; Stoffelen, Ad; Verhoef, Anton; O'Neill, Larry W.; Farrar, J. Tomas; Vandemark, Douglas; Fore, Alexander G.; Hristova-Veleva, Svetla M.; Turk, F. Joseph; Gaston, Robert; Tyler, Douglas

2017-01-01

Satellite microwave sensors, both active scatterometers and passive radiometers, have been systematically measuring near-surface ocean winds for nearly 40 years, establishing an important legacy in studying and monitoring weather and climate variability. As an aid to such activities, the various wind datasets are being intercalibrated and merged into consistent climate data records (CDRs). The ocean wind CDRs (OW-CDRs) are evaluated by comparisons with ocean buoys and intercomparisons among the different satellite sensors and among the different data providers. Extending the OW-CDR into the future requires exploiting all available datasets, such as OSCAT-2 scheduled to launch in July 2016. Three planned methods of calibrating the OSCAT-2 σo measurements include 1) direct Ku-band σo intercalibration to QuikSCAT and RapidScat; 2) multisensor wind speed intercalibration; and 3) calibration to stable rainforest targets. Unfortunately, RapidScat failed in August 2016 and cannot be used to directly calibrate OSCAT-2. A particular future continuity concern is the absence of scheduled new or continuation radiometer missions capable of measuring wind speed. Specialized model assimilations provide 30-year long high temporal/spatial resolution wind vector grids that composite the satellite wind information from OW-CDRs of multiple satellites viewing the Earth at different local times. PMID:28824741

Evaluating and Extending the Ocean Wind Climate Data Record.

PubMed

Wentz, Frank J; Ricciardulli, Lucrezia; Rodriguez, Ernesto; Stiles, Bryan W; Bourassa, Mark A; Long, David G; Hoffman, Ross N; Stoffelen, Ad; Verhoef, Anton; O'Neill, Larry W; Farrar, J Tomas; Vandemark, Douglas; Fore, Alexander G; Hristova-Veleva, Svetla M; Turk, F Joseph; Gaston, Robert; Tyler, Douglas

2017-05-01

Satellite microwave sensors, both active scatterometers and passive radiometers, have been systematically measuring near-surface ocean winds for nearly 40 years, establishing an important legacy in studying and monitoring weather and climate variability. As an aid to such activities, the various wind datasets are being intercalibrated and merged into consistent climate data records (CDRs). The ocean wind CDRs (OW-CDRs) are evaluated by comparisons with ocean buoys and intercomparisons among the different satellite sensors and among the different data providers. Extending the OW-CDR into the future requires exploiting all available datasets, such as OSCAT-2 scheduled to launch in July 2016. Three planned methods of calibrating the OSCAT-2 σ o measurements include 1) direct Ku-band σ o intercalibration to QuikSCAT and RapidScat; 2) multisensor wind speed intercalibration; and 3) calibration to stable rainforest targets. Unfortunately, RapidScat failed in August 2016 and cannot be used to directly calibrate OSCAT-2. A particular future continuity concern is the absence of scheduled new or continuation radiometer missions capable of measuring wind speed. Specialized model assimilations provide 30-year long high temporal/spatial resolution wind vector grids that composite the satellite wind information from OW-CDRs of multiple satellites viewing the Earth at different local times.

Climate projection of synoptic patterns forming extremely high wind speed over the Barents Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surkova, Galina; Krylov, Aleksey

2017-04-01

Frequency of extreme weather events is not very high, but their consequences for the human well-being may be hazardous. These seldom events are not always well simulated by climate models directly. Sometimes it is more effective to analyze numerical projection of large-scale synoptic event generating extreme weather. For example, in mid-latitude surface wind speed depends mainly on the sea level pressure (SLP) field - its configuration and horizontal pressure gradient. This idea was implemented for analysis of extreme wind speed events over the Barents Sea. The calendar of high surface wind speed V (10 m above the surface) was prepared for events with V exceeding 99th percentile value in the central part of the Barents Sea. Analysis of probability distribution function of V was carried out on the base of ERA-Interim reanalysis data (6-hours, 0.75x0.75 degrees of latitude and longitude) for the period 1981-2010. Storm wind events number was found to be 240 days. Sea level pressure field over the sea and surrounding area was selected for each storm wind event. For the climate of the future (scenario RCP8.5), projections of SLP from CMIP5 numerical experiments were used. More than 20 climate models results of projected SLP (2006-2100) over the Barents Sea were correlated with modern storm wind SLP fields. Our calculations showed the positive tendency of annual frequency of storm SLP patterns over the Barents Sea by the end of 21st century.

The Effect of Wind-Turbine Wakes on Summertime US Midwest Atmospheric Wind Profiles as Observed with Ground-Based Doppler Lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhodes, Michael E.; Lundquist, Julie K.

2013-07-01

We examine the influence of a modern multi-megawatt wind turbine on wind and turbulence profiles three rotor diameters (D) downwind of the turbine. Light detection and ranging (lidar) wind-profile observations were collected during summer 2011 in an operating wind farm in central Iowa at 20-m vertical intervals from 40 to 220 m above the surface. After a calibration period during which two lidars were operated next to each other, one lidar was located approximately 2D directly south of a wind turbine; the other lidar was moved approximately 3D north of the same wind turbine. Data from the two lidars during southerly flow conditions enabled the simultaneous capture of inflow and wake conditions. The inflow wind and turbulence profiles exhibit strong variability with atmospheric stability: daytime profiles are well-mixed with little shear and strong turbulence, while nighttime profiles exhibit minimal turbulence and considerable shear across the rotor disk region and above. Consistent with the observations available from other studies and with wind-tunnel and large-eddy simulation studies, measurable reductions in wake wind-speeds occur at heights spanning the wind turbine rotor (43-117 m), and turbulent quantities increase in the wake. In generalizing these results as a function of inflow wind speed, we find the wind-speed deficit in the wake is largest at hub height or just above, and the maximum deficit occurs when wind speeds are below the rated speed for the turbine. Similarly, the maximum enhancement of turbulence kinetic energy and turbulence intensity occurs at hub height, although observations at the top of the rotor disk do not allow assessment of turbulence in that region. The wind shear below turbine hub height (quantified here with the power-law coefficient) is found to be a useful parameter to identify whether a downwind lidar observes turbine wake or free-flow conditions. These field observations provide data for validating turbine-wake models and wind-tunnel observations, and for guiding assessments of the impacts of wakes on surface turbulent fluxes or surface temperatures downwind of turbines.

New Observations of C-band Brightness Temperatures and Ocean Surface Wind Speed and Rain Rate From the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy L.; James, M. W.; Roberts, J. B.; Buckley, C. D.; Biswas, S.; May, C.; Ruf, C. S.; Uhlhorn, E. W.; Atlas, R.; Black, P.;

Observations of the convective plume of a lake under cold-air advective conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bill, R. G., Jr.; Sutherland, R. A.; Bartholic, J. F.; Chen, E.

1978-01-01

Moderating effects of Lake Apopka, Florida, on downwind surface temperatures were evaluated under cold-air advective conditions. Point temperature measurements north and south of the lake and data obtained from a thermal scanner flown at 1.6 km indicate that surface temperatures directly downwind may be higher than surrounding surface temperatures by as much as 5 C under conditions of moderate winds (about 4 m/s). No substantial temperature effects were observed with surface wind speed less than 1 m/s. Fluxes of sensible and latent heat from Lake Apopka were calculated from measurements of lake temperature, net radiation, relative humidity, and air temperature above the lake. Bulk transfer coefficients and the Bowen ratio were calculated and found to be in agreement with reported data for nonadvective conditions.

Sensitivity analysis of WRF model PBL schemes in simulating boundary-layer variables in southern Italy: An experimental campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avolio, E.; Federico, S.; Miglietta, M. M.; Lo Feudo, T.; Calidonna, C. R.; Sempreviva, A. M.

2017-08-01

The sensitivity of boundary layer variables to five (two non-local and three local) planetary boundary-layer (PBL) parameterization schemes, available in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale meteorological model, is evaluated in an experimental site in Calabria region (southern Italy), in an area characterized by a complex orography near the sea. Results of 1 km × 1 km grid spacing simulations are compared with the data collected during a measurement campaign in summer 2009, considering hourly model outputs. Measurements from several instruments are taken into account for the performance evaluation: near surface variables (2 m temperature and relative humidity, downward shortwave radiation, 10 m wind speed and direction) from a surface station and a meteorological mast; vertical wind profiles from Lidar and Sodar; also, the aerosol backscattering from a ceilometer to estimate the PBL height. Results covering the whole measurement campaign show a cold and moist bias near the surface, mostly during daytime, for all schemes, as well as an overestimation of the downward shortwave radiation and wind speed. Wind speed and direction are also verified at vertical levels above the surface, where the model uncertainties are, usually, smaller than at the surface. A general anticlockwise rotation of the simulated flow with height is found at all levels. The mixing height is overestimated by all schemes and a possible role of the simulated sensible heat fluxes for this mismatching is investigated. On a single-case basis, significantly better results are obtained when the atmospheric conditions near the measurement site are dominated by synoptic forcing rather than by local circulations. From this study, it follows that the two first order non-local schemes, ACM2 and YSU, are the schemes with the best performance in representing parameters near the surface and in the boundary layer during the analyzed campaign.

Radar backscatter from the sea: Controlled experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, R. K.

1992-04-01

The subwindowing method of modelling synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) imaging of ocean waves was extended to allow wave propagation in arbitrary directions. Simulated images show that the SAR image response to swells that are imaged by velocity bunching is reduced by random smearing due to wind-generated waves. The magnitude of this response is not accurately predicted by introducing a finite coherence time in the radar backscatter. The smearing does not affect the imaging of waves by surface radar cross-section modulation, and is independent of the wind direction. Adjusting the focus of the SAR processor introduces an offset in the image response of the surface scatters. When adjusted by one-half the azimuthal phase velocity of the wave, this compensates the incoherent advance of the wave being imaged, leading to a higher image contrast. The azimuthal cut-off and range rotation of the spectral peak are predicted when the imaging of wind-generated wave trains is simulated. The simulated images suggest that velocity bunching and azimuthal smearing are strongly interdependent, and cannot be included in a model separately.

Titan Exploration Using a Radioisotopically-Heated Montgolfiere Balloon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, John O.; Reh, Kim; Spilker, Tom

2007-01-01

This paper describes results of a recent Titan exploration mission study; one which includes an aerial vehicle in the form of a hot air balloon, or montgolfiere. Unlike terrestrial montgolfieres which require burning fuel, the dual use of MMRTGs to provide a continuous source of heat as well as electrical power would give the balloon an inherent ability to float for a very long time in the atmosphere of Titan. It would ride with the easterly winds at a cruising altitude of about 10,000 km, occasionally changing altitude to take advantage of possible reverse wind directions and even descending to the surface to physically sample sites of interest. Seasonal and tidal north-south winds would allow the mission to explore different latitudes, which Cassini data have shown to be amazingly diverse in geologic nature. Communication from the aerial vehicle would be relayed through an accompanying orbiter spacecraft, as well as transmitted directly to Earth, providing the potential for data return from Titan's surface equivalent to that provided by many comparable orbiter missions at much closer destinations.

Climatology of Global Swell-Atmosphere Interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semedo, Alvaro

2016-04-01

At the ocean surface wind sea and swell waves coexist. Wind sea waves are locally generated growing waves strongly linked to the overlaying wind field. Waves that propagate away from their generation area, throughout entire ocean basins, are called swell. Swell waves do not receive energy from local wind. Ocean wind waves can be seen as the "gearbox" between the atmosphere and the ocean, and are of critical importance to the coupled atmosphere-ocean system, since they modulate most of the air-sea interaction processes and exchanges, particularly the exchange of momentum. This modulation is most of the times sea-state dependent, i.e., it is a function of the prevalence of one type of waves over the other. The wave age parameter, defined as the relative speed between the peak wave and the wind (c_p⁄U_10), has been largely used in different aspects of the air-sea interaction theory and in practical modeling solutions of wave-atmosphere coupled model systems. The wave age can be used to assess the development of the sea state but also the prevalence (domination) of wind sea or swell waves at the ocean surface. The presence of fast-running waves (swell) during light winds (at high wave age regimes) induces an upward momentum flux, directed from the water surface to the atmosphere. This upward directed momentum has an impact in the lower marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL): on the one hand it changes the vertical wind speed profile by accelerating the flow at the first few meters (inducing the so called "wave-driven wind"), and on the other hand it changes the overall MABL turbulence structure by limiting the wind shear - in some observed and modeled situations the turbulence is said to have "collapse". The swell interaction with the lower MABL is a function of the wave age but also of the swell steepness, since steeper waves loose more energy into the atmosphere as their energy attenuates. This interaction can be seen as highest in areas where swells are steepest, but also where the wind speed is lowest and consequently the wave age is high. A detailed global climatology of the wave age and swell steepness parameters, based on the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) ERA-Interim reanalysis is presented. It will be shown, in line with previous studies, that the global climatological patterns of the wave age confirm the global dominance of the World Ocean by swell waves. The areas of the ocean where the highest interaction of swell waves and the lower atmosphere can be expected are also presented.

Local Climate Changes Forced by Changes in Land Use and topography in the Aburrá Valley, Colombia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapata Henao, M. Z.; Hoyos Ortiz, C. D.

2017-12-01

One of the challenges in the numerical weather models is the adequate representation of soil-vegetation-atmosphere interaction at different spatial scales, including scenarios with heterogeneous land cover and complex mountainous terrain. The interaction determines the energy, mass and momentum exchange at the surface and could affect different variables including precipitation, temperature and wind. In order to quantify the long-term climate impact of changes in local land use and to assess the role of topography, two numerical experiments were examined. The first experiment allows assessing the continuous growth of urban areas within the Aburrá Valley, a complex terrain region located in Colombian Andes. The Weather Research Forecast model (WRF) is used as the basis of the experiment. The basic setup involves two nested domains, one representing the continental scale (18 km) and the other the regional scale (2 km). The second experiment allows drastic topography modification, including changing the valley configuration to a plateau. The control run for both experiments corresponds to a climatological scenario. In both experiments the boundary conditions correspond to the climatological continental domain output. Surface temperature, surface winds and precipitation are used as the main variables to compare both experiments relative to the control run. The results of the first experiment show a strong relationship between land cover and the variables, specially for surface temperature and wind speed, due to the strong forcing land cover imposes on the albedo, heat capacity and surface roughness, changing temperature and wind speed magnitudes. The second experiment removes the winds spatial variability related with hill slopes, the direction and magnitude are modulated only by the trade winds and roughness of land cover.

Improving wind energy forecasts using an Ensemble Kalman Filter data assimilation technique in a fully coupled hydrologic and atmospheric model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, J. L.; Maxwell, R. M.; Delle Monache, L.

2012-12-01

Wind power is rapidly gaining prominence as a major source of renewable energy. Harnessing this promising energy source is challenging because of the chaotic nature of wind and its propensity to change speed and direction over short time scales. Accurate forecasting tools are critical to support the integration of wind energy into power grids and to maximize its impact on renewable energy portfolios. Numerous studies have shown that soil moisture distribution and land surface vegetative processes profoundly influence atmospheric boundary layer development and weather processes on local and regional scales. Using the PF.WRF model, a fully-coupled hydrologic and atmospheric model employing the ParFlow hydrologic model with the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled via mass and energy fluxes across the land surface, we have explored the connections between the land surface and the atmosphere in terms of land surface energy flux partitioning and coupled variable fields including hydraulic conductivity, soil moisture and wind speed, and demonstrated that reductions in uncertainty in these coupled fields propagate through the hydrologic and atmospheric system. We have adapted the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART), an implementation of the robust Ensemble Kalman Filter data assimilation algorithm, to expand our capability to nudge forecasts produced with the PF.WRF model using observational data. Using a semi-idealized simulation domain, we examine the effects of assimilating observations of variables such as wind speed and temperature collected in the atmosphere, and land surface and subsurface observations such as soil moisture on the quality of forecast outputs. The sensitivities we find in this study will enable further studies to optimize observation collection to maximize the utility of the PF.WRF-DART forecasting system.

Quasi-Equilibrium States in the Tropics Simulated by a Cloud-Resolving Model. Part 1; Specific Features and Budget Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shie, C.-L.; Tao, W.-K.; Simpson, J.; Sui, C.-H.; Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

A series of long-term integrations using the two-dimensional Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model were performed by altering imposed environmental components to produce various quasi-equilibrium thermodynamic states. Model results show that the genesis of a warm/wet quasi-equilibrium state is mainly due to either strong vertical wind shear (from nudging) or large surface fluxes (from strong surface winds), while a cold/dry quasi-equilibrium state is attributed to a remarkably weakened mixed-wind shear (from vertical mixing due to deep convection) along with weak surface winds. In general, latent heat flux and net large-scale temperature forcing, the two dominant physical processes, dominate in the beginning stage of the simulated convective systems, then considerably weaken in the final stage, which leads to quasi-equilibrium states. A higher thermodynamic regime is found to produce a larger rainfall amount, as convective clouds are the leading source of rainfall over stratiform clouds even though the former occupy much less area. Moreover, convective clouds are more likely to occur in the presence of strong surface winds (latent heat flux), while stratiform clouds (especially the well-organized type) are favored in conditions with strong wind shear (large-scale forcing). The convective systems, which consist of distinct cloud types due to the variation in horizontal winds, are also found to propagate differently. Accordingly, convective systems with mixed-wind shear generally propagate in the direction of shear, while the system with strong (multidirectional) wind shear propagates in a more complex way. Based on the results from the temperature (Q1) and moisture (Q2) budgets, cloud-scale eddies are found to act as a hydrodynamic 'vehicle' that cascades the heat and moisture vertically. Several other specific features such as atmospheric stability, CAPE, and mass fluxes are also investigated and found to be significantly different between diverse quasi-equilibrium states. Detailed comparisons between the various states are presented.

Strong refraction near the Venus surface - Effects observed by descent probes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Croft, T. A.

1982-01-01

The telemetry signals from Pioneer Venus probes indicated the strong downward refraction of radio waves. As the probes descended, the strength of the direct signal decreased because of absorption and refractive defocusing. During the last 30 km of descent there was a second measured component in addition to the direct signal. Strong atmospheric reaction is important in strengthening echoes that are scattered toward the earth. Such surface-reflected signals are good indicators of horizontal winds.

Simulation of the Impact of New Aircraft-and Satellite-based Ocean Surface Wind Measurements on Wind Analyses and Numerical Forecasts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, TImothy; Atlas, Robert; Black, Peter; Chen, Shuyi; Jones, Linwood; Ruf, Chris; Uhlhorn, Eric; Gamache, John; Amarin, Ruba; El-Nimri, Salem;

Observations of an aeolian landscape: From surface to orbit in Gale Crater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, Mackenzie; Kocurek, Gary

2016-12-01

Landscapes derived solely from aeolian processes are rare on Earth because of the dominance of subaqueous processes. In contrast, aeolian-derived landscapes should typify Mars because of the absence of liquid water, the long exposure times of surfaces, and the presence of wind as the default geomorphic agent. Using the full range of available orbital and Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity images, wind-formed features in Gale Crater were cataloged and analyzed in order to characterize the aeolian landscape and to derive the evolution of the crater wind regime over time. Inferred wind directions show a dominance of regional northerly winds over geologic time-scales, but a dominance of topography-driven katabatic winds in modern times. Landscapes in Gale Crater show a preponderance of aeolian features at all spatial scales. Interpreted processes forming these features include first-cycle aeolian abrasion of bedrock, pervasive deflation, organization of available sand into bedforms, abundant cratering, and gravity-driven wasting, all of which occur over a background of slow physical weathering. The observed landscapes are proposed to represent a spectrum of progressive surface denudation from fractured bedrock, to retreating bedrock-capped mesas, to remnant hills capped by bedrock rubble, to desert pavement plains. This model of landscape evolution provides the mechanism by which northerly winds acting over ∼3 Ga excavated tens of thousands of cubic kilometers of material from the once sediment-filled crater, thus carving the intra-crater moat and exhuming Mount Sharp (Aeolis Mons). The current crater surface is relatively sand-starved, indicating that potential sediment deflation from the crater is greater than sediment production, and that most exhumation of Mount Sharp occurred in the ancient geologic past.

Dynamic molecular oxygen production in cometary comae.

PubMed

Yao, Yunxi; Giapis, Konstantinos P

2017-05-08

Abundant molecular oxygen was discovered in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Its origin was ascribed to primordial gaseous O 2 incorporated into the nucleus during the comet's formation. This thesis was put forward after discounting several O 2 production mechanisms in comets, including photolysis and radiolysis of water, solar wind-surface interactions and gas-phase collisions. Here we report an original Eley-Rideal reaction mechanism, which permits direct O 2 formation in single collisions of energetic water ions with oxidized cometary surface analogues. The reaction proceeds by H 2 O + abstracting a surface O-atom, then forming an excited precursor state, which dissociates to produce O 2 - . Subsequent photo-detachment leads to molecular O 2 , whose presence in the coma may thus be linked directly to water molecules and their interaction with the solar wind. This abiotic O 2 production mechanism is consistent with reported trends in the 67P coma and raises awareness of the role of energetic negative ions in comets.

Tracking the Surface Circulation in Coastal Upwelling off Central and Northern California over Long Times and Large Areas.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Largier, J. L.; Garcia-Reyes, M.; Bjorkstedt, E.; Paduan, J. D.

2016-12-01

More than a decade of HF Radar data off central and northern California provides an unprecedented view of the flow structures and interannual variability in surface circulation in a coastal upwelling area. The interaction of the alongshore shelf jet with shoreline features and mesoscale eddies is well represented in direct analyses of HFR data and also important in improving the performance of data-assimilating models. While invaluable for operational response in the short-term, this long-term record of surface circulation is equally invaluable in ecosystem oceanography. With direct measurement of currents, the different expressions of upwelling can be disaggregated. Wind forcing, transport patterns and water properties can be evaluated independently and indexed independently. In doing this, it becomes clear that wind-current-temperature correlations change from place to place and year to year in any given region and that a single "upwelling index" is a blunt tool to track changes in pelagic and benthic communities in coastal upwelling areas.

Dynamic molecular oxygen production in cometary comae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Yunxi; Giapis, Konstantinos P.

2017-05-01

Abundant molecular oxygen was discovered in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Its origin was ascribed to primordial gaseous O2 incorporated into the nucleus during the comet's formation. This thesis was put forward after discounting several O2 production mechanisms in comets, including photolysis and radiolysis of water, solar wind-surface interactions and gas-phase collisions. Here we report an original Eley-Rideal reaction mechanism, which permits direct O2 formation in single collisions of energetic water ions with oxidized cometary surface analogues. The reaction proceeds by H2O+ abstracting a surface O-atom, then forming an excited precursor state, which dissociates to produce O2-. Subsequent photo-detachment leads to molecular O2, whose presence in the coma may thus be linked directly to water molecules and their interaction with the solar wind. This abiotic O2 production mechanism is consistent with reported trends in the 67P coma and raises awareness of the role of energetic negative ions in comets.

Novel insights into the dynamics of cold-air drainage and pooling on a gentle slope from fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfister, Lena; Sigmund, Armin; Olesch, Johannes; Thomas, Christoph

2016-04-01

Urban climate can benefit from cold-air drainage as it may help alleviate the urban heat island. In contrast, stable cold-air pools can damage plants especially in rural areas. In this study, we examined the dynamics of cold-air drainage and pooling in a peri-urban setting over a period of 47 days along a 170 m long slope with an inclination of 1.3° located in the Ecological Botany Gardens of the University of Bayreuth. Air and soil temperatures were measured using distributed temperature sensing of an 2-dimensional fiber-optic array at six heights (-2 cm to 100 cm) along the slope sampling every 1 min and every 1 m. Ancillary measurements of winds, turbulence intensity and momentum exchange were collected using two ultrasonic anemometers installed at 0.1 m and 17 m height at the center of the transect. We hypothesized that cold-air drainage, here defined as a gravity-driven density flow near the bottom originating from local radiative cooling of the surface, is decoupled from non-local flows and can thus be predicted from the local topography. The nocturnal data were stratified by classes of longwave radiation balance, wind speed, and wind direction at 0.1 m agl. The four most abundant classes were tested further for decoupling of wind velocities and directions between 17 and 0.1 m. We further computed the vertical and horizontal temperature perturbations of the fiber-optic array as evaluated for these cases, as well as subject the temperature data to a multiresolution decomposition to investigate the spatial two-point correlation coefficient along the transect. Finally, the cold pool intensity was calculated. The results revealed none of the four most abundant classes followed classical textbook knowledge of locally produced cold-air drainage. Instead, we found that the near-surface flow was strongly forced by two possibly competing non-local flow modes. The first mode caused weak (< 0.4 ms-1) near-surface winds directed perpendicular to the local slope and showed strong vertical decoupling of wind velocities and directions. The vertical and horizontal perturbation of the temperature as well as the cold-pool intensity was high and the two-point correlation coefficient decorrelated fast with increasing distance. In contrast, for the second mode the wind was aligned with the local slope and the wind velocities and directions agreed vertically. However, momentum exchange was much enhanced leading to intense shear-generated mixing and almost vanishing temperature perturbations, higher spatial coherence indicated by slower spatial decorrelations, and a cold-pool intensity of close to zero. In conclusion, the first mode was interpreted as a relatively weak non-local valley-scale cold-air drainage modulating the close to stationary cold-air pool filling the shallow depression the Botanical Gardens are located in. Here, the deeper cold-air drainage causes only weak local movements at the surface as both layers are largely decoupled. The second mode is possibly caused by a recirculation of a stronger valley-scale flow with sufficient synoptic forcing. Our findings challenge the common practice to predict cold-air dynamics solely based on micro-topographic analysis.

Observed Thermal Impacts of Wind Farms Over Northern Illinois.

PubMed

Slawsky, Lauren M; Zhou, Liming; Baidya Roy, Somnath; Xia, Geng; Vuille, Mathias; Harris, Ronald A

2015-06-25

This paper assesses impacts of three wind farms in northern Illinois using land surface temperature (LST) data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments onboard the Terra and Aqua satellites for the period 2003-2013. Changes in LST between two periods (before and after construction of the wind turbines) and between wind farm pixels and nearby non-wind-farm pixels are quantified. An areal mean increase in LST by 0.18-0.39 °C is observed at nighttime over the wind farms, with the geographic distribution of this warming effect generally spatially coupled with the layout of the wind turbines (referred to as the spatial coupling), while there is no apparent impact on daytime LST. The nighttime LST warming effect varies with seasons, with the strongest warming in winter months of December-February, and the tightest spatial coupling in summer months of June-August. Analysis of seasonal variations in wind speed and direction from weather balloon sounding data and Automated Surface Observing System hourly observations from nearby stations suggest stronger winds correspond to seasons with greater warming and larger downwind impacts. The early morning soundings in Illinois are representative of the nighttime boundary layer and exhibit strong temperature inversions across all seasons. The strong and relatively shallow inversion in summer leaves warm air readily available to be mixed down and spatially well coupled with the turbine. Although the warming effect is strongest in winter, the spatial coupling is more erratic and spread out than in summer. These results suggest that the observed warming signal at nighttime is likely due to the net downward transport of heat from warmer air aloft to the surface, caused by the turbulent mixing in the wakes of the spinning turbine rotor blades.

Observed Thermal Impacts of Wind Farms Over Northern Illinois

PubMed Central

Slawsky, Lauren M.; Zhou, Liming; Baidya Roy, Somnath; Xia, Geng; Vuille, Mathias; Harris, Ronald A.

2015-01-01

This paper assesses impacts of three wind farms in northern Illinois using land surface temperature (LST) data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments onboard the Terra and Aqua satellites for the period 2003–2013. Changes in LST between two periods (before and after construction of the wind turbines) and between wind farm pixels and nearby non-wind-farm pixels are quantified. An areal mean increase in LST by 0.18–0.39 °C is observed at nighttime over the wind farms, with the geographic distribution of this warming effect generally spatially coupled with the layout of the wind turbines (referred to as the spatial coupling), while there is no apparent impact on daytime LST. The nighttime LST warming effect varies with seasons, with the strongest warming in winter months of December-February, and the tightest spatial coupling in summer months of June-August. Analysis of seasonal variations in wind speed and direction from weather balloon sounding data and Automated Surface Observing System hourly observations from nearby stations suggest stronger winds correspond to seasons with greater warming and larger downwind impacts. The early morning soundings in Illinois are representative of the nighttime boundary layer and exhibit strong temperature inversions across all seasons. The strong and relatively shallow inversion in summer leaves warm air readily available to be mixed down and spatially well coupled with the turbine. Although the warming effect is strongest in winter, the spatial coupling is more erratic and spread out than in summer. These results suggest that the observed warming signal at nighttime is likely due to the net downward transport of heat from warmer air aloft to the surface, caused by the turbulent mixing in the wakes of the spinning turbine rotor blades. PMID:26121613

Correction of WindScat Scatterometric Measurements by Combining with AMSR Radiometric Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Song, S.; Moore, R. K.

1996-01-01

The Seawinds scatterometer on the advanced Earth observing satellite-2 (ADEOS-2) will determine surface wind vectors by measuring the radar cross section. Multiple measurements will be made at different points in a wind-vector cell. When dense clouds and rain are present, the signal will be attenuated, thereby giving erroneous results for the wind. This report describes algorithms to use with the advanced mechanically scanned radiometer (AMSR) scanning radiometer on ADEOS-2 to correct for the attenuation. One can determine attenuation from a radiometer measurement based on the excess brightness temperature measured. This is the difference between the total measured brightness temperature and the contribution from surface emission. A major problem that the algorithm must address is determining the surface contribution. Two basic approaches were developed for this, one using the scattering coefficient measured along with the brightness temperature, and the other using the brightness temperature alone. For both methods, best results will occur if the wind from the preceding wind-vector cell can be used as an input to the algorithm. In the method based on the scattering coefficient, we need the wind direction from the preceding cell. In the method using brightness temperature alone, we need the wind speed from the preceding cell. If neither is available, the algorithm can work, but the corrections will be less accurate. Both correction methods require iterative solutions. Simulations show that the algorithms make significant improvements in the measured scattering coefficient and thus is the retrieved wind vector. For stratiform rains, the errors without correction can be quite large, so the correction makes a major improvement. For systems of separated convective cells, the initial error is smaller and the correction, although about the same percentage, has a smaller effect.

Observations and Modeling of Turbulent Air-Sea Coupling in Coastal and Strongly Forced Condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Suslow, David G.

The turbulent fluxes of momentum, mass, and energy across the ocean-atmosphere boundary are fundamental to our understanding of a myriad of geophysical processes, such as wind-wave generation, oceanic circulation, and air-sea gas transfer. In order to better understand these fluxes, empirical relationships were developed to quantify the interfacial exchange rates in terms of easily observed parameters (e.g., wind speed). However, mounting evidence suggests that these empirical formulae are only valid over the relatively narrow parametric space, i.e. open ocean conditions in light to moderate winds. Several near-surface processes have been observed to cause significant variance in the air-sea fluxes not predicted by the conventional functions, such as a heterogeneous surfaces, swell waves, and wave breaking. Further study is needed to fully characterize how these types of processes can modulate the interfacial exchange; in order to achieve this, a broad investigation into air-sea coupling was undertaken. The primary focus of this work was to use a combination of field and laboratory observations and numerical modeling, in regimes where conventional theories would be expected to breakdown, namely: the nearshore and in very high winds. These seemingly disparate environments represent the marine atmospheric boundary layer at its physical limit. In the nearshore, the convergence of land, air, and sea in a depth-limited domain marks the transition from a marine to a terrestrial boundary layer. Under extreme winds, the physical nature of the boundary layer remains unknown as an intermediate substrate layer, sea spray, develops between the atmosphere and ocean surface. At these ends of the MABL physical spectrum, direct measurements of the near-surface processes were made and directly related to local sources of variance. Our results suggest that the conventional treatment of air-sea fluxes in terms of empirical relationships developed from a relatively narrow set of environmental conditions do not generalize to the coastal and extreme wind environments. This body of work represents a multi-faceted approach to understanding physical air-sea interactions in varied regimes and using a wide array of investigatory methods.

SASS wind ambiguity removal by direct minimization. [Seasat-A satellite scatterometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, R. N.

1982-01-01

An objective analysis procedure is presented which combines Seasat-A satellite scatterometer (SASS) data with other available data on wind speeds by minimizing an objective function of gridded wind speed values. The functions are defined as the loss functions for the SASS velocity data, the forecast, the SASS velocity magnitude data, and conventional wind speed data. Only aliases closest to the analysis were included, and a method for improving the first guess while using a minimization technique and slowly changing the parameters of the problem is introduced. The model is employed to predict the wind field for the North Atlantic on Sept. 10, 1978. Dealiased SASS data is compared with available ship readings, showing good agreement between the SASS dealiased winds and the winds measured at the surface. Expansion of the model to take in low-level cloud measurements, pressure data, and convergence and cloud level data correlations is discussed.

A case study of atmospheric boundary layer features during winter over a tropical inland station — Kharagpur (22.32°N, 87.32°E)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alappattu, Denny P.; Kunhikrishnan, P. K.; Aloysius, Marina; Mohan, M.

2009-08-01

The local weather and air quality over a region are greatly influenced by the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) structure and dynamics. ABL characteristics were measured using a tethered balloon-sonde system over Kharagpur (22.32°N, 87.32°E, 40m above MSL), India, for the period 7 December 2004 to 30 December 2004, as a part of the Indian Space Research Organization-Geosphere Biosphere Program (ISRO-GBP) Aerosol Land Campaign II. High-resolution data of pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction were archived along with surface layer measurements using an automatic weather station. This paper presents the features of ABL, like ABL depth and nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) depth. The sea surface winds from Quikscat over the oceanic regions near the experiment site were analyzed along with the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis winds over Kharagpur to estimate the convergence of wind, moisture and vorticity to understand the observed variations in wind speed and relative humidity, and also the increased aerosol concentrations. The variation of ventilation coefficient ( V C), a factor determining the air pollution potential over a region, is also discussed in detail.

Yardangs near Olympus Mons

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-12-16

In this region of the Olympus Mons aureole, located to the SW of the volcano, the surface has been eroded by the wind into linear landforms called yardangs. These ridges generally point in direction of the prevailing winds that carved them, in this case winds from the southeast. Yardangs typically occur on surfaces that are easily erodable, such as wind-blown dust or volcanic ash. The northeast - southwest trending ridges and valleys in the northwest corner of the image are typical of the Olympus Mons aureole. The varying concentration and shape of the yardangs in this area may be controlled by the motion of winds around these topographic features. Some crater outlines are visible near the top of this image. The rims of these craters appear to have been stripped away - indicating that the wind erosion is younger than these craters. There are two round knobs in the image, one on the bottom on the right side of the image and another about midway down on the left. These may be inverted craters, formed because the impacts caused materials underneath the crater to become harder to erode than the surrounding materials. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04036

Concepts for autonomous flight control for a balloon on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heinsheimer, Thomas F.; Friend, Robyn C.; Siegel, Neil G.

1988-01-01

Balloons operating as airborne rovers have been suggested as ideal candidates for early exploration of the Martian surface. An international study team composed of scientists from the U.S.S.R., France, and the U.S.A. is planning the launching in 1994 of a balloon system to fly on Mars. The current likely design is a dual thermal/gas balloon that consists of a gas balloon suspended above a solar-heated thermal balloon. At night, the thermal balloon provides no lift, and the balloon system drifts just above the Martian surface; the lift of the gas balloon is just sufficient to prevent the science payload from hitting the ground. During the day, the balloon system flies at an altitude of 4 to 5 kilometers, rising due to the added lift provided by the thermal balloon. Over the course of a single Martian day, there may be winds in several directions, and in fact it can be expected that there will be winds simultaneously in different directions at different altitudes. Therefore, a balloon system capable of controlling its own altitude, via an autonomous flight control system, can take advantage of these different winds to control its direction, thereby greatly increasing both its mission utility and its longevity.

Global ERS 1 and 2 and NSCAT observations: Upwind/crosswind and upwind/downwind measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quilfen, Y.; Chapron, B.; Bentamy, A.; Gourrion, J.; El Fouhaily, T.; Vandemark, D.

1999-05-01

This paper presents an analysis of the wind speed dependence of upwind/downwind asymmetry (UDA) and upwind-crosswind anisotropy (UCA) as derived from global C band VV-polarized ERS 1 and 2 and Ku band VV- and HH-polarized NASA scatterometer (NSCAT) data. Interpretation of the results relies on identifying relationships between the differing frequencies and incidence angles that are consistent with Bragg scattering theory from gravity-capillary waves. It is shown that globally derived parameters characterizing UDA and UCA hold information on the wind dependence of short gravity and gravity-capillary wave growth and dissipation. In particular, the UCA behavior is found quadratic for both the C and Ku band, peaking at moderate wind speeds. In addition, the dual-frequency results appear to map out the expected, more rapid adjustment of centimeter-scale (Ku band) waves to the wind direction at light winds. However, as wind increases, the directionality associated with these shorter waves saturates at a lower speed than for the slightly longer waves inferred at C band. It is suggested that this observed phenomenon may be related to increasing wave-drift interactions that can potentially inhibit short-scale surface wave growth along the wind direction. Concerning UDA properties, our present analysis reveals that the NSCAT and ERS 1 and 2 scatterometers give quite different results. Our preliminary interpretation is that C band measurements may be easier to interpret using composite Bragg scattering theory and that upwind/downwind contrasts are mainly supported by short gravity waves.

Convective Heat Transfer at the Martian Boundary Layer, Measurement and Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomás Soria-Salinas, Álvaro; Zorzano-Mier, María Paz; Martín-Torres, Javier

2016-04-01

We present a measuring concept to measure the convective heat transfer coefficient h near a spacecraft operating on the surface of Mars. This coefficient can be used to derive the speed of the wind and direction, and to detect its modulations. This measuring concept will be used in the instrument HABIT (HabitAbility: Brines, Irradiance and Temperature) for the Surface Platform of ExoMars 2018 (ESA-Roscosmos). The method is based on the use of 3 Resistance Temperature Thermodetectors (RTD) that measure the temperature at 3 locations along the axial direction of a rod of length L: at the base of the rod, Tb, an intermediate point x = L/n, TLn, and the tip,Ta. This sensing fin is called the Air Temperature Sensor (ATS). HABIT shall incorporate three ATS, oriented in perpendicular directions and thus exposed to wind in a different way. Solving these equations for each ATS, provides three fluid temperatures Tf as well as three m parameters that are used to derive three heat transfer coefficients h. This magnitude is dependent on the local forced convection and therefore is sensitive to the direction, speed and modulations of the wind. The m-parameter has already proven to be useful to investigate the convective activity at the planetary boundary layer on Mars and to determine the height of the planetary boundary layer. This method shall be presented here by: 1) Introducing the mathematical concepts for the retrieval of the m-parameter; 2) performing ANSYS simulations of the fluid dynamics and the thermal environment around the ATS-rods under wind conditions in Mars; and 3) comparing the method by using data measurements from the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) at the Curiosity rover of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory project currently operating on Mars. The results shall be compared with the wind sensor measurements of three years of REMS operation on Mars.

Investigation of boundary-layer wind predictions during nocturnal low-level jet events using the Weather Research and Forecasting model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mirocha, Jeff D.; Simpson, Matthew D.; Fast, Jerome D.

Simulations of two periods featuring three consecutive low level jet (LLJ) events in the US Upper Great Plains during the autumn of 2011 were conducted to explore the impacts of various setup configurations and physical process models on simulated flow parameters within the lowest 200 m above the surface, using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Sensitivities of simulated flow parameters to the horizontal and vertical grid spacing, planetary boundary layer (PBL) and land surface model (LSM) physics options, were assessed. Data from a Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) system, deployed to the Weather Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP; Finleymore » et al. 2013) were used to evaluate the accuracy of simulated wind speed and direction at 80 m above the surface, as well as their vertical distributions between 120 and 40 m, covering the typical span of contemporary tall wind turbines. All of the simulations qualitatively captured the overall diurnal cycle of wind speed and stratification, producing LLJs during each overnight period, however large discrepancies occurred at certain times for each simulation in relation to the observations. 54-member ensembles encompassing changes of the above discussed configuration parameters displayed a wide range of simulated vertical distributions of wind speed and direction, and potential temperature, reflecting highly variable representations of stratification during the weakly stable overnight conditions. Root mean square error (RMSE) statistics show that different ensemble members performed better and worse in various simulated parameters at different times, with no clearly superior configuration . Simulations using a PBL parameterization designed specifically for the stable conditions investigated herein provided superior overall simulations of wind speed at 80 m, demonstrating the efficacy of targeting improvements of physical process models in areas of known deficiencies. However, the considerable magnitudes of the RMSE values of even the best performing simulations indicate ample opportunities for further improvements.« less

Turbulence Spectra in the Surface Layer with a Steady Surface Thermal Inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Z.; Hu, F.; Ma, X.; Liu, S.

2007-12-01

the EBEX-2000 (International Energy Balance Experiment, 2000, EBEX-2000) was carried out over a flood- irrigated cotton field with very strong evaporation and transpiration. And thus the latent heat flux took most part of the solar radiation and the sensible heat flux, which would directly heat the atmosphere, was very small and even became negative in mid-afternoon. Therefore, the thermal turbulence was suppressed and there always existed a surface thermal inversion during the observation. The temperatures measured at 8.7 m were always higher than that at 2.7 m, which further restrained the development of the turbulence in the lower part of the surface layer, and the turbulence exchanges for the momentum, energy and other were restrained too. Owing to strong action of the underlying surface, there is distinct wind shear, and the nearer the distance to the ground, the stronger the wind shear. Moreover, the surface thermal inversion makes the wind shear sustainable and stable. On the other hand, due to the strong blocking and friction action of the underlying surface, eddies would be strongly impacted when they came close to the ground, in particular for small eddies. That is to say, the nearer the distance to the ground, the stronger the influence of the ground on small eddies and the larger the range of eddy-size that can be directly influenced by the ground. Both the above factors contribute to the differences between the spectra at intermediate frequencies at the two heights: the horizontal power spectrum at 8.7 m does not obey -1 power law at intermediate frequencies, but it does at 2.7 m. The vertical power spectra at 8.7 m are somewhat flatter and broader at the spectral peak, while they are sharper and narrower at 2.7 m.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Staten, Paul; Reichler, Thomas; Lu, Jian

Tropospheric circulation shifts have strong potential to impact surface climate. But the magnitude of these shifts in a changing climate, and the attending regional hydrological changes, are difficult to project. Part of this difficulty arises from our lack of understanding of the physical mechanisms behind the circulation shifts themselves. In order to better delineate circulation shifts and their respective causes, we decompose the circulation response into (1) the "direct" response to radiative forcings themselves, and (2) the "indirect" response to changing sea surface temperatures. Using ensembles of 90-day climate model simulations with immediate switch-on forcings, including perturbed greenhouse gas concentrations,more » stratospheric ozone concentrations, and sea surface temperatures, we document the direct and indirect transient responses of the zonal mean general circulation, and investigate the roles of previously proposed mechanisms in shifting the midlatitude jet. We find that both the direct and indirect wind responses often begin in the lower stratosphere. Changes in midlatitude eddies are ubiquitous and synchronous with the midlatitude zonal wind response. Shifts in the critical latitude of wave absorption on either flank of the jet are not indicted as primary factors for the poleward shifting jet, although we see some evidence for increasing equatorward wave reflection over the southern hemisphere in response to sea surface warming. Mechanisms for the northern hemisphere jet shift are less clear.« less

The potential for geostationary remote sensing of NO2 to improve weather prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, X.; Mizzi, A. P.; Anderson, J. L.; Fung, I. Y.; Cohen, R. C.

2017-12-01

Observations of surface winds remain sparse making it challenging to simulate and predict the weather in circumstances of light winds that are most important for poor air quality. Direct measurements of short-lived chemicals from space might be a solution to this challenge. Here we investigate the application of data assimilation of NO­2 columns as will be observed from geostationary orbit to improve predictions and retrospective analysis of surface wind fields. Specifically, synthetic NO2 observations are sampled from a "nature run (NR)" regarded as the true atmosphere. Then NO2 observations are assimilated using EAKF methods into a "control run (CR)" which differs from the NR in the wind field. Wind errors are generated by introducing (1) errors in the initial conditions, (2) creating a model error by using two different formulations for the planetary boundary layer, (3) and by combining both of these effects. Assimilation of NO2 column observations succeeds in reducing wind errors, indicating the prospects for future geostationary atmospheric composition measurements to improve weather forecasting are substantial. We find that due to the temporal heterogeneity of wind errors, the success of this application favors chemical observations of high frequency, such as those from geostationary platform. We also show the potential to improve soil moisture field by assimilating NO­2 columns.

Storm-induced inner-continental shelf circulation and sediment transport: Long Bay, South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, John C.; Armstrong, Brandy N.; Sylvester, Charlene S.; Voulgaris, George; Nelson, Tim; Schwab, William C.; Denny, Jane F.

2012-01-01

Long Bay is a sediment-starved, arcuate embayment located along the US East Coast connecting both South and North Carolina. In this region the rates and pathways of sediment transport are important because they determine the availability of sediments for beach nourishment, seafloor habitat, and navigation. The impact of storms on sediment transport magnitude and direction were investigated during the period October 2003–April 2004 using bottom mounted flow meters, acoustic backscatter sensors and rotary sonars deployed at eight sites offshore of Myrtle Beach, SC, to measure currents, water levels, surface waves, salinity, temperature, suspended sediment concentrations, and bedform morphology. Measurements identify that sediment mobility is caused by waves and wind driven currents from three predominant types of storm patterns that pass through this region: (1) cold fronts, (2) warm fronts and (3) low-pressure storms. The passage of a cold front is accompanied by a rapid change in wind direction from primarily northeastward to southwestward. The passage of a warm front is accompanied by an opposite change in wind direction from mainly southwestward to northeastward. Low-pressure systems passing offshore are accompanied by a change in wind direction from southwestward to southeastward as the offshore storm moves from south to north.During the passage of cold fronts more sediment is transported when winds are northeastward and directed onshore than when the winds are directed offshore, creating a net sediment flux to the north–east. Likewise, even though the warm front has an opposite wind pattern, net sediment flux is typically to the north–east due to the larger fetch when the winds are northeastward and directed onshore. During the passage of low-pressure systems strong winds, waves, and currents to the south are sustained creating a net sediment flux southwestward. During the 3-month deployment a total of 8 cold fronts, 10 warm fronts, and 10 low-pressure systems drove a net sediment flux southwestward. Analysis of a 12-year data record from a local buoy shows an average of 41 cold fronts, 32 warm fronts, and 26 low-pressure systems per year. The culmination of these events would yield a cumulative net inner-continental shelf transport to the south–west, a trend that is further verified by sediment textural analysis and bedform morphology on the inner-continental shelf.

On the Beauty of Yardangs

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-05-06

Some geological materials (like solid rock) are incredibly tough, but others (like piles of volcanic ash) are quite soft. Some materials are soft enough that they can be eroded by the wind alone and yield landscapes that look like what we see in this HiRISE image. The long straight ridges seen here are called yardangs and they form on Mars (and Earth) when the wind strips away the inter-ridge material. This process is greatly aided when the wind is also blowing sand along. The sand grains do an effective job at stripping away loose material: these ridges are literally being sandblasted. Yardangs are useful features to recognize because the tell us the direction the wind is blowing in. They take a long time to form so this direction is the dominant wind orientation averaged over a long period of time (which might be quite different that the winds on Mars today). These yardangs also tell us that the surface here is made up of loose weak material and this information, in conjunction with other data, can tell us what the material is composed of and what the history of this particular site on Mars has been. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19457

Turbulent properties of oceanic near-surface stable boundary layers subject to wind, fresh water, and thermal forcing.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

St. Laurent, Louis; Clayson, Carol Anne

2015-04-01

The near-surface oceanic boundary layer is generally regarded as convectively unstable due to the effects of wind, evaporation, and cooling. However, stable conditions also occur often, when rain or low-winds and diurnal warming provide buoyancy to a thin surface layer. These conditions are prevalent in the tropical and subtropical latitude bands, and are underrepresented in model simulations. Here, we evaluate cases of oceanic stable boundary layers and their turbulent processes using a combination of measurements and process modeling. We focus on the temperature, salinity and density changes with depth from the surface to the upper thermocline, subject to the influence of turbulent processes causing mixing. The stabilizing effects of freshwater from rain as contrasted to conditions of high solar radiation and low winds will be shown, with observations providing surprising new insights into upper ocean mixing in these regimes. Previous observations of freshwater lenses have demonstrated a maximum of dissipation near the bottom of the stable layer; our observations provide a first demonstration of a similar maximum near the bottom of the solar heating-induced stable layer and a fresh-water induced barrier layer. Examples are drawn from recent studies in the tropical Atlantic and Indian oceans, where ocean gliders equipped with microstructure sensors were used to measure high resolution hydrographic properties and turbulence levels. The limitations of current mixing models will be demonstrated. Our findings suggest that parameterizations of near-surface mixing rates during stable stratification and low-wind conditions require considerable revision, in the direction of larger diffusivities.

Dust Devil Tracks and Wind Streaks in the North Polar Region of Mars: A Study of the 2007 Phoenix Mars Lander Sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, Nathan B.; Tamppari, Leslie K.; Baker, R. David; Cantor, Bruce A.; Hale, Amy S.

2006-01-01

The 65-72 latitude band of the North Polar Region of Mars, where the 2007 Phoenix Mars Lander will land, was studied using satellite images from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera Narrow-Angle (MOC-NA) camera. Dust devil tracks (DDT) and wind streaks (WS) were observed and recorded as surface evidence for winds. No active dust devils (DDs) were observed. 162 MOC-NA images, 10.3% of total images, contained DDT/WS. Phoenix landing Region C (295-315W) had the highest concentration of images containing DDT/WS per number of available images (20.9%); Region D (130-150W) had the lowest (3.5%). DDT and WS direction were recorded for Phoenix landing regions A (110-130W), B (240-260W), and C to infer local wind direction. Region A showed dominant northwest-southeast DDT/WS, Region B showed dominant north-south, east-west and northeast-southwest DDT/WS, and region C showed dominant west/northwest - east/southeast DDT/ WS. Results indicate the 2007 Phoenix Lander has the highest probability of landing near DDT/WS in landing Region C. Based on DDT/WS linearity, we infer Phoenix would likely encounter directionally consistent background wind in any of the three regions.

Simulation model of erosion and deposition on a barchan dune

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, A. D.; Morton, J. B.; Gal-El-hak, M.; Pierce, D. B.

1977-01-01

Erosion and deposition over a barchan dune near the Salton Sea, California, are modeled by bookkeeping the quantity of sand in saltation following streamlines of transport. Field observations of near surface wind velocity and direction plus supplemental measurements of the velocity distribution over a scale model of the dune are combined as input to Bagnold type sand transport formulas corrected for slope effects. A unidirectional wind is assumed. The resulting patterns of erosion and deposition compare closely with those observed in the field and those predicted by the assumption of equilibrium (downwind translation of the dune without change in size or geometry). Discrepancies between the simulated results and the observed or predicted erosional patterns appear to be largely due to natural fluctuations in the wind direction. The shape of barchan dunes is a function of grain size, velocity, degree of saturation of the oncoming flow, and the variability in the direction of the oncoming wind. The size of the barchans may be controlled by natural atmospheric scales, by the age of the dunes, or by the upwind roughness. The upwind roughness can be controlled by fixed elements or by sand in the saltation. In the latter case, dune scale is determined by grain size and wind velocity.

An Evaluation of QuikSCAT data over Tropical Cyclones as Determined in an Operational Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawkins, J. D.; Edson, R. T.

2001-12-01

QuikSCAT data over all global tropical cyclones were examined during the past 3 1/2 years in conjunction with the development of a user¡_s guide to the forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The active microwave scatterometer has greatly enhanced the forecaster's ability to evaluate surface winds over the data poor regions of the tropical oceans. The QuikSCAT scatterometer¡_s unique ability to provide both wind speed and direction on a nearly bi-daily basis has greatly increased the forecaster¡_s near real-time knowledge of tropical cyclone genesis, intensification potential, outer wind structure, and a ¡rminimum estimate¡_ for a tropical cyclone¡_s maximum sustained winds. Scatterometer data were compared with data available to the forecasters in a near real-time environment including ship, land and buoy reports. In addition, comparisons were also made with aircraft measurements (for Atlantic and East Pacific systems), numerical weather model wind fields, and various remote sensing techniques. Wind speeds were found to be extremely useful, especially for the radius of gale force winds. However, in rain-contaminated areas, light winds were often greatly overestimated while in heavy winds, wind speeds were often quite reasonable if not slightly underestimated. The largest issues are still focused on the correct wind direction selection. In these cases, rain-flagged wind vector cells greatly affected the results from the direction ambiguity selection procedure. The ambiguity selection algorithm often had difficulties resolving a circulation center when large areas of the tropical cyclone¡_s center were flagged. Often a block of winds would occur perpendicular to the swath irregardless of the circulation¡_s position. These winds caused considerable confusion for the operational forecasters. However, it was determined that in many cases, an accurate center position could still be obtained by using methods to incorporate the more accurate wind speeds and the outer wind field vectors that were not as seriously affected. Quantitative results and comparisons will be shown in this presentation. In addition, guides to the operational forecasters to determine system centers inspite of the ambiguity selection problems will also be discussed.

Surface-roughness considerations for atmospheric correction of ocean color sensors. II: Error in the retrieved water-leaving radiance.

PubMed

Gordon, H R; Wang, M

1992-07-20

In the algorithm for the atmospheric correction of coastal zone color scanner (CZCS) imagery, it is assumed that the sea surface is flat. Simulations are carried out to assess the error incurred when the CZCS-type algorithm is applied to a realistic ocean in which the surface is roughened by the wind. In situations where there is no direct Sun glitter (either a large solar zenith angle or the sensor tilted away from the specular image of the Sun), the following conclusions appear justified: (1) the error induced by ignoring the surface roughness is less, similar1 CZCS digital count for wind speeds up to approximately 17 m/s, and therefore can be ignored for this sensor; (2) the roughness-induced error is much more strongly dependent on the wind speed than on the wave shadowing, suggesting that surface effects can be adequately dealt with without precise knowledge of the shadowing; and (3) the error induced by ignoring the Rayleigh-aerosol interaction is usually larger than that caused by ignoring the surface roughness, suggesting that in refining algorithms for future sensors more effort should be placed on dealing with the Rayleigh-aerosol interaction than on the roughness of the sea surface.

Numerical simulation of turbulent convective flow over wavy terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dörnbrack, A.; Schumann, U.

1993-09-01

By means of a large-eddy simulation, the convective boundary layer is investigated for flows over wavy terrain. The lower surface varies sinusoidally in the downstream direction while remaining constant in the other. Several cases are considered with amplitude δ up to 0.15 H and wavelength λ of H to 8 H, where H is the mean fluid-layer height. At the lower surface, the vertical heat flux is prescribed to be constant and the momentum flux is determined locally from the Monin-Obukhov relationship with a roughness length z o=10-4 H. The mean wind is varied between zero and 5 w *, where w * is the convective velocity scale. After rather long times, the flow structure shows horizontal scales up to 4 H, with a pattern similar to that over flat surfaces at corresponding shear friction. Weak mean wind destroys regular spatial structures induced by the surface undulation at zero mean wind. The surface heating suppresses mean-flow recirculation-regions even for steep surface waves. Short surface waves cause strong drag due to hydrostatic and dynamic pressure forces in addition to frictional drag. The pressure drag increases slowly with the mean velocity, and strongly with δ/ H. The turbulence variances increase mainly in the lower half of the mixed layer for U/w *>2.

Evaluation of the surface roughness effect on suspended particle deposition near unpaved roads

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, Dongzi; Gillies, J. A.; Etyemezian, V.

2015-11-11

The downwind transport and deposition of suspended dust raised by a vehicle driving on unpaved roads was studied for four differently vegetated surfaces in the USA states of Kansas and Washington, and one barren surface in Nevada. A 10 m high tower adjacent to the source (z10 m downwind) and an array of multi-channel optical particle counters at three positions downwind of the source measured the flux of particles and the particle size distribution in the advecting dust plumes in the horizontal and vertical directions. Aerodynamic parameters such as friction velocity (u*) and surface roughness length (z0) were calculated frommore » wind speed measurements made on the tower. Particle number concentration, PM10 mass exhibited an exponential decay along the direction of transport. Coarse particles accounted for z95% of the PM10 mass, at least to a downwind distance of 200 m from the source. PM10 removed by deposition was found to increase with increasing particle size and increasing surface roughness under similar moderate wind speed conditions. The surface of dense, long grass (1.2 m high and complete surface cover) had the greatest reduction of PM10 among the five surfaces tested due to deposition induced by turbulence effects created by the rougher surface and by enhanced particle impaction/ interception effects to the grass blades.« less

Seasat scatterometer - Results of the Gulf of Alaska workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, W. L.; Bracalente, E. M.; Black, P. G.; Boggs, D. M.; Halberstam, I. M.; Brown, R. A.; Dome, G.; Ernst, J. A.; Overland, J. E.; Peteherych, S.

1979-01-01

The Seasat microwave scatterometer was designed to measure, globally and in nearly all weather, wind speed to an accuracy of plus or minus 2 meters per second and wind direction to plus or minus 20 deg in two swaths 500 kilometers wide on either side of the spacecraft. For two operating modes in rain-free conditions, a limited number of comparisons to high-quality surface truth indicates that these specifications may have been met.

Office of Naval Research (ONR), Arctic and Global Prediction Program Department Research Initiative (DRI), Sea State and Boundary Layer Physics of the Emerging Arctic Ocean Quantifying the Role of Atmospheric Forcing in Ice Edge Retreat and Advance Including Wind-Wave Coupling

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

direction Sea snake CIRES/NOAA sea-surface temperature 35-channel Radiometrics radiometer CIRES/NOAA PWV , LWP, profiles of T, q Ceilometer CIRES...size distribution Stabilized, scanning Doppler Lidar Leeds winds, cloud phase, turbulence HATPRO, scanning,12 ch radiometer Leeds PWV , LWP

Titan's Atmospheric Dynamics and Meteorology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flasar, F. M.; Baines, K. H.; Bird, M. K.; Tokano, T.; West, R. A.

2008-01-01

Titan, after Venus, is the second example of an atmosphere with a global cyclostrophic circulation in the solar system, but a circulation that has a strong seasonal modulation in the middle atmosphere. Direct measurement of Titan's winds, particularly observations tracking the Huygens probe at 10degS, indicate that the zonal winds are generally in the sense of the satellites rotation. They become cyclostrophic approx. 35 km above the surface and generally increase with altitude, with the exception of a sharp minimum centered near 75 km, where the wind velocity decreases to nearly zero. Zonal winds derived from the temperature field retrieved from Cassini measurements, using the thermal wind equation, indicate a strong winter circumpolar vortex, with maximum winds at mid northern latitudes of 190 ms-' near 300 km. Above this level, the vortex decays. Curiously, the zonal winds and temperatures are symmetric about a pole that is offset from the surface pole by approx.4 degrees. The cause of this is not well understood, but it may reflect the response of a cyclostrophic circulation to the offset between the equator, where the distance to the rotation axis is greatest, and the solar equator. The mean meridional circulation can be inferred from the temperature field and the meridional distribution of organic molecules and condensates and hazes. Both the warm temperatures in the north polar region near 400 km and the enhanced concentration of several organic molecules suggests subsidence there during winter and early spring. Stratospheric condensates are localized at high northern latitudes, with a sharp cut-off near 50degN. Titan's winter polar vortex appears to share many of the same characteristics of winter vortices on Earth-the ozone holes. Global mapping of temperatures, winds, and composition in he troposphere, by contrast, is incomplete. The few suitable discrete clouds that have bee found for tracking indicate smaller velocities than aloft, consistent with the Huygens measurements. At low latitudes the zonal winds near the surface appear not to be westward as on Earth, but eastward. Because the net zonal-mean time-averaged torq exerted by the surface on the atmosphere should vanish, this implies westward flow o part of the surface; the question is where. The latitude contrast in tropospheric temperatures, deduced from radio occultations at low, mid, and high latitudes, is small approx.5 K at the tropopause and approx.3 K at the surface.

A Preliminary Analysis of Wind Retrieval, Based on GF-3 Wave Mode Data.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Han, Bing; Yuan, Xinzhe; Lei, Bin; Ding, Chibiao; Yao, Yulin; Chen, Qi

2018-05-17

This paper presents an analysis of measurements of the normalized radar cross-(NRCS) in Wave Mode for Chinese C-band Gaofen-3(GF-3) synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Based on 2779 images from GF-3 quad-polarization SAR in Wave Mode and collocated wind vectors from ERA-Interim, this experiment verifies the feasibility of using ocean surface wind fields and VV-polarized NRCS to perform normalized calibration. The method uses well-validated empirical C-band geophysical model function (CMOD4) to estimate the calibration constant for each beam. In addition, the relationship between cross-pol NRCS and wind vectors is discussed. The cross-pol NRCS increases linearly with wind speed and it is obviously modulated by the wind direction when the wind speed is greater than 8 m/s. Furthermore, the properties of the polarization ratio, denoted PR, are also investigated. The PR is dependent on incidence angle and azimuth angle. Two empirical models of the PR are fitted, one as a function of incidence angle only, the other with additional dependence on azimuth angle. Assessments show that the σ VV 0 retrieved from new PR models as well as σ HH 0 is in good agreement with σ VV 0 extracted from SAR images directly.

A Preliminary Analysis of Wind Retrieval, Based on GF-3 Wave Mode Data

PubMed Central

Wang, Lei; Han, Bing; Yuan, Xinzhe; Lei, Bin; Ding, Chibiao; Yao, Yulin; Chen, Qi

2018-01-01

This paper presents an analysis of measurements of the normalized radar cross-(NRCS) in Wave Mode for Chinese C-band Gaofen-3(GF-3) synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Based on 2779 images from GF-3 quad-polarization SAR in Wave Mode and collocated wind vectors from ERA-Interim, this experiment verifies the feasibility of using ocean surface wind fields and VV-polarized NRCS to perform normalized calibration. The method uses well-validated empirical C-band geophysical model function (CMOD4) to estimate the calibration constant for each beam. In addition, the relationship between cross-pol NRCS and wind vectors is discussed. The cross-pol NRCS increases linearly with wind speed and it is obviously modulated by the wind direction when the wind speed is greater than 8 m/s. Furthermore, the properties of the polarization ratio, denoted PR, are also investigated. The PR is dependent on incidence angle and azimuth angle. Two empirical models of the PR are fitted, one as a function of incidence angle only, the other with additional dependence on azimuth angle. Assessments show that the σVV0 retrieved from new PR models as well as σHH0 is in good agreement with σVV0 extracted from SAR images directly. PMID:29772821

Seasat--A 25-Year Legacy of Success

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Diane L.; Alpers, Werner; Cazenave, Anny; Elachi, Charles; Farr, Tom; Glackin, David; Holt, Benjamin; Jones, Linwood; Liu, W. Timothy; McCandless, Walt;

Note on the directional properties of meter-scale gravity waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peureux, Charles; Benetazzo, Alvise; Ardhuin, Fabrice

2018-01-01

The directional distribution of the energy of young waves is bimodal for frequencies above twice the peak frequency; i.e., their directional distribution exhibits two peaks in different directions and a minimum between. Here we analyze in detail a typical case measured with a peak frequency fp = 0.18 Hz and a wind speed of 10.7 m s-1 using a stereo-video system. This technique allows for the separation of free waves from the spectrum of the sea-surface elevation. The latter indeed tend to reduce the contrast between the two peaks and the background. The directional distribution for a given wavenumber is nearly symmetric, with the angle distance between the two peaks growing with frequency, reaching 150° at 35 times the peak wavenumber kp and increasing up to 45 kp. When considering only free waves, the lobe ratio, the ratio of oblique peak energy density over energy in the wind direction, increases linearly with the non-dimensional wavenumber k/kp, up to a value of 6 at k/kp ≃ 22, and possibly more for shorter components. These observations extend to shorter components' previous measurements, and have important consequences for wave properties sensitive to the directional distribution, such as surface slopes, Stokes drift or microseism sources.

Circulation on the Inner-Shelf of Long Bay, South Carolina: Vertical Current Variability and Evidence for Cross-Shelf Variation in Near-Bed Currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutierrez, B. T.; Voulgaris, G.; Work, P. A.; Seim, H.; Warner, J. C.

2004-12-01

Cross-shelf variations of near-bed currents and variations in vertical flow were investigated on the inner shelf of Long Bay, South Carolina during the spring and fall of 2001. Current meters sampled near-bed currents at six locations as well as vertical current profiles at three of the sites. The observations showed that the tides accounted for approximately 45-66% of the flow variability. The dominant tidal component, the semi-diurnal constituent M2, exhibited tidal ellipse orientations that are increasingly aligned with the coast closer to the shore. The largest M2 current magnitudes were identified closest to shore and over the top of a sand shoal located 5.5 km offshore of Myrtle Beach. The remaining flow variability was associated with sub-tidal flows which respond to the passage of low-pressure systems across the region. These weather systems were characterized by periods of southwesterly winds in advance of low-pressure centers followed by northeasterly winds as the systems passed over the study area. When strong southwesterly winds persisted, surface flow was oriented approximately in the direction of the wind. At the same time near-bottom flows were also directed to the northeast in the direction of the wind except during periods of stratification when vertical current profiles suggest near-bed onshore flow. The stratified flows were observed mainly during the spring deployment. For periods of strong northeasterly winds, currents were directed alongshore to the southwest and exhibited little variation throughout the water column. These observations are consistent with recent field and modeling studies for the inner-shelf. Comparison of the near-bed flow measurements during the fall deployment revealed a cross-shore gradient in alongshore flow during periods of strong northeasterly winds. During these episodes flows at the offshore measurement stations were oriented in the direction of the wind, while flows closest to shore occurred in the opposite direction. These observations reveal 1) conditions which contribute to cross-shore transport and 2) the presence of an alongshore flow gradient which may affect sediment transport patterns during certain meteorological conditions.

Fresno Air Terminal, California. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-15

34 *,"- *< " + "-o:"- I *13 C. -"-d+J °0 ’ A4 *+ *" - "~ ._______+: .+ ..G+ ., .2+ .- + tD .: rrgC 67 .. .+ .- -- T C’ TRAC 690 l1ei1. -+ _ *d ef . 5 .t CU L...3;M’d4 JitrET&: SURFACE WINDS 11 Z TD ,T-.[ 5IVIIE/A: PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OBSEVATIONS) STATIO1N V"AT O NAM...041.5 (OL.A) PNvICUs contom1co tins JooN om ossouiti A I - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -_ _ _ _ U : LI4& TD ...3SY 3RA4𔃾 -211

Investigation of space shuttle orbiter subsonic stability and control characteristics and determination of control surface hinge moments in the Rockwell International low speed wind tunnel (OA37)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, T.

1974-01-01

Experimental aerodynamic investigations were conducted on a string-mounted 0.030 scale representation of the 140A/B space shuttle orbiter in the 7.75- by 11-foot low speed wind tunnel. The primary test objectives were to establish basic longitudinal and lateral directional stability and control characteristics for the basic configuration plus control surface hinge moments. Aerodynamic force and moment data were measured in the body axis system by an internally mounted, six-component strain gage balance. Additional configurations investigated were sealed rudder hingeline gaps, sealed elevon gaps and compartmentized speedbrakes.

Sea surface mean square slope from Ku-band backscatter data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, F. C.; Walton, W. T.; Hines, D. E.; Walter, B. A.; Peng, C. Y.

1992-01-01

A surface mean-square-slope parameter analysis is conducted for 14-GHz airborne radar altimeter near-nadir, quasi-specular backscatter data, which in raw form obtained by least-squares fitting of an optical scattering model to the return waveform show an approximately linear dependence over the 7-15 m/sec wind speed range. Slope data are used to draw inferences on the structure of the high-wavenumber portion of the spectrum. A directionally-integrated model height spectrum that encompasses wind speed-dependent k exp -5/2 and classical Phillips k exp -3 power laws subranges in the range of gravity waves is supported by the data.

Low-speed aerodynamic characteristics of a generic forward-swept-wing aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, J. C.; Matarazzo, A. D.

1982-01-01

Low-speed wind-tunnel tests were performed on a generic forward-swept-wing aircraft model in the 7- by 10-Foot Wind Tunnel (No. 2) at Ames Research Center. The effects of various configurational changes and control-surface deflections on the performance of the model were measured. Six-component force measurements were augmented by flow-visualization photographs, using both surface oil-flow and tufts. It was found that the tendency toward premature root separation on the forward-swept wing could be reduced by use of either canards or leading-edge wing strakes and that differential canard deflections can be used to produce a direct side-force control.

A SAR Observation and Numerical Study on Ocean Surface Imprints of Atmospheric Vortex Streets.

PubMed

Li, Xiaofeng; Zheng, Weizhong; Zou, Cheng-Zhi; Pichel, William G

2008-05-21

The sea surface imprints of Atmospheric Vortex Street (AVS) off Aleutian Volcanic Islands, Alaska were observed in two RADARSAT-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images separated by about 11 hours. In both images, three pairs of distinctive vortices shedding in the lee side of two volcanic mountains can be clearly seen. The length and width of the vortex street are about 60-70 km and 20 km, respectively. Although the AVS's in the two SAR images have similar shapes, the structure of vortices within the AVS is highly asymmetrical. The sea surface wind speed is estimated from the SAR images with wind direction input from Navy NOGAPS model. In this paper we present a complete MM5 model simulation of the observed AVS. The surface wind simulated from the MM5 model is in good agreement with SAR-derived wind. The vortex shedding rate calculated from the model run is about 1 hour and 50 minutes. Other basic characteristics of the AVS including propagation speed of the vortex, Strouhal and Reynolds numbers favorable for AVS generation are also derived. The wind associated with AVS modifies the cloud structure in the marine atmospheric boundary layer. The AVS cloud pattern is also observed on a MODIS visible band image taken between the two RADARSAT SAR images. An ENVISAT advance SAR image taken 4 hours after the second RADARSAT SAR image shows that the AVS has almost vanished.

Wind-wave coupling in the atmospheric boundary layer over a reservoir: field measurements and verification of the model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troitskaya, Yuliya; Papko, Vladislav; Baidakov, Georgy; Vdovin, Maxim; Kandaurov, Alexander; Sergeev, Daniil

2013-04-01

This paper presents the results of field experiments conducted at the Gorky Reservoir to test a quasi-linear model of the atmospheric boundary layer [1]. In the course of the experiment we simultaneously measured profiles of wind speed and surface wave spectra using instruments placed on the Froude buoy, which measures the following parameters: i) the module and the direction of the wind speed using ultrasonic wind sensor WindSonic Gill instruments, located on the 4 - levels from 0.1 x 5 m long; ii) profile of the surface waves with 3-channel string wave-gauge with a base of 5 cm, iii) the temperature of the water and air with a resistive sensor. From the measured profiles of wind speed, we calculated basic parameters of the atmospheric boundary layer: the friction velocity u*, the wind speed at the standard height of 10 m U10 and the drag coefficient CD. Data on CD(U10), obtained at the Gorky Reservoir, were compared with similar data obtained on Lake George in Australia during the Australian Shallow Water Experiment (AUSWEX) conducted in 1997 - 1999 [2,3]. A good agreement was obtained between measured data at two different on the parameters of inland waters: deep Gorky reservoir and shallow Lake George.To elucidate the reasons for this coincidence of the drag coefficients under strongly different conditions an analysis of surface waves was conducted.Measurements have shown that in both water bodies the surface wave spectra have almost the same asymptotics (spatial spectrum - k-3, the frequency spectrum -5), corresponding to the Phillips saturation spectrum.These spectra are typically observed for the steep surface waves, for which the basic dissipation mechanism is wave breaking. The similarity of the short-wave parts of the spectra can be regarded as a probable cause of coincidence of dependency of drag coefficient of the water surface on wind speed. Quantitative verification of this hypothesis was carried out in the framework of quasi-linear model of the wind over the waves [1]. In the calculations the input parameters are measured friction velocity of wind and surface wave spectrum. The appropriate wind speed at the standard height of 10 m and the resistance coefficient surface were calculated. It is shown that at a wind speed of 6 m/s, the model reproduces the measurements. Significant difference of model predictions and measurements at lower values may be due to large measurement error caused by the nonstationarity of weak winds. Authors are grateful to prof. A.Babanin for fruitful discussion and access to data of AUSWEX. This work was supported by RFBR (project 11-05-12047-ofi-m, 13-05-00865-a, 12-05-33070). References 1. Troitskaya, Y. I., D. A. Sergeev, A. A. Kandaurov, G. A.Baidakov, M A. Vdovin, and V. I. Kazakov Laboratory and theoretical modeling of air-sea momentum transfer under severe wind conditions J.Geophys. Res., 117, C00J21, doi:10.1029/2011JC007778 2. Donelan M.A., Babanin A.V., Young I.R., Banner M.L., McCormick C. Wave follower field measurements of the wind input spectral function. Part I: Measurements and calibrations // J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 2005. V. 22. P. 799-813. 3. Babanin, A.V., and V.K. Makin: Effects of wind trend and gustiness on the sea drag: Lake George study. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2008, 113, C02015, doi:10.1029/2007JC004233, 18p

Field measurements of horizontal forward motion velocities of terrestrial dust devils: Towards a proxy for ambient winds on Mars and Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balme, M. R.; Pathare, A.; Metzger, S. M.; Towner, M. C.; Lewis, S. R.; Spiga, A.; Fenton, L. K.; Renno, N. O.; Elliott, H. M.; Saca, F. A.; Michaels, T. I.; Russell, P.; Verdasca, J.

2012-11-01

Dust devils - convective vortices made visible by the dust and debris they entrain - are common in arid environments and have been observed on Earth and Mars. Martian dust devils have been identified both in images taken at the surface and in remote sensing observations from orbiting spacecraft. Observations from landing craft and orbiting instruments have allowed the dust devil translational forward motion (ground velocity) to be calculated, but it is unclear how these velocities relate to the local ambient wind conditions, for (i) only model wind speeds are generally available for Mars, and (ii) on Earth only anecdotal evidence exists that compares dust devil ground velocity with ambient wind velocity. If dust devil ground velocity can be reliably correlated to the ambient wind regime, observations of dust devils could provide a proxy for wind speed and direction measurements on Mars. Hence, dust devil ground velocities could be used to probe the circulation of the martian boundary layer and help constrain climate models or assess the safety of future landing sites. We present results from a field study of terrestrial dust devils performed in the southwest USA in which we measured dust devil horizontal velocity as a function of ambient wind velocity. We acquired stereo images of more than a 100 active dust devils and recorded multiple size and position measurements for each dust devil. We used these data to calculate dust devil translational velocity. The dust devils were within a study area bounded by 10 m high meteorology towers such that dust devil speed and direction could be correlated with the local ambient wind speed and direction measurements. Daily (10:00-16:00 local time) and 2-h averaged dust devil ground speeds correlate well with ambient wind speeds averaged over the same period. Unsurprisingly, individual measurements of dust devil ground speed match instantaneous measurements of ambient wind speed more poorly; a 20-min smoothing window applied to the ambient wind speed data improves the correlation. In general, dust devils travel 10-20% faster than ambient wind speed measured at 10 m height, suggesting that their ground speeds are representative of the boundary layer winds a few tens of meters above ground level. Dust devil ground motion direction closely matches the measured ambient wind direction. The link between ambient winds and dust devil ground velocity demonstrated here suggests that a similar one should apply on Mars. Determining the details of the martian relationship between dust devil ground velocity and ambient wind velocity might require new in situ or modelling studies but, if completed successfully, would provide a quantitative means of measuring wind velocities on Mars that would otherwise be impossible to obtain.

Improvement of short-term numerical wind predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedard, Joel

Geophysic Model Output Statistics (GMOS) are developed to optimize the use of NWP for complex sites. GMOS differs from other MOS that are widely used by meteorological centers in the following aspects: it takes into account the surrounding geophysical parameters such as surface roughness, terrain height, etc., along with wind direction; it can be directly applied without any training, although training will further improve the results. The GMOS was applied to improve the Environment Canada GEM-LAM 2.5km forecasts at North Cape (PEI, Canada): It improves the predictions RMSE by 25-30% for all time horizons and almost all meteorological conditions; the topographic signature of the forecast error due to insufficient grid refinement is eliminated and the NWP combined with GMOS outperform the persistence from a 2h horizon, instead of 4h without GMOS. Finally, GMOS was applied at another site (Bouctouche, NB, Canada): similar improvements were observed, thus showing its general applicability. Keywords: wind energy, wind power forecast, numerical weather prediction, complex sites, model output statistics

Weather Research and Forecasting Model Wind Sensitivity Study at Edwards Air Force Base, CA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Leela R.; Bauman, William H., III; Hoeth, Brian

2009-01-01

This abstract describes work that will be done by the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) in assessing the success of different model configurations in predicting "wind cycling" cases at Edwards Air Force Base, CA (EAFB), in which the wind speeds and directions oscillate among towers near the EAFB runway. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model allows users to choose among two dynamical cores - the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) and the Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM). There are also data assimilation analysis packages available for the initialization of the WRF model - the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS) and the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) Data Analysis System (ADAS). Having a series of initialization options and WRF cores, as well as many options within each core, creates challenges for local forecasters, such as determining which configuration options are best to address specific forecast concerns. The goal of this project is to assess the different configurations available and determine which configuration will best predict surface wind speed and direction at EAFB.

Sastrugi Geometrical Properties and Morphometry Over Two Winter Seasons at col du Lac Blanc (french Alps, 2700 m a.s.l)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naaim, Florence; Picard, Ghislain; Bellot, Hervé; Arnaud, Laurent; Vionnet, Vincent

2017-04-01

Some elements of snow surface roughness, such as ripple or sastrugi, are a direct manifestation of wind erosion and in turn modify the near-surface wind field and consequently the horizontal snow mass fluxes. This leads to a negative feedback between wind strength and surface roughness that must be taken into account in numerical models. Formation of sastrugi, which are elongated metric-scale ridges of wind-packed snow whose longitudinal axis is parallel to the prevailing wind at the time of their formation, is still not well-understood. The first step to provide new information about the formation and evolution of such features is to integrate meteorological data and accurate description of geometrical properties. But the complex and dynamic surface of sastrugi cannot be easily captured by manual measurements (Bellot et al., 2014), which furthermore must be frequent as the formation of new landforms can happen very quickly. That's why the potential of a low-cost time-lapse terrestrial laserscan RLS (Picard et al., 2016) has been investigated during the winter seasons 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 at Col du Lac Blanc in the French Alps. This experimental test site, dedicated to drifting snow studies, and subject to the formation of sastrugi is well-suited for such study : accurate meteorological data, including drifting snow fluxes, are available each 10 minutes. RLS covered a surface area of around 200 m2 for a spatial horizontal resolution of nearly 2 cm and monitored successfully surface roughness once a day during the whole winter seasons. Sastrugi geometrical parameters, such as the frontal area and average height of roughness elements has been extracted from the RLS data and the sastrugi morphometry has be examined over two winter seasons in link with snow fall, drifting snow occurence and intensity and wind speed.

Connecting meteorology to surface transport in aeolian landscapes: Peering into the boundary layer with Doppler lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunn, A.; Jerolmack, D. J.; Edmonds, D. A.; Ewing, R. C.; Wanker, M.; David, S. R.

2017-12-01

Aolian sand dunes grow to 100s or 1000s of meters in wavelength by sand saltation, which also produces dust plumes that feed cloud formation and may spread around the world. The relations among sediment transport, landscape dynamics and wind are typically observed at the limiting ends of the relevant range: highly resolved and localized ground observations of turbulence and relevant fluxes; or regional and synoptic-scale meteorology and satellite imagery. Between the geostrophic winds aloft and shearing stress on the Earth's surface is the boundary layer, whose stability and structure determines how momentum is transferred and ultimately entrains sediment. Although the literature on atmospheric boundary layer flows is mature, this understanding is rarely applied to aeolian landscape dynamics. Moreover, there are few vertically and time-resolved datasets of atmospheric boundary layer flows in desert sand seas, where buoyancy effects are most pronounced. Here we employ a ground-based upward-looking doppler lidar to examine atmospheric boundary layer flow at the upwind margin of the White Sands (New Mexico) dune field, providing continuous 3D wind velocity data from the surface to 300-m aloft over 70 days of the characteristically windy spring season. Data show highly resolved daily cyles of convective instabilty due to daytime heating and stable stratification due to nightime cooling which act to enhance or depress, respectively, the surface wind stresses for a given free-stream velocity. Our data implicate convective instability in driving strong saltation and dust emission, because enhanced mixing flattens the vertical velocity profile (raising surface wind speed) while upward advection helps to deliver dust to the high atmosphere. We also find evidence for Ekman spiralling, with a magnitude that depends on atmospheric stability. This spiralling gives rise to a deflection in the direction between geostrophic and surface winds, that is significant for the orientation of dunes.

Joint Offshore Wind Field Monitoring with Spaceborne SAR and Platform-Based Doppler LIDAR Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobsen, S.; Lehner, S.; Hieronimus, J.; Schneemann, J.; Kuhn, M.

2015-04-01

The increasing demand for renewable energy resources has promoted the construction of offshore wind farms e.g. in the North Sea. While the wind farm layout consists of an array of large turbines, the interrelation of wind turbine wakes with the remaining array is of substantial interest. The downstream spatial evolution of turbulent wind turbine wakes is very complex and depends on manifold parameters such as wind speed, wind direction and ambient atmospheric stability conditions. To complement and validate existing numerical models, corresponding observations are needed. While in-situ measurements with e.g. anemometers provide a time-series at the given location, the merits of ground-based and space- or airborne remote sensing techniques are indisputable in terms of spatial coverage. Active microwave devices, such as Scatterometer and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), have proven their capabilities of providing sea surface wind measurements and particularly SAR images reveal wind variations at a high spatial resolution while retaining the large coverage area. Platform-based Doppler LiDAR can resolve wind fields with a high spatial coverage and repetition rates of seconds to minutes. In order to study the capabilities of both methods for the investigation of small scale wind field structures, we present a direct comparison of observations obtained by high resolution TerraSAR-X (TS-X) X-band SAR data and platform-based LiDAR devices at the North Sea wind farm alpha ventus. We furthermore compare the results with meteorological data from the COSMO-DE model run by the German Weather Service DWD. Our study indicates that the overall agreement between SAR and LiDAR wind fields is good and that under appropriate conditions small scale wind field variations compare significantly well.

Measurements of heavy solar wind and higher energy solar particles during the Apollo 17 mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, R. M.; Zinner, E.; Maurette, M.

1973-01-01

The lunar surface cosmic ray experiment, consisting of sets of mica, glass, plastic, and metal foil detectors, was successfully deployed on the Apollo 17 mission. One set of detectors was exposed directly to sunlight and another set was placed in shade. Preliminary scanning of the mica detectors shows the expected registration of heavy solar wind ions in the sample exposed directly to the sun. The initial results indicate a depletion of very-heavy solar wind ions. The effect is probably not real but is caused by scanning inefficiencies. Despite the lack of any pronounced solar activity, energetic heavy particles with energies extending to 1 MeV/nucleon were observed. Equal track densities of approximately 6000 tracks/cm sq 0.5 microns in length were measured in mica samples exposed in both sunlight and shade.

Wind regimes and their relation to synoptic variables using self-organizing maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berkovic, Sigalit

2018-01-01

This study exemplifies the ability of the self-organizing maps (SOM) method to directly define well known wind regimes over Israel during the entire year, except summer period, at 12:00 UTC. This procedure may be applied at other hours and is highly relevant to future automatic climatological analysis and applications. The investigation is performed by analysing surface wind measurements from 53 Israel Meteorological Service stations. The relation between the synoptic variables and the wind regimes is revealed from the averages of ECMWF ERA-INTERIM reanalysis variables for each SOM wind regime. The inspection of wind regimes and their average geopotential anomalies has shown that wind regimes relate to the gradient of the pressure anomalies, rather than to the specific isobars pattern. Two main wind regimes - strong western and the strong eastern or northern - are well known over this region. The frequencies of the regimes according to seasons is verified. Strong eastern regimes are dominant during winter, while strong western regimes are frequent in all seasons.

Impact of the Diurnal Cycle of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer on Wind-Turbine Wakes: A Numerical Modelling Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Englberger, Antonia; Dörnbrack, Andreas

2018-03-01

The wake characteristics of a wind turbine for different regimes occurring throughout the diurnal cycle are investigated systematically by means of large-eddy simulation. Idealized diurnal cycle simulations of the atmospheric boundary layer are performed with the geophysical flow solver EULAG over both homogeneous and heterogeneous terrain. Under homogeneous conditions, the diurnal cycle significantly affects the low-level wind shear and atmospheric turbulence. A strong vertical wind shear and veering with height occur in the nocturnal stable boundary layer and in the morning boundary layer, whereas atmospheric turbulence is much larger in the convective boundary layer and in the evening boundary layer. The increased shear under heterogeneous conditions changes these wind characteristics, counteracting the formation of the night-time Ekman spiral. The convective, stable, evening, and morning regimes of the atmospheric boundary layer over a homogeneous surface as well as the convective and stable regimes over a heterogeneous surface are used to study the flow in a wind-turbine wake. Synchronized turbulent inflow data from the idealized atmospheric boundary-layer simulations with periodic horizontal boundary conditions are applied to the wind-turbine simulations with open streamwise boundary conditions. The resulting wake is strongly influenced by the stability of the atmosphere. In both cases, the flow in the wake recovers more rapidly under convective conditions during the day than under stable conditions at night. The simulated wakes produced for the night-time situation completely differ between heterogeneous and homogeneous surface conditions. The wake characteristics of the transitional periods are influenced by the flow regime prior to the transition. Furthermore, there are different wake deflections over the height of the rotor, which reflect the incoming wind direction.

A Coastal Bay Summer Breeze Study, Part 1: Results of the Quiberon 2006 Experimental Campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mestayer, Patrice G.; Calmet, Isabelle; Herlédant, Olivier; Barré, Sophie; Piquet, Thibaud; Rosant, Jean-Michel

2018-04-01

The Quiberon 2006 experiment was launched to document the onset and development of land and sea breezes over a semi-circular coastal bay propitious to inshore sailing competitions. The measurements were taken during the 2 weeks of 16-28 June 2006. Micrometeorological variables were recorded at three shore sites around the bay using turbulence sensors on 10-30-m high masts, on four instrumented catamarans at selected sites within the bay, and at a fourth shore site with a Sodar. Synoptic data and local measurements are analyzed here from the point of view of both micrometeorologists and competition skippers, testing in particular the empirical rules of breeze veering and backing according to the wind direction with respect to the coastline orientation at the mesoscale (the quadrant theory). Our analysis focuses on the patterns of lower-altitude wind direction and speed around the bay and over the water basin, and the temporal variations during the periods of the breeze onset, establishment and thermal reinforcement. In offshore synoptic-flow conditions (quadrants 1 and 2), the clockwise rotation of the surface flow had a very large amplitude, reaching up to 360°. The breeze strength was negatively correlated to that of the synoptic wind speed. In conditions of onshore synoptic flow from the west (quadrant 3) at an angle to the mainland coast but perpendicular to the Quiberon peninsula, the rotation of the flow was backwards in the early morning and clockwise during the day with a moderate amplitude (40°-50°) around the synoptic wind direction. As the surface wind speed was much larger than the synoptic wind speed, such a case we have designated as a "synoptic breeze". The breeze onset was shown to fail several times under the influence of weak non-thermal events, e.g., the passage of an occluded front or clouds or an excess of convection. Finally, several local-scale influences of the complex coastal shape appeared in our measurements, e.g., wind fanning in the lee of the isthmus and airflow skirting around the peninsula forehand.

An improved numerical model suggests potential differences of wind-blown sand between on Earth and Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bo, T. L.; Fu, L. T.; Liu, L.; Zheng, X. J.

2017-06-01

The studies on wind-blown sand are crucial for understanding the change of climate and landscape on Mars. However, the disadvantages of the saltation models may result in unreliable predictions. In this paper, the saltation model has been improved from two main aspects, the aerodynamic surface roughness and the lift-off parameters. The aerodynamic surface roughness is expressed as function of particle size, wind strength, air density, and air dynamic viscosity. The lift-off parameters are improved through including the dependence of restitution coefficient on incident parameters and the correlation between saltating speed and angle. The improved model proved to be capable of reproducing the observed data well in both stable stage and evolution process. The modeling of wind-blown sand is promoted by all improved aspects, and the dependence of restitution coefficient on incident parameters could not be ignored. The constant restitution coefficient and uncorrelated lift-off parameter distributions would lead to both the overestimation of the sand transport rate and apparent surface roughness and the delay of evolution process. The distribution of lift-off speed and the evolution of lift-off parameters on Mars are found to be different from those on Earth. This may thus suggest that it is inappropriate to predict the evolution of wind-blown sand by using the lift-off velocity obtained in steady state saltation. And it also may be problematic to predict the wind-blown sand on Mars through applying the lift-off velocity obtained upon terrestrial conditions directly.

Seasonal variability of chlorophyll-a and oceanographic conditions in Sabah waters in relation to Asian monsoon--a remote sensing study.

PubMed

Abdul-Hadi, Alaa; Mansor, Shattri; Pradhan, Biswajeet; Tan, C K

2013-05-01

A study was conducted to investigate the influence of Asian monsoon on chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) content in Sabah waters and to identify the related oceanographic conditions that caused phytoplankton blooms at the eastern and western coasts of Sabah, Malaysia. A series of remote sensing measurements including surface Chl-a, sea surface temperature, sea surface height anomaly, wind speed, wind stress curl, and Ekman pumping were analyzed to study the oceanographic conditions that lead to large-scale nutrients enrichment in the surface layer. The results showed that the Chl-a content increased at the northwest coast from December to April due to strong northeasterly wind and coastal upwelling in Kota Kinabalu water. The southwest coast (Labuan water) maintained high concentrations throughout the year due to the effect of Padas River discharge during the rainy season and the changing direction of Baram River plume during the northeast monsoon (NEM). However, with the continuous supply of nutrients from the upwelling area, the high Chl-a batches were maintained at the offshore water off Labuan for a longer time during NEM. On the other side, the northeast coast illustrated a high Chl-a in Sandakan water during NEM, whereas the northern tip off Kudat did not show a pronounced change throughout the year. The southeast coast (Tawau water) was highly influenced by the direction of the surface water transport between the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas and the prevailing surface currents. The study demonstrates the presence of seasonal phytoplankton blooms in Sabah waters which will aid in forecasting the possible biological response and could further assist in marine resource managements.

Optimal strategies for insects migrating in the flight boundary layer: mechanisms and consequences.

PubMed

Srygley, Robert B; Dudley, Robert

2008-07-01

Directed aerial displacement requires that a volant organism's airspeed exceeds ambient wind speed. For biologically relevant altitudes, wind speed increases exponentially with increased height above the ground. Thus, dispersal of most insects is influenced by atmospheric conditions. However, insects that fly close to the Earth's surface displace within the flight boundary layer where insect airspeeds are relatively high. Over the past 17 years, we have studied boundary-layer insects by following individuals as they migrate across the Caribbean Sea and the Panama Canal. Although most migrants evade either drought or cold, nymphalid and pierid butterflies migrate across Panama near the onset of the rainy season. Dragonflies of the genus Pantala migrate in October concurrently with frontal weather systems. Migrating the furthest and thereby being the most difficult to study, the diurnal moth Urania fulgens migrates between Central and South America. Migratory butterflies and dragonflies are capable of directed movement towards a preferred compass direction in variable winds, whereas the moths drift with winds over water. Butterflies orient using both global and local cues. Consistent with optimal migration theory, butterflies and dragonflies adjust their flight speeds in ways that maximize migratory distance traveled per unit fuel, whereas the moths do not. Moreover, only butterflies adjust their flight speed in relation to endogenous fat reserves. It is likely that these insects use optic flow to gauge their speed and drift, and thus must migrate where sufficient detail in the Earth's surface is visible to them. The abilities of butterflies and dragonflies to adjust their airspeed over water indicate sophisticated control and guidance systems pertaining to migration.

Wave-current interaction: Effect on the wave field in a semi-enclosed basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benetazzo, A.; Carniel, S.; Sclavo, M.; Bergamasco, A.

2013-10-01

The effect on waves of the Wave-Current Interaction (WCI) process in the semi-enclosed Gulf of Venice (northern region of the Adriatic Sea) was investigated using the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) modeling system. COAWST relies on the ocean model ROMS (Regional Ocean Modeling System), the wave model SWAN (Simulating WAves Nearshore), and the CSTMS (Community Sediment Transport Modeling System) routines. The two-way data transfer between circulation and wave models was synchronous via MCT (Model Coupling Toolkit), with ROMS providing: current field, free surface elevation, and bathymetry to SWAN. For coupling, the 3-D current profiles were averaged using a formulation which integrated the near-surface velocity over a depth controlled by the spectral mean wavenumber. COAWST system was implemented on a parent grid (with horizontal resolution of 2.0 km) covering the whole Adriatic Sea with one-way nesting to a child grid resolving the northern area (Gulf of Venice) at a resolution of 0.5 km. The meteorological forcings provided by the operational meteorological model COSMO-I7 (a mesoscale model developed in the framework of the COSMO Consortium) were used to drive the modeling system in the period bracketing September 2010-August 2011. The adopted winds and the simulated waves were compared with observations at the CNR-ISMAR Acqua Alta oceanographic tower, located off the Venice littoral. Wave heights and sea surface winds were also compared with satellite-derived data. The analysis of WCI was performed on the child grid over the winter season (January-March 2011) with particular focus on the waves generated by prevailing and dominant winds blowing on the Adriatic Sea: Bora and Sirocco. Due to the variable wind direction with respect to the ocean current direction different effects on WCI were depicted, showing that within the northern Adriatic Sea the ocean-wave interactions are strongly dependent on the wind forcing direction. Further investigations reveal that, when applied to intense storms, the effect of coupling on waves results in variations of significant wave height up to 0.6 m, with some areas experiencing significant increase/decrease of wave spectral energy for opposite/following currents respectively.

In situ observations of the influence of a large onshore wind farm on near-surface temperature, turbulence intensity and wind speed profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Craig M.; Barthelmie, R. J.; Pryor, S. C.

2013-09-01

Observations of wakes from individual wind turbines and a multi-megawatt wind energy installation in the Midwestern US indicate that directly downstream of a turbine (at a distance of 190 m, or 2.4 rotor diameters (D)), there is a clear impact on wind speed and turbulence intensity (TI) throughout the rotor swept area. However, at a downwind distance of 2.1 km (26 D downstream of the closest wind turbine) the wake of the whole wind farm is not evident. There is no significant reduction of hub-height wind speed or increase in TI especially during daytime. Thus, in high turbulence regimes even very large wind installations may have only a modest impact on downstream flow fields. No impact is observable in daytime vertical potential temperature gradients at downwind distances of >2 km, but at night the presence of the wind farm does significantly decrease the vertical gradients of potential temperature (though the profile remains stably stratified), largely by increasing the temperature at 2 m.

Wind Retrievals under Rain for Passive Satellite Microwave Radiometers and its Applications to Hurricane Tracking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meissner, Thomas; Wentz, Frank J.

2008-01-01

We have developed an algorithm that retrieves wind speed under rain using C-hand and X-band channels of passive microwave satellite radiometers. The spectral difference of the brightness temperature signals due to wind or rain allows to find channel combinations that are sufficiently sensitive to wind speed but little or not sensitive to rain. We &ve trained a statistical algorithm that applies under hurricane conditions and is able to measure wind speeds in hurricanes to an estimated accuracy of about 2 m/s. We have also developed a global algorithm, that is less accurate but can be applied under all conditions. Its estimated accuracy is between 2 and 5 mls, depending on wind speed and rain rate. We also extend the wind speed region in our model for the wind induced sea surface emissivity from currently 20 m/s to 40 mls. The data indicate that the signal starts to saturate above 30 mls. Finally, we make an assessment of the performance of wind direction retrievals from polarimetric radiometers as function of wind speed and rain rate

A directional cylindrical anemometer with four sets of differential pressure sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, C.; Du, L.; Zhao, Z.

2016-03-01

This paper presents a solid-state directional anemometer for simultaneously measuring the speed and direction of a wind in a plane in a speed range 1-40 m/s. This instrument has a cylindrical shape and works by detecting the pressure differences across diameters of the cylinder when exposed to wind. By analyzing our experimental data in a Reynolds number regime 1.7 × 103-7 × 104, we figure out the relationship between the pressure difference distribution and the wind velocity. We propose a novel and simple solution based on the relationship and design an anemometer which composes of a circular cylinder with four sets of differential pressure sensors, tubes connecting these sensors with the cylinder's surface, and corresponding circuits. In absence of moving parts, this instrument is small and immune of friction. It has simple internal structures, and the fragile sensing elements are well protected. Prototypes have been fabricated to estimate performance of proposed approach. The power consumption of the prototype is less than 0.5 W, and the sample rate is up to 31 Hz. The test results in a wind tunnel indicate that the maximum relative speed measuring error is 5% and the direction error is no more than 5° in a speed range 2-40 m/s. In theory, it is capable of measuring wind up to 60 m/s. When the air stream goes slower than 2 m/s, the measuring errors of directions are slightly greater, and the performance of speed measuring degrades but remains in an acceptable range of ±0.2 m/s.

Evaluation of surface energy and carbon fluxes within a large wind farm during the CWEX-10/11 Crop Wind-energy EXperiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajewski, D. A.; Takle, E. S.; Prueger, J. H.; Oncley, S.; Horst, T. W.; Pfeiffer, R.; Hatfield, J.; Spoth, K. K.; Doorenbos, R.

2012-12-01

The Crop Wind-energy EXperiment conducted in summer 2010 (very moist conditions) and summer 2011 (abnormally dry) included measurements of wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, turbulence kinetic energy, H2O, and CO2 at stations north and south of a line of turbines at the southwest edge of a large-scale 200-turbine wind farm (prevailing wind from the south). In contrast to previous studies that have reported turbine influences on surface wind speed and temperature, this report focuses on scalar fluxes of heat, H2O, and CO2. From previous measurements in agricultural fields we recognize the importance of non-turbine factors in analysis of the flux differences: variability of soil characteristics, moisture content, crop cultivar, management practices, planting dates, etc., which can create differences in what looks like a uniform field of maize (corn). We conceptualize the influences of turbines at canopy height at a given location in the field to arise from (1) wakes of reduced wind speed and turbulence conditions different from ambient that intersect the surface, (2) wakes that are passing overhead and interrupt the ambient turbulence that scales with height, or (3) changes in static pressure upwind and downwind of lines of turbines that create small-scale pressure gradients, localized flows, and changes to the vertical exchange of scalar variables. The turbine SCADA wind speed and wind direction provided by the wind farm operator facilitated our comparison of surface fluxes upwind and downwind as wakes moved laterally throughout the day and night. We report multiple levels of evidence that wind turbines increase vertical exchange of carbon dioxide and water vapor over the canopy. Latent heat and carbon fluxes are responsive to slight changes in the turbine wake position, and the flux differences are maximized when the periphery of the wake edge is above the station. The flux stations north of the turbine line report a larger net ecosystem exchange accumulation over both the 2010 and 2011 measurement periods than for the reference towers south of the turbine line. Future experiments however, must address if and to what extent this enhanced CO2 flux is assimilated to the crop and whether or not the bio-physiological response to this effect among many other turbine-related factors (e.g. higher nighttime temperature and higher daytime transpiration) modifies overall crop yield.

Measurement of Martian boundary layer winds by the displacement of jettisoned lander hardware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paton, M. D.; Harri, A.-M.; Savijärvi, H.

2018-07-01

Martian boundary layer wind speed and direction measurements, from a variety of locations, seasons and times, are provided. For each lander sent to Mars over the last four decades a unique record of the winds blowing during their descent is preserved at each landing site. By comparing images acquired from orbiting spacecraft of the impact points of jettisoned hardware, such as heat shields and parachutes, to a trajectory model the winds can be measured. We start our investigations with the Viking lander 1 mission and end with Schiaparelli. In-between we extract wind measurements based on observations of the Beagle 2, Spirit, Opportunity, Phoenix and Curiosity landing sites. With one exception the wind at each site during the lander's descent were found to be < 8 m s-1. High speed winds were required to explain the displacement of jettisoned hardware at the Phoenix landing site. We found a tail wind ( > 20 m s-1), blowing from the north-west was required at a high altitude ( > 2 km) together with a gust close to the surface ( < 500 m altitude) originating from the north. All in all our investigations yielded a total of ten unique wind measurements in the PBL. One each from the Viking landers and one each from Beagle 2, Spirit, Opportunity and Schiaparelli. Two wind measurements, one above about 1 km altitude and one below, were possible from observations of the Curiosity and Phoenix landing site. Our findings are consistent with a turbulent PBL in the afternoon and calm PBL in the morning. When comparing our results to a GCM we found a good match in wind direction but not for wind speed. The information provided here makes available wind measurements previously unavailable to Mars atmosphere modellers and investigators.

Modeling wind adjustment factor and midflame wind speed for Rothermel's surface fire spread model

Treesearch

Patricia L. Andrews

2012-01-01

Rothermel's surface fire spread model was developed to use a value for the wind speed that affects surface fire, called midflame wind speed. Models have been developed to adjust 20-ft wind speed to midflame wind speed for sheltered and unsheltered surface fuel. In this report, Wind Adjustment Factor (WAF) model equations are given, and the BehavePlus fire modeling...

Could Crop Roughness Impact the Wind Resource at Agriculturally Productive Wind Farm Sites?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanderwende, B. J.; Lundquist, J. K.

2014-12-01

The high concentration of both large-scale agriculture and wind power production in the United States Midwest region raises new questions concerning the interaction of the two activities. For instance, it is known from internal boundary layer theory that changes in the roughness of the land-surface resulting from crop choices could modify the momentum field aloft. Upward propagation of such an effect might impact the properties of the winds encountered by modern turbines, which typically span a layer from about 40 to 120 meters above the surface. As direct observation of such interaction would require impractical interference in the planting schedules of farmers, we use numerical modeling to quantify the magnitude of crop-roughness effects. To simulate a collocated farm and turbine array, we use version 3.4.1 of the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF). The hypothetical farm is inserted near the real location of the 2013 Crop Wind Energy Experiment (CWEX). Reanalyses provide representative initial and boundary conditions. A month-long period spanning August 2013 is used to evaluate the differences in flows above corn (maize) and soybean crops at the mature, reproductive stage. Simulations are performed comparing the flow above each surface regime, both in the absence and presence of a wind farm, which consists of a parameterized 11x11 array of 1.8 MW Vestas V90 turbines. Appreciable differences in rotor-layer wind speeds emerge. The use of soybeans results in an increase in wind speeds and a corresponding reduction in rotor-layer shear when compared to corn. Despite the turbulent nature of flow within a wind farm, high stability reduces the impact of crop roughness on the flow aloft, particularly in the upper portion of the rotor disk. We use these results to estimate the economic impact of crop selection on wind power producers.

Remocean : a marine radar as a safety tool for offshore platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serafino, Francesco; Ludeno, Giovanni; Arturi, Daniele; Lugni, Claudio; Natale, Antonio; Soldovieri, Francesco

2013-04-01

In the recent years, there is a growing interest towards offshore platforms for electric power energy with a focus to the ones exploiting wind or sea surface currents force. In this frame, an important role can be played the marine X-band radar systems, which are able to acquire high resolution information (of the order of the meters) on the sea state (direction and height of the waves) and sea surface current in a range of several kilometers from the radar platform. The information gained from the radar is therefore very useful for many issues related to the offshore platforms installation and safety. In fact, the X-band radar system can be deployed to gain a long-term information about the direction and the velocity of sea surface current so to drive in a proper way the installation of the turbines by choosing the right areas; to use the information about the long-term sea state monitoring to evaluate the vulnerability of the platforms not only against the extreme climate events but also against the structural solicitation due to ordinary conditions; to gain indirect information about the wind intensity and direction for the right management of the wind farms. In this work, we will present the marine radar system designed and developed by REMOCEAN (www.remocean.com), a Spin-off of the National Research Council (CNR, Italy). In particular, we will present the application of the REMOCEAN system to the case of the monitoring of the sea state for the offshore platform safety in real conditions.

Exploratory wind tunnel investigation of the stability and control characteristics of a three-surface, forward-swept wing advanced turboprop model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coe, Paul L., Jr.; Perkins, John N.; Owens, D. Bruce

1990-01-01

The purpose of the present investigation was to parametrically study the stability and control characteristics of a forward-swept wing three-surface turboprop model through an extended angle of attack range, including the deep-stall region. As part of a joint research program between North Carolina State University and NASA Langley Research Center, a low-speed wind tunnel investigation was conducted with a three-surface, forward-swept wing, aft-mounted, twin-pusher propeller, model, representative of an advanced turboprop configuration. The tests were conducted in the NASA Langley 12-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel. The model parameters varied in the test were horizontal tail location, canard size, sweep and location, and wing position. The model was equipped with air turbines, housed within the nacelles and driven by compressed air, to model turboprop power effects. A three-surface, forward-swept wing configuration that provided satisfactory static longitudinal and lateral/directional stability was identified. The three-surface configuration was found to have greater longitudinal control and increased center of gravity range relative to a conventional (two-surface) design. The test showed that power had a large favorable effect on stability and control about all three axis in the post-stall regime.

Sand dune tracking from satellite laser altimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dabboor, Mohammed

Substantial problems arise from sand movement in arid and semi-arid countries. Sand poses a threat to infrastructure, agricultural and urban areas. These issues are caused by the encroachment of sand on roads and railway tracks, farmland, towns and villages, and airports, to name a few. Sand movement highly depends on geomorphology including vegetation cover, shape and height of the terrain, and grain size of the sand. However, wind direction and speed are the most important factors that affect efficient sand movement. The direction of the movement depends on the main direction of the wind, but it has been shown that a minimum wind speed is required, e.g. wind gusts, to initiate sand transport. This fact prevents a simple calculation of sand transport from conventional wind data as wind records rarely contain sub-minute intervals masking out any wind gusts. An alternative of predicting sand transport is the direct observation of sand advance by in situ measurements or via satellite. Until recently, satellite imagery was the only means to compare dune shape and position for predicting dune migration over several years. In 2003, the NASA laser altimetry mission ICESat became operational and monitors elevations over all surface types including sand dunes with an accuracy of about 10-20 cm. In this study, ICESat observations from repeat tracks (tracks overlapping eachother within 50 m) are used to derive sand dune advance and direction. The method employs a correlation of the elevation profiles over several dunes and was sucessfully validated with synthetic data. The accuracy of this method is 5 meters of dune advance. One of the most active areas exhibiting sand and dune movement is the area of the Arabian Peninsula. Approximately one-third of the Arabian Peninsula is covered by sand dunes. Different wind regimes (Shamal, Kaus) cause sand dune movement in the selected study area in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula between 20-25 degrees North and 45-55 degrees East. Two different dune types can be distinguised which exhibit a 6 m and 26 m average dune advance over a 6 months time period. Wind speed/direction data and the observed dune advance agree well and indicate that dune tracking from space is a viable alternative to in situ or model data.

Sliding Rocks on Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park: First Observation of Rocks in Motion

PubMed Central

Lorenz, Ralph D.; Ray, Jib; Jackson, Brian

2014-01-01

The engraved trails of rocks on the nearly flat, dry mud surface of Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park, have excited speculation about the movement mechanism since the 1940s. Rock movement has been variously attributed to high winds, liquid water, ice, or ice flotation, but has not been previously observed in action. We recorded the first direct scientific observation of rock movements using GPS-instrumented rocks and photography, in conjunction with a weather station and time-lapse cameras. The largest observed rock movement involved >60 rocks on December 20, 2013 and some instrumented rocks moved up to 224 m between December 2013 and January 2014 in multiple move events. In contrast with previous hypotheses of powerful winds or thick ice floating rocks off the playa surface, the process of rock movement that we have observed occurs when the thin, 3 to 6 mm, “windowpane” ice sheet covering the playa pool begins to melt in late morning sun and breaks up under light winds of ∼4–5 m/s. Floating ice panels 10 s of meters in size push multiple rocks at low speeds of 2–5 m/min. along trajectories determined by the direction and velocity of the wind as well as that of the water flowing under the ice. PMID:25162535

Solar Wind Implantation into Lunar Regolith: Hydrogen Retention in a Surface with Defects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrell, W. M.; Hurley, D. M.; Zimmerman, M. I.

2014-01-01

Solar wind protons are implanted directly into the top 100 nm of the lunar near-surface region, but can either quickly diffuse out of the surface or be retained, depending upon surface temperature and the activation energy, U, associated with the implantation site. In this work, we explore the distribution of activation energies upon implantation and the associated hydrogen-retention times; this for comparison with recent observation of OH on the lunar surface. We apply a Monte Carlo approach: for simulated solar wind protons at a given local time, we assume a distribution of U values with a central peak, U(sub c) and width, U(sub w), and derive the fraction retained for long periods in the near-surface. We find that surfaces characterized by a distribution with predominantly large values of U (greater than 1 eV) like that expected at defect sites will retain implanted H (to likely form OH). Surfaces with the distribution predominantly at small values of U (less than 0.2 eV) will quickly diffuse away implanted H. However, surfaces with a large portion of activation energies between 0.3 eV less than U less than 0.9 eV will tend to be H-retentive in cool conditions but transform into H-emissive surfaces when warmed (as when the surface rotates into local noon). These mid-range activation energies give rise to a diurnal effect with diffusive loss of H at noontime.

Directional measurement of short ocean waves with stereophotography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shemdin, Omar H.; Tran, H. Minh; Wu, S. C.

1988-01-01

Stereophotographs of the sea surface, acquired during the Tower Ocean Wave and Radar Dependence experiment are analyzed to yield directional wave height spectra of short surface waves in the 6-80-cm range. The omnidirectional wave height spectra are found to deviate from the k exp -4 distribution, where k is the wave number. The stereo data processing errors are found to be within + or - 5 percent. The omnidirectional spectra yield 514 deg of freedom for 30-cm-long waves. The directional distribution of short waves is processed with a directional resolution of 30 deg, so as to yield 72 deg of freedom for 30-cm-long waves. The directional distributions show peaks that are aligned with the wind and swell directions. It is found that dynamically relevant measurements can be obtained with stereophotography, after removal of the mean surface associated with long waves.

Design and Development of a Scanning Airborne Direct Detection Doppler Lidar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gentry, Bruce; McGill, Matthew; Schwemmer, Geary; Hardesty, Michael; Brewer, Alan; Wilkerson, Thomas; Atlas, Robert; Sirota, Marcos; Lindemann, Scott

2006-01-01

In the fall of 2005 we began developing an airborne scanning direct detection molecular Doppler lidar. The instrument is being built as part of the Tropospheric Wind Lidar Technology Experiment (TWiLiTE), a three year project selected by the NASA Earth Sun Technology Office under the Instrument Incubator Program. The TWiLiTE project is a collaboration involving scientists and engineers from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NOAA ESRL, Utah State University Space Dynamics Lab, Michigan Aerospace Corporation and Sigma Space Corporation. The TWiLiTE instrument will leverage significant research and development investments made by NASA Goddard and it's partners in the past several years in key lidar technologies and sub-systems (lasers, telescopes, scanning systems, detectors and receivers) required to enable spaceborne global wind lidar measurement. These sub-systems will be integrated into a complete molecular direct detection Doppler wind lidar system designed for autonomous operation on a high altitude aircraft, such as the NASA WB57. The WB57 flies at an altitude of 18 km and from this vantage point the nadir viewing Doppler lidar will be able to profile winds through the full troposphere. The TWiLiTE integrated airborne Doppler lidar instrument will be the first demonstration of a airborne scanning direct detection Doppler lidar and will serve as a critical milestone on the path to a future spaceborne tropospheric wind system. In addition to being a technology testbed for space based tropospheric wind lidar, when completed the TWiLiTE high altitude airborne lidar will be used for studying mesoscale dynamics and storm research (e.g. winter storms, hurricanes) and could be used for calibration and validation of satellite based wind systems such as ESA's Aeolus Atmospheric Dynamics Mission. The TWiLiTE Doppler lidar will have the capability to profile winds in clear air from the aircraft altitude of 18 km to the surface with 250 m vertical resolution and < 2mls velocity accuracy.

Soil slip/debris flow localized by site attributes and wind-driven rain in the San Francisco Bay region storm of January 1982

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pike, R.J.; Sobieszczyk, S.

2008-01-01

GIS analysis at 30-m resolution reveals that effectiveness of slope-destabilizing processes in the San Francisco Bay area varies with compass direction. Nearly half the soil slip/debris flows mapped after the catastrophic rainstorm of 3-5 January 1982 occurred on slopes that face S to WSW, whereas fewer than one-quarter have a northerly aspect. Azimuthal analysis of hillside properties for susceptible terrain near the city of Oakland suggests that the skewed aspect of these landslides primarily reflects vegetation type, ridge and valley alignment, and storm-wind direction. Bedrock geology, soil expansivity, and terrain height and gradient also were influential but less so; the role of surface curvature is not wholly resolved. Normalising soil-slip aspect by that of the region's NNW-striking topography shifts the modal azimuth of soil-slip aspect from SW to SE, the direction of origin of winds during the 1982 storm-but opposite that of the prevailing WNW winds. Wind from a constant direction increases rainfall on windward slopes while diminishing it on leeward slopes, generating a modelled difference in hydrologically effective rainfall of up to 2:1 on steep hillsides in the Oakland area. This contrast is consistent with numerical simulations of wind-driven rain and with rainfall thresholds for debris-flow activity. We conclude that storm winds from the SE in January 1982 raised the vulnerability of the Bay region's many S-facing hillsides, most of which are covered in shallow-rooted shrub and grass that offer minimal resistance to soil slip. Wind-driven rainfall also appears to have controlled debris-flow location in a major 1998 storm and probably others. Incorporating this overlooked influence into GIS models of debris-flow likelihood would improve predictions of the hazard in central California and elsewhere.

Assessment of the Performance of a Scanning Wind Doppler Lidar at an Urban-Mountain Site in Seoul

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, S.; Kim, S. W.

2017-12-01

Winds in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) are important factors for accurate modelling of air quality, numerical weather prediction and conversion of satellite measurements to near-surface air quality information (Seibert et al., AE, 2000; Emeis et al., Meteorol. Z., 2008). In this study, we (1) evaluate wind speed (WS) and direction (WD) retrieved from Wind Doppler Lidar (WDL) measurements by two methods [so called, `sine-fitting (SF) method' and `singular value decomposition (SVD) method'] and (2) analyze the WDL data at Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul, to investigate the diurnal evolution of winds and aerosol characteristics in PBL. Evaluation of the two methods used in retrieving wind from radial velocity was done through comparison with radiosonde soundings from the same site. Winds retrieved using the SVD method from mean radial velocity of 15 minutes showed good agreement with radiosonde profiles (i.e., bias of 0.03 m s-1 and root mean square of 1.70 m s-1 in WS). However, the WDL was found to have difficulty retrieving signals under clean conditions (i.e., too small signal to noise ratio) or under the presence of near-surface optically-thick aerosol/cloud layer (i.e., strong signal attenuation). Despite this shortcoming, the WDL was able to successfully capture the diurnal variation of PBL wind. Two major wind patterns were observed at SNU; first of all, when convective boundary layer was strongly developed, thermally induced winds with large variation of vertical WS in the afternoon and a diurnal variation in WD showing characteristics of mountain and valley winds were observed. Secondly, small variation in WS and WD throughout the day was a major characteristic of cases when wind was largely influenced by the synoptic weather pattern.

Space Environmental Erosion of Polar Icy Regolith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrell, William M.; Killen, R. M.; Vondrak, R. R.; Hurley, D. M.; Stubbs, T. J.; Delory, G. T.; Halekas, J. S.; Zimmerman, M. I.

2011-01-01

While regions at the floors of permanently shadowed polar craters are isolated from direct sunlight, these regions are still exposed to the harsh space environment, including the interplanetary Lyman-a background, meteoric impacts, and obstacle-affected solar wind. We demonstrate that each of these processes can act to erode the polar icy regolith located at or near the surface along the crater floor. The Lyman-a background can remove/erode the icy-regolith via photon stimulated desorption [1], meteoric impacts can vaporize the regolith [2], and redirected solar wind ions can sputter the ice-regolith mix [3]. As an example we shall examine in detail the inflow of solar wind ions and electrons into polar craters, One might expect such ions to flow horizontally over the crater top (see Figure). However, we find that plasma ambipolar processes act to deflect passing ions into the craters [3]. We examine this plasma process and determine the ion flux as a function of position across a notional crater floor. We demonstrate that inflowing solar wind ions can indeed create sputtering along the crater floor, effectively eroding the surface. Erosion time scales rrom sputtering will be presented. We shall also consider the effect of impact vaporization on buried icy-regolith regions. There will also be a discussion of solar wind electrons that enter into the PSR, demonstrating that these also have the ability rree surface-bound atoms via electron stimulated desorption processes [l].

SAR observation and numerical modeling of tidal current wakes at the East China Sea offshore wind farm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, XiaoMing; Chi, Lequan; Chen, Xueen; Ren, YongZheng; Lehner, Susanne

2014-08-01

A TerraSAR-X (TS-X) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image acquired at the East China Sea offshore wind farm presents distinct wakes at a kilometer scale on the lee of the wind turbines. The presumption was that these wakes were caused by wind movement around turbine blades. However, wind analysis using spaceborne radiometer data, numerical weather prediction, and in situ measurements suggest that the prevailing wind direction did not align with the wakes. By analyzing measurement at the tidal gauge station and modeling of the tidal current field, these trailing wakes are interpreted to have formed when a strong tidal current impinged on the cylindrical monopiles of the wind turbines. A numerical simulation was further conducted to reproduce the tidal current wake under such conditions. Comparison of the simulated surface velocity in the wake region with the TS-X sea surface backscatter intensity shows a similar trend. Consequently, turbulence intensity (T.I.) of the tidal current wakes over multiple piles is studied using the TS-X observation. It is found that the T.I. has a logarithmic relation with distance. Furthermore, another case study showing wakes due to wind movement around turbine blades is presented to discuss the differences in the tidal current wakes and wind turbine wakes. The conclusion is drawn that small-scale wakes formed by interaction of the tidal current and the turbine piles could be also imaged by SAR when certain conditions are satisfied. The study is anticipated to draw more attentions to the impacts of offshore wind foundations on local hydrodynamic field.

Statistical distribution of wind speeds and directions globally observed by NSCAT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebuchi, Naoto

1999-05-01

In order to validate wind vectors derived from the NASA scatterometer (NSCAT), statistical distributions of wind speeds and directions over the global oceans are investigated by comparing with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) wind data. Histograms of wind speeds and directions are calculated from the preliminary and reprocessed NSCAT data products for a period of 8 weeks. For wind speed of the preliminary data products, excessive low wind distribution is pointed out through comparison with ECMWF winds. A hump at the lower wind speed side of the peak in the wind speed histogram is discernible. The shape of the hump varies with incidence angle. Incompleteness of the prelaunch geophysical model function, SASS 2, tentatively used to retrieve wind vectors of the preliminary data products, is considered to cause the skew of the wind speed distribution. On the contrary, histograms of wind speeds of the reprocessed data products show consistent features over the whole range of incidence angles. Frequency distribution of wind directions relative to spacecraft flight direction is calculated to assess self-consistency of the wind directions. It is found that wind vectors of the preliminary data products exhibit systematic directional preference relative to antenna beams. This artificial directivity is also considered to be caused by imperfections in the geophysical model function. The directional distributions of the reprocessed wind vectors show less directivity and consistent features, except for very low wind cases.

Analysis of C and Ku band ocean backscatter measurements under low-wind conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carswell, James R.; Donnelly, William J.; McIntosh, Robert E.; Donelan, Mark A.; Vandemark, Douglas C.

1999-09-01

Airborne ocean backscatter measurements at C and Ku band wavelengths obtained in low to moderate-wind conditions are presented. The differences between the low-wind backscatter data and the CMOD4 and SASS-II models are reported. The measurements show that the upwind/crosswind backscatter ratio is greater than predicted. These large upwind/crosswind backscatter ratios are attributed to a rapid decrease in the crosswind backscatter at low winds. Qualitative agreement with the composite surface model proposed by Donelan and Pierson suggests the rapid decrease in the crosswind backscatter may be caused by viscous dampening of the Bragg-resonant capillary-gravity waves. We show that for larger antenna footprints typical of satellite-based scatterometers, the variability in the observed wind field smooths out the backscatter response such that the rapid decrease in the crosswind direction is not observed.

The Threatening Magnetic and Plasma Environment of the TRAPPIST-1 Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garraffo, Cecilia; Drake, Jeremy J.; Cohen, Ofer; Alvarado-Gómez, Julian D.; Moschou, Sofia P.

2017-07-01

Recently, four additional Earth-mass planets were discovered orbiting the nearby ultracool M8 dwarf, TRAPPIST-1, making a remarkable total of seven planets with equilibrium temperatures compatible with the presence of liquid water on their surface. Temperate terrestrial planets around an M-dwarf orbit close to their parent star, rendering their atmospheres vulnerable to erosion by the stellar wind and energetic electromagnetic and particle radiation. Here, we use state-of-the-art 3D magnetohydrodynamic models to simulate the wind around TRAPPIST-1 and study the conditions at each planetary orbit. All planets experience a stellar wind pressure between 103 and 105 times the solar wind pressure on Earth. All orbits pass through wind pressure changes of an order of magnitude and most planets spend a large fraction of their orbital period in the sub-Alfvénic regime. For plausible planetary magnetic field strengths, all magnetospheres are greatly compressed and undergo much more dynamic change than that of the Earth. The planetary magnetic fields connect with the stellar radial field over much of the planetary surface, allowing the direct flow of stellar wind particles onto the planetary atmosphere. These conditions could result in strong atmospheric stripping and evaporation and should be taken into account for any realistic assessment of the evolution and habitability of the TRAPPIST-1 planets.

Comparing offshore wind farm wake observed from satellite SAR and wake model results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bay Hasager, Charlotte

2014-05-01

Offshore winds can be observed from satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR). In the FP7 EERA DTOC project, the European Energy Research Alliance project on Design Tools for Offshore Wind Farm Clusters, there is focus on mid- to far-field wind farm wakes. The more wind farms are constructed nearby other wind farms, the more is the potential loss in annual energy production in all neighboring wind farms due to wind farm cluster effects. It is of course dependent upon the prevailing wind directions and wind speed levels, the distance between the wind farms, the wind turbine sizes and spacing. Some knowledge is available within wind farm arrays and in the near-field from various investigations. There are 58 offshore wind farms in the Northern European seas grid connected and in operation. Several of those are spaced near each other. There are several twin wind farms in operation including Nysted-1 and Rødsand-2 in the Baltic Sea, and Horns Rev 1 and Horns Rev 2, Egmond aan Zee and Prinses Amalia, and Thompton 1 and Thompton 2 all in the North Sea. There are ambitious plans of constructing numerous wind farms - great clusters of offshore wind farms. Current investigation of offshore wind farms includes mapping from high-resolution satellite SAR of several of the offshore wind farms in operation in the North Sea. Around 20 images with wind farm wake cases have been retrieved and processed. The data are from the Canadian RADARSAT-1/-2 satellites. These observe in microwave C-band and have been used for ocean surface wind retrieval during several years. The satellite wind maps are valid at 10 m above sea level. The wakes are identified in the raw images as darker areas downwind of the wind farms. In the SAR-based wind maps the wake deficit is found as areas of lower winds downwind of the wind farms compared to parallel undisturbed flow in the flow direction. The wind direction is clearly visible from lee effects and wind streaks in the images. The wind farm wake cases are modeled by various types of wake models. In the EERA DTOC project the model suite consists of engineering models (Ainslie, DWM, GLC, PARK, WASP/NOJ), simplified CFD models (FUGA, FarmFlow), full CFD models (CRES-flowNS, RANS), mesoscale model (SKIRON, WRF) and coupled meso-scale and microscale models. The comparison analysis between the satellite wind wake and model results will be presented and discussed. It is first time a comprehensive analysis is performed on this subject. The topic gains increasing importance because there is a growing need to precisely model also mid- and far-field wind farms wakes for development and planning of offshore wind farm clusters.

Effects of Strand Lay Direction and Crossing Angle on Tribological Behavior of Winding Hoist Rope.

PubMed

Chang, Xiang-Dong; Peng, Yu-Xing; Zhu, Zhen-Cai; Gong, Xian-Sheng; Yu, Zhang-Fa; Mi, Zhen-Tao; Xu, Chun-Ming

2017-06-09

Friction and wear behavior exists between hoisting ropes that are wound around the drums of a multi-layer winding hoist. It decreases the service life of ropes and threatens mine safety. In this research, a series of experiments were conducted using a self-made test rig to study the effects of the strand lay direction and crossing angle on the winding rope's tribological behavior. Results show that the friction coefficient in the steady-state period shows a decreasing tendency with an increase of the crossing angle in both cross directions, but the variation range is different under different cross directions. Using thermal imaging, the high temperature regions always distribute along the strand lay direction in the gap between adjacent strands, as the cross direction is the same with the strand lay direction (right cross contact). Additionally, the temperature rise in the steady-state increases with the increase of the crossing angle in both cross directions. The differences of the wear scar morphology are obvious under different cross directions, especially for the large crossing angle tests. In the case of right cross, the variation range of wear mass loss is larger than that in left cross. The damage that forms on the wear surface is mainly ploughing, pits, plastic deformation, and fatigue fracture. The major wear mechanisms are adhesive wear, and abrasive and fatigue wear.

Effects of Strand Lay Direction and Crossing Angle on Tribological Behavior of Winding Hoist Rope

PubMed Central

Chang, Xiang-dong; Peng, Yu-xing; Zhu, Zhen-cai; Gong, Xian-sheng; Yu, Zhang-fa; Mi, Zhen-tao; Xu, Chun-ming

2017-01-01

Friction and wear behavior exists between hoisting ropes that are wound around the drums of a multi-layer winding hoist. It decreases the service life of ropes and threatens mine safety. In this research, a series of experiments were conducted using a self-made test rig to study the effects of the strand lay direction and crossing angle on the winding rope’s tribological behavior. Results show that the friction coefficient in the steady-state period shows a decreasing tendency with an increase of the crossing angle in both cross directions, but the variation range is different under different cross directions. Using thermal imaging, the high temperature regions always distribute along the strand lay direction in the gap between adjacent strands, as the cross direction is the same with the strand lay direction (right cross contact). Additionally, the temperature rise in the steady-state increases with the increase of the crossing angle in both cross directions. The differences of the wear scar morphology are obvious under different cross directions, especially for the large crossing angle tests. In the case of right cross, the variation range of wear mass loss is larger than that in left cross. The damage that forms on the wear surface is mainly ploughing, pits, plastic deformation, and fatigue fracture. The major wear mechanisms are adhesive wear, and abrasive and fatigue wear. PMID:28772992

Tropospheric Wind Profile Measurements with a Direct Detection Doppler Lidar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gentry, Bruce M.; Li, Steven X.; Korb, C. Laurence; Chen, Huailin; Mathur, Savyasachee

1998-01-01

Research has established the importance of global tropospheric wind measurements for large scale improvements in numerical weather prediction. In addition, global wind measurements provide data that are fundamental to the understanding and prediction of global climate change. These tasks are closely linked with the goals of the NASA Earth Science Enterprise and Global Climate Change programs. NASA Goddard has been actively involved in the development of direct detection Doppler lidar methods and technologies to meet the wind observing needs of the atmospheric science community. In this paper we describe a recently developed prototype wind lidar system using a direct detection Doppler technique for measuring wind profiles from the surface through the troposphere. This system uses a pulsed ND:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm as the transmitter. The laser pulse is directed to the atmosphere using a 40 cm diameter scan mirror. The portion of the laser energy backscattered from aerosols and molecules is collected by a 40 cm diameter telescope and coupled via fiber optics into the Doppler receiver. Single photon counting APD's are used to detect the atmospheric backscattered signal. The principle element of the receiver is a dual bandpass tunable Fabry Perot etalon which analyzes the Doppler shift of the incoming laser signal using the double edge technique. The double edge technique uses two high resolution optical filters having bandpasses offset relative to one another such that the 'edge' of the first filter's transmission function crosses that of the second at the half power point. The outgoing laser frequency is located approximately at the crossover point. Due to the opposite going slopes of the edges, a Doppler shift in the atmospheric backscattered laser frequency produces a positive change in signal for one filter and a negative change in the second filter. Taking the ratio of the two edge channel signals yields a result which is directly proportional to the component of the wind along the line-of-sight of the laser. Measuring the radial wind in several directions provides sufficient information to determine the true wind speed and direction. The lidar has operated from our laboratory at Goddard since June, 1997. Wind profiles have been obtained to altitudes of 12 km with a vertical resolution of 330 in. Vector wind data are obtained by rotating the scan mirror to measure line-of-sight wind profiles for at least two azimuth angles at an elevation angle of 45 degrees. The precision of the data as determined from the standard deviation of multiple independent lidar profiles is in the range of 1 to 3 m/sec up to 10 km. Good agreement is obtained when the lidar data are compared with the upper air rawinsonde soundings taken at Dulles airport. Examples of the wind lidar data will be presented along with a description of the instrument and future developments.

Surface temperature/heat transfer measurement using a quantitative phosphor thermography system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buck, G. M.

1991-01-01

A relative-intensity phosphor thermography technique developed for surface heating studies in hypersonic wind tunnels is described. A direct relationship between relative emission intensity and phosphor temperature is used for quantitative surface temperature measurements in time. The technique provides global surface temperature-time histories using a 3-CCD (Charge Coupled Device) video camera and digital recording system. A current history of technique development at Langley is discussed. Latest developments include a phosphor mixture for a greater range of temperature sensitivity and use of castable ceramics for inexpensive test models. A method of calculating surface heat-transfer from thermal image data in blowdown wind tunnels is included in an appendix, with an analysis of material thermal heat-transfer properties. Results from tests in the Langley 31-Inch Mach 10 Tunnel are presented for a ceramic orbiter configuration and a four-inch diameter hemisphere model. Data include windward heating for bow-shock/wing-shock interactions on the orbiter wing surface, and a comparison with prediction for hemisphere heating distribution.

Surface-Wind Anomalies in North-Atlantic and North Pacific from SSM/I Observations: Influence on Temperature of Adjoining Land Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otterman, Joseph; Atlas, R.; Ingraham, J.; Ardizzone, J.; Starr, D.; Terry, J.

1998-01-01

Surface winds over the oceans are derived from Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) measurements, assigning direction by Variational Analysis Method (VAM). Validations by comparison with other measurements indicate highly-satisfactory data quality. Providing global coverage from 1988, the dataset is a convenient source for surface-wind climatology. In this study, the interannual variability of zonal winds is analyzed concentrating on the westerlies in North Atlantic and North Pacific, above 30 N. Interannual differences in the westerlies exceeding 10 m sec (exp -1) are observed over large regions, often accompanied by changes of the same magnitude in the easterlies below 30 N. We concentrate on February/March, since elevated temperatures, by advancing snow-melt, can produce early spring. The extremely strong westerlies in 1997 observed in these months over North Atlantic (and also North Pacific) apparently contributed to large surface-temperature anomalies in western Europe, on the order of +3 C above the climatic monthly average for England and France. At these latitudes strong positive anomalies extended in a ring around the globe. We formulated an Index of South westerlies for the North Atlantic, which can serve as an indicator for day-by-day advection effects into Europe. In comparing 1997 and 1998 with the previous years, we establish significant correlations with the temperature anomalies (one to five days later, depending on the region, and on the season). This variability of the ocean-surface winds and of the temperature anomalies on land may be related to the El Nino/La Nina oscillations. Such large temperature fluctuations over large areas, whatever the cause, can be regarded as noise in attempts to assess long-term trends in global temperature.

The potential for geostationary remote sensing of NO2 to improve weather prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, X.; Mizzi, A. P.; Anderson, J. L.; Fung, I. Y.; Cohen, R. C.

2016-12-01

Observations of surface winds remain sparse making it challenging to simulate and predict the weather in circumstances of light winds that are most important for poor air quality. Direct measurements of short-lived chemicals from space might be a solution to this challenge. Here we investigate the application of data assimilation of NO­2 columns as will be observed from geostationary orbit to improve predictions and retrospective analysis of surface wind fields. Specifically, synthetic NO2 observations are sampled from a "nature run (NR)" regarded as the true atmosphere. Then NO2 observations are assimilated using EAKF methods into a "control run (CR)" which differs from the NR in the wind field. Wind errors are generated by introducing (1) errors in the initial conditions, (2) creating a model error by using two different formulations for the planetary boundary layer, (3) and by combining both of these effects. The assimilation reduces wind errors by up to 50%, indicating the prospects for future geostationary atmospheric composition measurements to improve weather forecasting are substantial. We also examine the assimilation sensitivity to the data assimilation window length. We find that due to the temporal heterogeneity of wind errors, the success of this application favors chemical observations of high frequency, such as those from geostationary platform. We also show the potential to improve soil moisture field by assimilating NO­2 columns.

Effect of Water Surface Salinity on Evaporation: The Case of a Diluted Buoyant Plume Over the Dead Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mor, Z.; Assouline, S.; Tanny, J.; Lensky, I. M.; Lensky, N. G.

2018-03-01

Evaporation from water bodies strongly depends on surface water salinity. Spatial variation of surface salinity of saline water bodies commonly occurs across diluted buoyant plumes fed by freshwater inflows. Although mainly studied at the pan evaporation scale, the effect of surface water salinity on evaporation has not yet been investigated by means of direct measurement at the scale of natural water bodies. The Dead Sea, a large hypersaline lake, is fed by onshore freshwater springs that form local diluted buoyant plumes, offering a unique opportunity to explore this effect. Surface heat fluxes, micrometeorological variables, and water temperature and salinity profiles were measured simultaneously and directly over the salty lake and over a region of diluted buoyant plume. Relatively close meteorological conditions prevailed in the two regions; however, surface water salinity was significantly different. Evaporation rate from the diluted plume was occasionally 3 times larger than that of the main salty lake. In the open lake, where salinity was uniform with depth, increased wind speed resulted in increased evaporation rate, as expected. However, in the buoyant plume where diluted brine floats over the hypersaline brine, wind speed above a threshold value (˜4 m s-1) caused a sharp decrease in evaporation probably due to mixing of the stratified plume and a consequent increase in the surface water salinity.

Eddy current probe and method for flaw detection in metals

DOEpatents

Watjen, J.P.

1987-06-23

A flaw detecting system is shown which includes a probe having a pair of ferrite cores with in-line gaps in close proximity to each other. An insulating, non-magnetic, non-conducting holder fills the gaps and supports the ferrite cores in a manner such that the cores form a generally V-shape. Each core is provided with an excitation winding and a detection winding. The excitation windings are connected in series or parallel with an rf port for connection thereof to a radio frequency source. The detection windings, which are differentially wound, are connected in series circuit to a detector port for connection to a voltage measuring instrument. The ferrite cores at the in-line gaps directly engage the metal surface of a test piece, and the probe is scanned along the test piece. In the presence of a flaw in the metal surface the detection winding voltages are unbalanced, and the unbalance is detected by the voltage measuring instrument. The insulating holder is provided with a profile which conforms to that of a prominent feature of the test piece to facilitate movement of the probe along the feature, typically an edge or a corner. 9 figs.

Eddy current probe and method for flaw detection in metals

DOEpatents

Watjen, John P.

1987-06-23

A flaw detecting system is shown which includes a probe having a pair of ferrite cores with in-line gaps in close proximity to each other. An insulating, non-magnetic, non-conducting holder fills the gaps and supports the ferrite cores in a manner such that the cores form a generally V-shape. Each core is provided with an excitation winding and a detection winding. The excitation windings are connected in series or parallel with an rf port for connection thereof to a radio frequency source. The detection windings, which are differentially wound, are connected in series circuit to a detector port for connection to a voltage measuring instrument. The ferrite cores at the in-line gaps directly engage the metal surface of a test piece, and the probe is scanned along the test piece. In the presence of a flaw in the metal surface the detection winding voltages are unbalanced, and the unbalance is detected by the voltage measuring instrument. The insulating holder is provided with a profile which conforms to that of a prominent feature of the test piece to facilitate movement of the probe along the feature, typically an edge or a corner.

Observation and simulation of near-surface wind and its variation with topography in Urumqi, West China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Lili; Li, Zhenjie; He, Qing; Miao, Qilong; Zhang, Huqiang; Yang, Xinghua

2016-12-01

Near-surface wind measurements obtained with five 100-m meteorology towers, 39 regional automatic stations, and simulations by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model were used to investigate the spatial structure of topography-driven flows in the complex urban terrain of Urumqi, China. The results showed that the wind directions were mainly northerly and southerly within the reach of 100 m above ground in the southern suburbs, urban area, and northern suburbs, which were consistent with the form of the Urumqi gorge. Strong winds were observed in southern suburbs, whereas the winds in the urban, northern suburbs, and northern rural areas were weak. Static wind occurred more frequently in the urban and northern rural areas than in the southern suburbs. In the southern suburbs, wind speed was relatively high throughout the year and did not show significant seasonal variations. The average annual wind speed in this region varied among 1.9-5.5, 1.1-3.6, 1.2-4.3, 1.2-4.3, and 1.1-3.5 m s -1 within the reach of 100 m above ground at Yannanlijiao, Shuitashan, Liyushan, Hongguangshan, and Midong, respectively. The flow characteristics comprised more airflows around the mountain, where the convergence and divergence were dominated by the terrain in eastern and southwestern Urumqi. Further analysis showed that there was a significant mountain-valley wind in spring, summer, and autumn, which occurred more frequently in spring and summer for 10-11 h in urban and northern suburbs. During daytime, there was a northerly valley wind, whereas at night there was a southerly mountain wind. The conversion time from the mountain wind to the valley wind was during 0800-1000 LST (Local Standard Time), while the conversion from the valley wind to the mountain wind was during 1900-2100 LST. The influence of the mountain-valley wind in Urumqi City was most obvious at 850 hPa, according to the WRF model.

El Niño-related offshore phytoplankton bloom events around the Spratley Islands in the South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isoguchi, Osamu; Kawamura, Hiroshi; Ku-Kassim, Ku-Yaacob

2005-11-01

Satellite chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) observations reveal offshore phytoplankton bloom events with high Chl-a (>1 mg m-3) spreading over 300 km off the coasts around the Spratley Islands in the South China Sea (SCS) during the spring of 1998. The bloom entails anomalous wind jet and sea surface temperature (SST) cooling, suggesting that the wind jet-induced mixing and/or offshore upwelling bring about the cooling and the bloom through the supply of nutrient-rich waters into the euphotic zone. The strong wind jet is orographically formed responding to shifts in wind direction over the eastern SCS. The wind shift is connected with the Philippine Sea anomalous anticyclone that is established during El Niño, indicating the El Niño-related offshore bloom. The long-term reanalysis winds over the eastern SCS demonstrates that wind jet formation and associated offshore cooling/bloom are expected to occur in most cases of the subsequent El Niño years.

Detection and interpretation of ocean roughness variations across the Gulf Stream inferred from radar cross section observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weissman, D. E.; Thompson, T. W.

1977-01-01

Radar cross section data shows that the Gulf Stream has a higher cross section per unit area (interpreted here as a greater roughness) than the water on the continental shelf. A steep gradient in cross section was often seen at the expected location of the western boundary. There were also longer-scale (10-20 km) gradual fluctuations within the stream of significant magnitude. These roughness variations are correlated with the surface shear stress that the local wind imposes on the sea. Using the available surface-truth information concerning the wind speed and direction, an assumed Gulf Stream velocity profile, and high-resolution ocean-surface temperature data obtained by the VHRR onboard a NOAA-NESS polar-orbiting satellite, the present study demonstrates that the computed surface stress variation bears a striking resemblance to the measured radar cross-section variations.

Surface shear stress dependence of gas transfer velocity parameterizations using DNS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fredriksson, S. T.; Arneborg, L.; Nilsson, H.; Handler, R. A.

2016-10-01

Air-water gas-exchange is studied in direct numerical simulations (DNS) of free-surface flows driven by natural convection and weak winds. The wind is modeled as a constant surface-shear-stress and the gas-transfer is modeled via a passive scalar. The simulations are characterized via a Richardson number Ri=Bν/u*4 where B, ν, and u* are the buoyancy flux, kinematic viscosity, and friction velocity respectively. The simulations comprise 0Ric or kg=AShearu*Sc-n, Ri

Polarization of Light by Leaves and Plant Canopies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanderbilt, V. C.

2006-01-01

This talk will focus first on the information contained in the surface-scattered light from leaves, plant canopies and surface waters. This light is in general polarized and depends upon surface roughness. Thus, for example, - The surface reflection from shiny green leaves measured in the specular direction shows no chlorophyll absorption bands, no 'red edge.' - Conversely, the degree of linear polarization of such light displays marked variation with wavelength having local maxima in the chlorophyll absorption bands and an inverted red edge. - Plant canopies with shiny leaves distributed in angle like the area on a sphere, specularly reflect sunlight in the subsolar or specular direction- but also in every other view direction. - Canopies of green plants may appear white not green when viewed obliquely toward the sun. - In a light to moderate wind, the often blindingly bright glitter of sunlight off smooth water surfaces provides a strong, angularly narrow signature reflection characteristic of inundated vegetated areas that are big sources of atmospheric methane, a climatically important greenhouse gas. (Conversely, a blindingly bright glitter-type reflection is uncharacteristic of upland or wind ruffled open water areas that are poor sources of atmospheric methane.) Because some of these results may be 'head scratchers,' it's always important to properly calibrate ones instruments. Indeed, as the second portion of the talk will show, the characteristics of the light measuring instrument, particularly its entrance aperture, may affect the results and should be taken into account during across-instrument data comparisons.

Constraining 20th Century Pacific Trade-Wind Variability Using Coral Mn/Ca

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sayani, H. R.; Thompson, D. M.; Carilli, J.; Ireland, T. J.; Cobb, K. M.; Atwood, A. R.; Grothe, P. R.; Miller, S. J.; Hitt, N. T.; O'Connor, G.

2017-12-01

Global mean surface temperatures during the 20th century are characterized by multidecadal periods of either accelerated or reduced rates of warming that cannot be explained by external forcings alone. Both observations and modeling studies suggest that the reduced rate of global surface warming during the early-2000s can be largely explained by decadal climate variability in the tropical Pacific, specifically changes in trade-wind strength [e.g. Meehl et al., 2016]. However, the relationship between Pacific trade-wind strength and global surface warming is poorly constrained due to the lack of instrumental wind observations prior to the 1970s. Surface corals are now routinely used to generate records of past sea-surface temperature (SST) change, and have dramatically improved our understanding of oceanic variability in the tropical Pacific. Yet, there are few direct measurements of the atmospheric response to this SST variability. Skeletal Mn/Ca ratios in corals from Tarawa Atoll (1.3˚N, 173˚E) have been shown to track El Niño-related westerly wind events on interannual timescales [Shen et al., 1992], and the strength of Pacific trade winds on decadal timescales [Thompson et al., 2015]. Here, we investigate the utility of this novel wind proxy at Kiritimati Atoll (Christmas Island; 2˚N, 157.5˚W), a site that is hydrographically similar to Tarawa. We use a series of seawater samples collected across the 2015/16 El Niño to characterize and quantify the relationship between westerly wind events and seawater Mn variability around Kiritimati. Anchored by this modern-day calibration, we present a new reconstruction of westerly winds across the late-20thcentury from Kiritimati Atoll. We also assess the reproducibility of coral Mn/Ca across cores collected at varying distances from the lagoon, which represents the primary source of seawater Mn to the reef at our site. Lastly, we discuss the strengths and limitations of this novel proxy, as well as the potential for its application to corals from other sites across the tropical Pacific. ReferencesMeehl, et al., (2016), Nature Climate change, doi:10.1038/nclimate3107. Shen, et al., (1992), J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, doi:10.1029/92JC00951. Thompson, et al., (2015), Nature Geoscience, doi:10.1038/ngeo2321.

Three decades of Martian surface changes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geissler, P.E.

2005-01-01

The surface of Mars has changed dramatically during the three decades spanned by spacecraft exploration. Comparisons of Mars Global Surveyor images with Viking and Mariner 9 pictures suggest that more than one third of Mars' surface area has brightened or darkened by at least 10%. Such albedo changes could produce significant effects on solar heating and the global circulation of winds across the planet. All of the major changes took place in areas of moderate to high thermal inertia and rock abundance, consistent with burial of rocky surfaces by thin dust layers deposited during dust storms and subsequent exposure of the rocky surfaces by aeolian erosion. Several distinct mechanisms contribute to aeolian erosion on Mars. Prevailing winds dominate erosion at low latitudes, producing diffuse albedo boundaries and elongated wind streaks generally oriented in the direction of southern summer winds. Dust devils darken the mid to high latitudes from 45 to 70 degrees during the summer seasons, forming irregular albedo patterns consisting of dark linear tracks. Dust storms produce regional albedo variations with distinct but irregular margins. Dark sand duties in southern high latitudes appear to be associated with regional darkening that displays diffuse albedo boundaries. No surface changes were observed to repeat regularly on an annual basis, but many of the changes took place in areas that alternate episodically between high- and low-albedo states as thin mantles of dust are deposited and later stripped off. Hence the face of Mars remains recognizable after a century of telescopic observations, in spite of the enormous extent of alteration that has taken place during the era of spacecraft exploration.

The influence of wave-, wind- and tide-forced currents on headland sand bypassing - Study case: Santa Catarina Island north shore, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira da Silva, Guilherme; Toldo, Elírio E., Jr.; Klein, Antonio H. da F.; Short, Andrew D.

2018-07-01

Investigations of headland sand bypassing are still an under-reported subject in the literature. This paper aims to understand the contribution of currents forced by different mechanisms such as tides, winds (i.e. local wind acting over the ocean surface generating currents, without considering wave generation) and waves (as they approach/break on the coast) to headland sand bypassing. The study was carried out in an area comprising a series of seven headlands with varying wave exposure due to changes in shoreline orientation and increasing tidal influence close to a relatively large bay. This paper uses a calibrated and validated process-based model (Delft3D) to simulate a series of scenarios including spring and neap tides during flood and ebb conditions and a range of wind and wave scenarios that encompass both average and extreme conditions. The results indicate that waves are the main driving force for the headland bypassing as they transport sand at rates two orders of magnitude higher than tide- or wind-driven sediment transport. The tide-driven currents can only transport sediment during spring tides in locations where the currents are intensified. It is also demonstrated that the wave direction plays an important role in sediment transport. In exposed areas with larger headlands a combination of wave directions is required to first transport sediment offshore (out of the beach) and secondly to transport sediment alongshore and back to the next beach. Whereas in areas with little variation in wave direction exposure, the same oblique wave direction is responsible for the entire headland bypassing process. This is the first time the contribution of tide-, winds- and wave-generated sediment transport to headland bypassing have been studied.

Controls on gas transfer velocities in a large river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaulieu, Jake J.; Shuster, William D.; Rebholz, Jacob A.

2012-06-01

The emission of biogenic gases from large rivers can be an important component of regional greenhouse gas budgets. However, emission rate estimates are often poorly constrained due to uncertainties in the air-water gas exchange rate. We used the floating chamber method to estimate the gas transfer velocity (k) of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the Markland Pool of the Ohio River, a large tributary of the Mississippi River (U.S.A). We measured k every two weeks for a year at one site and at 15 additional sites distributed across the length of the pool during two summer surveys. We found that k was positively related to both water currents and wind speeds, with 46% of the gas transfer attributable to water currents at low wind speeds (e.g., 0.5 m s-1) and 11% at higher wind speeds (e.g., >2.0 m s-1). Gas transfer velocity was highly sensitive to wind, possibly because the direction of river flow was often directly opposed to the wind direction. Gas transfer velocity values derived for CH4 were consistently greater than those derived for CO2 when standardized to a Schmidt number of 600 (k600), possibly because the transfer of CH4, a poorly soluble gas, was enhanced by surfacing microbubbles. Additional research to determine the conditions that support microbubble enhanced gas transfer is merited.

Vance AFB, Oklahoma. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-02

w. -AL Lr ?LO’~ hH o,.T SURFACE WINDS 2 .. ?. SEPVIC/-AC PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS... Jb A 4. AL CL TL0- A’i 2i ~CEILING VERSUS VISIBILITY PE ;CE N7AGE :EO, ;ENC Y 0(1 OCU RE’,(jE 1 .-- "J ;R3M H0BY BSR ,A- ONS ., 7 s 6 7 . -5. 󈨐. . 6...15 16 17 1819. 20-21 -. 22 23.24-25 26. 27-2 2.9 30 3 D.- .S. D, 8,11 W,, BJb D- P.... / /Z 5 B 01 0 fl--.., (.) Z.. i-- N.. Ob.. .... N.. .1 . 4th

Key roles of sea ice in inducing contrasting modes of glacial AMOC and climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherriff-Tadano, S.; Abe-Ouchi, A.

2017-12-01

Gaining a better understanding of glacial Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is important to interpret the glacial climate changes such as the Heinrich event. Recent studies suggest that changes in sea ice over the North Atlantic largely affect the surface wind. Since changes in surface wind have a large impact on the AMOC, this implies a role of sea ice in modifying the AMOC though surface wind. However, the impact of sea ice on the surface winds and the impact of changes in the winds on the AMOC remain unclear. In this study, we first assess the impact of sea ice expansion on the winds. We then explore whether the changes in winds play a role in modifying the AMOC and climate. For this purpose, results from MIROC4m are analyzed (Kawamura et al. 2017). To clarify the impact of changes in sea ice on the surface wind, sensitivity experiments are conducted with an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM). In the AGCM experiments, we modify the sea ice to extract the impact of sea ice on the winds. Partial decouple experiments are conducted with the coupled model MIROC4m, which we modify the surface winds to assess the impact of changes in the surface wind due to sea ice expansion on the AMOC. Results show that expansion of sea ice substantially weakens the surface wind over the northern North Atlantic. AGCM experiments show that a drastic decrease in surface temperature duo to a suppression of sensible heat flux plays a dominant role in weakening the surface winds through increasing the static stability of the air column near the surface. Partial decouple experiments with MIROC4m show that the weakening of the surface wind due to the expansion of sea ice plays an important role in maintaining the weak AMOC. Thus, these experiments show that the weakening of the surface winds due to sea ice expansion plays a role in stabilizing the AMOC.

Local diurnal wind-driven variabiity and upwelling in a small coastal embayment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, R. K.; Reid, E. C.; Davis, K. A.; Armenta, K. J.; Merhoff, K.; Nidzieko, N.

2017-12-01

The oceanic response to high-frequency local diurnal wind forcing is examined in a small coastal embayment located along an understudied stretch of the central California coast. We show that local diurnal wind forcing is the dominant control on nearshore temperature variability and circulation patterns. A complex empirical orthogonal function (CEOF) analysis of velocities in San Luis Obispo Bay reveals that the first-mode CEOF amplitude time series, which accounts for 47.9% of the variance, is significantly coherent with the local wind signal at the diurnal frequency and aligns with periods of weak and strong wind forcing. The diurnal evolution of the hydrographic structure and circulation in the bay is examined using both individual events and composite-day averages. During the late afternoon, the local wind strengthens and results in a sheared flow with near-surface warm waters directed out of the bay and a compensating flow of colder waters into the bay over the bottom portion of the water column. This cold water intrusion into the bay causes isotherms to shoal toward the surface and delivers subthermocline waters to shallow reaches of the bay, representing a mechanism for small-scale upwelling. When the local winds relax, the warm water mass advects back into the bay in the form of a buoyant plume front. Local diurnal winds are expected to play an important role in nearshore dynamics and local upwelling in other small coastal embayments with important implications for various biological and ecological processes.

Local diurnal wind-driven variability and upwelling in a small coastal embayment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, Ryan K.; Reid, Emma C.; Davis, Kristen A.; Armenta, Kevin J.; Merhoff, Kevin; Nidzieko, Nicholas J.

2017-02-01

The oceanic response to high-frequency local diurnal wind forcing is examined in a small coastal embayment located along an understudied stretch of the central California coast. We show that local diurnal wind forcing is the dominant control on nearshore temperature variability and circulation patterns. A complex empirical orthogonal function (CEOF) analysis of velocities in San Luis Obispo Bay reveals that the first-mode CEOF amplitude time series, which accounts for 47.9% of the variance, is significantly coherent with the local wind signal at the diurnal frequency and aligns with periods of weak and strong wind forcing. The diurnal evolution of the hydrographic structure and circulation in the bay is examined using both individual events and composite-day averages. During the late afternoon, the local wind strengthens and results in a sheared flow with near-surface warm waters directed out of the bay and a compensating flow of colder waters into the bay over the bottom portion of the water column. This cold water intrusion into the bay causes isotherms to shoal toward the surface and delivers subthermocline waters to shallow reaches of the bay, representing a mechanism for small-scale upwelling. When the local winds relax, the warm water mass advects back into the bay in the form of a buoyant plume front. Local diurnal winds are expected to play an important role in nearshore dynamics and local upwelling in other small coastal embayments with important implications for various biological and ecological processes.

A new approach to correct yaw misalignment in the spinning ultrasonic anemometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghaemi-Nasab, M.; Davari, Ali R.; Franchini, S.

2018-01-01

Single-axis ultrasonic anemometers are the modern instruments for accurate wind speed measurements. Despite their widespread and ever increasing applications, little attention has been paid up to now to spinning ultrasonic anemometers that can accurately measure both the wind speed and its direction in a single and robust apparatus. In this study, intensive wind-tunnel tests were conducted on a spinning single-axis ultrasonic anemometer to investigate the yaw misalignment in ultrasonic wind speed measurements during the yaw rotation. The anemometer was rotating inside the test section with various angular velocities, and the experiments were performed at several combinations of wind speed and anemometer angular velocity. The instantaneous angular position of the ultrasonic signal path with wind direction was measured using an angular position sensor. For a spinning anemometer, the circulatory wake and the associated flow distortion, along with the Doppler effect, impart a phase shift in the signals measured by the anemometer, which should be added to the position data for correcting the yaw misalignment. In this paper, the experimental data are used to construct a theoretical model, based on a response surface method, to correct the phase shift for various wind speeds and anemometer rotational velocities. This model is shown to successfully correct the velocity indicated by the spinning anemometer for the phase shift due to the rotation, and can easily be used in the calibration process for such anemometers.

In-flight wind identification and soft landing control for autonomous unmanned powered parafoils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Shuzhen; Tan, Panlong; Sun, Qinglin; Wu, Wannan; Luo, Haowen; Chen, Zengqiang

2018-04-01

For autonomous unmanned powered parafoil, the ability to perform a final flare manoeuvre against the wind direction can allow a considerable reduction of horizontal and vertical velocities at impact, enabling a soft landing for a safe delivery of sensible loads; the lack of knowledge about the surface-layer winds will result in messing up terminal flare manoeuvre. Moreover, unknown or erroneous winds can also prevent the parafoil system from reaching the target area. To realize accurate trajectory tracking and terminal soft landing in the unknown wind environment, an efficient in-flight wind identification method merely using Global Positioning System (GPS) data and recursive least square method is proposed to online identify the variable wind information. Furthermore, a novel linear extended state observation filter is proposed to filter the groundspeed of the powered parafoil system calculated by the GPS information to provide a best estimation of the present wind during flight. Simulation experiments and real airdrop tests demonstrate the great ability of this method to in-flight identify the variable wind field, and it can benefit the powered parafoil system to fulfil accurate tracking control and a soft landing in the unknown wind field with high landing accuracy and strong wind-resistance ability.

Yardang-Sculpted Deposits from Apollonaris Patera

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-08-12

This observation from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft shows a terrain of relatively smooth region that transitions into sharp ridges called yardangs on Apollonaris Patera. These ridges, aligned in the nearly same direction, are called yardangs. Yardangs are not unique to Mars. Many yardangs can be found on Earth, in very dry regions with strong prevailing winds. Yardangs are formed when a surface that is composed of materials of differing strengths (i.e., of both harder and softer materials) is shaped by the abrasive action of sand and dust carried by the wind. In this case, and given the proximity of the Apollonaris Patera volcanic center, we think that these wind-carved deposits are comprised of volcanic ash and pyroclastics that erupted from Apollonaris when it was last active in the not-too-distant geologic past. Over time, the softer materials (likely volcanic ash) were eroded away, leaving behind the harder materials in the form of elongated ridges that are parallel to the direction of the prevailing wind. The end result is a stunning, out-of-this-world display of yardangs, sculpted with the artistic chisel of the Martian wind. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19869

Preliminary experiments on surface flow visualization in the cryogenic wind tunnel by use of condensing or freezing gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodyer, M. J.

1988-01-01

Cryogenic wind tunnel users must have available surface flow visualization techniques to satisfy a variety of needs. While the ideal from an aerodynamic stand would be non-intrusive, until an economical technique is developed there will be occasions when the user will be prepared to resort to an intrusive method. One such method is proposed, followed by preliminary evaluation experiments carried out in environments representative of the cryogenic nitrogen tunnel. The technique uses substances which are gases at normal temperature and pressure but liquid or solid at cryogenic temperatures. These are deposited on the model in localized regions, the patterns of the deposits and their subsequent melting or evaporation revealing details of the surface flow. The gases were chosen because of the likelihood that they will not permanently contaminate the model or tunnel. Twenty-four gases were identified as possibly suitable and four of these were tested from which it was concluded that surface flow direction can be shown by the method. Other flow details might also be detectable. The cryogenic wind tunnel used was insulated on the outside and did not show signs of contamination.

Electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulations of the solar wind interaction with lunar magnetic anomalies.

PubMed

Deca, J; Divin, A; Lapenta, G; Lembège, B; Markidis, S; Horányi, M

2014-04-18

We present the first three-dimensional fully kinetic and electromagnetic simulations of the solar wind interaction with lunar crustal magnetic anomalies (LMAs). Using the implicit particle-in-cell code iPic3D, we confirm that LMAs may indeed be strong enough to stand off the solar wind from directly impacting the lunar surface forming a mini-magnetosphere, as suggested by spacecraft observations and theory. In contrast to earlier magnetohydrodynamics and hybrid simulations, the fully kinetic nature of iPic3D allows us to investigate the space charge effects and in particular the electron dynamics dominating the near-surface lunar plasma environment. We describe for the first time the interaction of a dipole model centered just below the lunar surface under plasma conditions such that only the electron population is magnetized. The fully kinetic treatment identifies electromagnetic modes that alter the magnetic field at scales determined by the electron physics. Driven by strong pressure anisotropies, the mini-magnetosphere is unstable over time, leading to only temporal shielding of the surface underneath. Future human exploration as well as lunar science in general therefore hinges on a better understanding of LMAs.

Summary of Meteorological Observations, Surface (SMOS), Barbers Point, Hawaii.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

available. Also provided are the means and standard deviations for each month and annual (all months). The extremes for a month are not printed nor...January 1964. When 90 or more of the daily observations of peak gust wind data are available for a month, the extreme is selected and printed . These...ASHEVILLE, NC PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS) STATUSI STATIM usA. V U0*t5 CLA mi6 (O t ST PE ND MEAN (KNTS) 1

Effects of trade-wind strength and direction on the leeside circulations and rainfall of the island of Hawaii

Treesearch

Yang Yang; Yi-Leng Chen; Francis M. Fujioka

2009-01-01

The leeside circulations and weather of the island of Hawaii were studied from the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5) land surface model simulations for eight strong (∼7.9 m s−1) and eight weak (∼5.2 m s−1) trade-wind days and for five days with southeasterly trades (∼7.1 m s

Significant events in low-level flow conditions hazardous to aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, M. B.; Camp, D. W.

1983-01-01

Atmospheric parameters recorded during high surface winds are analyzed to determine magnitude, frequency, duration, and simultaneity of occurrence of low level flow conditions known to be hazardous to the ascent and descent of conventional aircraft and the space shuttle. Graphic and tabular presentations of mean and extreme values and simultaneous occurrences of turbulence (gustiness and a gust factor), wind shear (speed and direction), and vertical motion (updrafts and downdrafts), along with associated temperature inversions are included as function of tower height, layer and/or distance for six 5 sec intervals (one interval every 100 sec) of parameters sampled simultaneously at the rate of 10 speeds, directions and temperatures per second during an approximately 10 min period.

CMIP5-based global wave climate projections including the entire Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casas-Prat, M.; Wang, X. L.; Swart, N.

2018-03-01

This study presents simulations of the global ocean wave climate corresponding to the surface winds and sea ice concentrations as simulated by five CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5) climate models for the historical (1979-2005) and RCP8.5 scenario future (2081-2100) periods. To tackle the numerical complexities associated with the inclusion of the North Pole, the WAVEWATCH III (WW3) wave model was used with a customized unstructured Spherical Multi-Cell grid of ∼100 km offshore and ∼50 km along coastlines. The climate model simulated wind and sea ice data, and the corresponding WW3 simulated wave data, were evaluated against reanalysis and hindcast data. The results show that all the five sets of wave simulations projected lower waves in the North Atlantic, corresponding to decreased surface wind speeds there in the warmer climate. The selected CMIP5 models also consistently projected an increase in the surface wind speed in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) mid-high latitudes, which translates in an increase in the WW3 simulated significant wave height (Hs) there. The higher waves are accompanied with increased peak wave period and increased wave age in the East Pacific and Indian Oceans, and a significant counterclockwise rotation in the mean wave direction in the Southern Oceans. The latter is caused by more intense waves from the SH traveling equatorward and developing into swells. Future wave climate in the Arctic Ocean in summer is projected to be predominantly of mixed sea states, with the climatological mean of September maximum Hs ranging mostly 3-4 m. The new waves approaching Arctic coasts will be less fetch-limited as ice retreats since a predominantly southwards mean wave direction is projected in the surrounding seas.

Behaviour of coconut mites preceding take-off to passive aerial dispersal.

PubMed

Melo, J W S; Lima, D B; Sabelis, M W; Pallini, A; Gondim, M G C

2014-12-01

For more than three decades the coconut mite Aceria guerreronis Keifer is one of the most important pests of coconut palms and has recently spread to many coconut production areas worldwide. Colonization of coconut palms is thought to arise from mites dispersing aerially after take-off from other plants within the same plantation or other plantations. The underlying dispersal behaviour of the mite at take-off, in the airborne state and after landing is largely unknown and this is essential to understand how they spread from tree to tree. In this article we studied whether take-off to aerial dispersal of coconut mites is preceded by characteristic behaviour, whether there is a correlation between the body position preceding aerial dispersal and the direction of the wind, and whether the substrate (outer surface of coconut bracts or epidermis) and the wind speed matter to the decision to take-off. We found that take-off can sometimes be preceded by a raised body stance, but more frequently take-off occurs while the mite is walking or resting on its substrate. Coconut mites that become airborne assumed a body stance that had no relation to the wind direction. Take-off was suppressed on a substrate providing food to coconut mites, but occurred significantly more frequently on the outer surface of coconut bracts than on the surface of the fruit. For both substrates, take-off frequency increased with wind speed. We conclude that coconut mites have at least some degree of control over take-off for aerial dispersal and that there is as yet no reason to infer that a raised body stance is necessary to become airborne.

Synoptic-to-planetary scale wind variability enhances phytoplankton biomass at ocean fronts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitt, D. B.; Taylor, J. R.; Lévy, M.

2017-06-01

In nutrient-limited conditions, phytoplankton growth at fronts is enhanced by winds, which drive upward nutrient fluxes via enhanced turbulent mixing and upwelling. Hence, depth-integrated phytoplankton biomass can be 10 times greater at isolated fronts. Using theory and two-dimensional simulations with a coupled physical-biogeochemical ocean model, this paper builds conceptual understanding of the physical processes driving upward nutrient fluxes at fronts forced by unsteady winds with timescales of 4-16 days. The largest vertical nutrient fluxes occur when the surface mixing layer penetrates the nutricline, which fuels phytoplankton in the mixed layer. At a front, mixed layer deepening depends on the magnitude and direction of the wind stress, cross-front variations in buoyancy and velocity at the surface, and potential vorticity at the base of the mixed layer, which itself depends on past wind events. Consequently, mixing layers are deeper and more intermittent in time at fronts than outside fronts. Moreover, mixing can decouple in time from the wind stress, even without other sources of physical variability. Wind-driven upwelling also enhances depth-integrated phytoplankton biomass at fronts; when the mixed layer remains shallower than the nutricline, this results in enhanced subsurface phytoplankton. Oscillatory along-front winds induce both oscillatory and mean upwelling. The mean effect of oscillatory vertical motion is to transiently increase subsurface phytoplankton over days to weeks, whereas slower mean upwelling sustains this increase over weeks to months. Taken together, these results emphasize that wind-driven phytoplankton growth is both spatially and temporally intermittent and depends on a diverse combination of physical processes.

Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) Observations of Brightness Temperatures and Ocean Surface Wind Speed and Rain Rate During NASA's GRIP and HS3 Campaigns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy L.; James, M. W.; Roberts, J. B.; Jones, W. L.; Biswas, S.; Ruf, C. S.; Uhlhorn, E. W.; Atlas, R.; Black, P.; Albers, C.

2012-01-01

HIRAD flew on high-altitude aircraft over Earl and Karl during NASA s GRIP (Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes) campaign in August - September of 2010, and plans to fly over Atlantic tropical cyclones in September of 2012 as part of the Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) mission. HIRAD is a new C-band radiometer using a synthetic thinned array radiometer (STAR) technology to obtain spatial resolution of approximately 2 km, out to roughly 30 km each side of nadir. By obtaining measurements of emissions at 4, 5, 6, and 6.6 GHz, observations of ocean surface wind speed and rain rate can be retrieved. The physical retrieval technique has been used for many years by precursor instruments, including the Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR), which has been flying on the NOAA and USAF hurricane reconnaissance aircraft for several years to obtain observations within a single footprint at nadir angle. Results from the flights during the GRIP and HS3 campaigns will be shown, including images of brightness temperatures, wind speed, and rain rate. Comparisons will be made with observations from other instruments on the campaigns, for which HIRAD observations are either directly comparable or are complementary. Features such as storm eye and eye-wall, location of storm wind and rain maxima, and indications of dynamical features such as the merging of a weaker outer wind/rain maximum with the main vortex may be seen in the data. Potential impacts on operational ocean surface wind analyses and on numerical weather forecasts will also be discussed.

Observations of C-band Brightness Temperatures and Ocean Surface Wind Speed and Rain Rate from the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy L.; James, M. W.; Roberts, J. B.; Jones, W. L.; May, C.; Ruf, C. S.; Uhlhorn, E. W.; Atlas, R.; Black, P.

2012-01-01

HIRAD flew on the WB-57 over Earl and Karl during NASA s GRIP (Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes) campaign in August - September of 2010. HIRAD is a new Cband radiometer using a synthetic thinned array radiometer (STAR) technology to obtain cross-track resolution of approximately 3 degrees, out to approximately 60 degrees to each side of nadir. (The resulting swath width for a platform at 60,000 feet is roughly 60 km, and resolution for most of the swath is around 2 km.) By obtaining measurements of emissions at 4, 5, 6, and 6.6 GHz, observations of ocean surface wind speed and rain rate can be retrieved. This technique has been used for many years by precursor instruments, including the Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR), which has been flying on the NOAA and USAF hurricane reconnaissance aircraft for several years to obtain observations within a single footprint at nadir angle. Results from the flights during the GRIP campaign will be shown, including images of brightness temperatures, wind speed, and rain rate. Comparisons will be made with observations from other instruments on the GRIP campaign, for which HIRAD observations are either directly comparable or are complementary. Features such as storm eye and eyewall, location of storm wind and rain maxima, and indications of dynamical features such as the merging of a weaker outer wind/rain maximum with the main vortex may be seen in the data. Potential impacts on operational ocean surface wind analyses and on numerical weather forecasts will also be discussed.

Observations During GRIP from HIRAD: Images of C-Band Brightness Temperatures and Ocean Surface Wind Speed and Rain Rate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy L.; James, M. W.; Jones, W. L.; Ruf, C. S.; Uhlhorn, E. W.; Biswas, S.; May, C.; Shah, G.; Black, P.; Buckley, C. D.

2012-01-01

HIRAD (Hurricane Imaging Radiometer) flew on the WB-57 during NASA s GRIP (Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes) campaign in August - September of 2010. HIRAD is a new C-band radiometer using a synthetic thinned array radiometer (STAR) technology to obtain cross-track resolution of approximately 3 degrees, out to approximately 60 degrees to each side of nadir. By obtaining measurements of emissions at 4, 5, 6, and 6.6 GHz, observations of ocean surface wind speed and rain rate can be inferred. This technique has been used for many years by precursor instruments, including the Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR), which has been flying on the NOAA and USAF hurricane reconnaissance aircraft for several years. The advantage of HIRAD over SFMR is that HIRAD can observe a +/- 60-degree swath, rather than a single footprint at nadir angle. Results from the flights during the GRIP campaign will be shown, including images of brightness temperatures, wind speed, and rain rate. To the extent possible, comparisons will be made with observations from other instruments on the GRIP campaign, for which HIRAD observations are either directly comparable or are complementary. Features such as storm eye and eyewall, location of vortex wind and rain maxima, and indications of dynamical features such as the merging of a weaker outer wind/rain maximum with the main vortex may be seen in the data. Potential impacts on operational ocean surface wind analyses and on numerical weather forecasts will also be discussed.

Spectral sea surface reflectance of skylight.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaodong; He, Shuangyan; Shabani, Afshin; Zhai, Peng-Wang; Du, Keping

2017-02-20

In examining the dependence of the sea surface reflectance of skylight ρs on sky conditions, wind speed, solar zenith angle, and viewing geometry, Mobley [Appl. Opt.38, 7442 (1999).10.1364/AO.38.007442] assumed ρs is independent of wavelength. Lee et al. [Opt. Express18, 26313 (2010).10.1364/OE.18.026313] showed experimentally that ρs does vary spectrally due to the spectral difference of sky radiance coming from different directions, which was ignored in Mobley's study. We simulated ρs from 350 nm to 1000 nm by explicitly accounting for spectral variations of skylight distribution and Fresnel reflectance. Furthermore, we separated sun glint from sky glint because of significant differences in magnitude, spectrum and polarization state between direct sun light and skylight light. The results confirm that spectral variation of ρs(λ) mainly arises from the spectral distribution of skylight and would vary from slightly blueish due to normal dispersion of the refractive index of water, to neutral and then to reddish with increasing wind speeds and decreasing solar zenith angles. Polarization moderately increases sky glint by 8 - 20% at 400 nm but only by 0 - 10% at 1000 nm. Sun glint is inherently reddish and becomes significant (>10% of sky glint) when the sun is at the zenith with moderate winds or when the sea is roughened (wind speeds > 10 m s^-1) with solar zenith angles < 20°. We recommend a two-step procedure by first correcting the glint due to direct sun light, which is unpolarized, followed by removing the glint due to diffused and polarized skylight. The simulated ρs(λ) as a function of wind speeds, sun angles and aerosol concentrations for currently recommended sensor-sun geometry, i.e., zenith angle = 40° and azimuthal angle relative to the sun = 45°, is available upon request.

Flow structure and turbulence characteristics of the daytime atmosphere in a steep and narrow Alpine valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigel, Andreas P.; Rotach, Mathias W.

2004-10-01

Aircraft measurements, radio soundings and sonic data--obtained during the MAP-Riviera field campaign in autumn 1999 in southern Switzerland--are used to investigate the flow structure, temperature profiles and turbulence characteristics of the atmosphere in a steep and narrow Alpine valley under convective conditions. On all predominantly sunny days of the intensive observation periods, a pronounced valley-wind system develops. In the southern half of the valley, the daily up-valley winds have a jet-like structure and are shifted towards the eastern slope. These up-valley winds advect potentially colder air, a process which appears to be balanced by vertical warm air advection from above. The profiles of potential temperature show that, with the onset of up-valley winds, the mixed layer consistently stops growing or--on days with very strong up-valley winds--even stabilizes almost throughout the entire valley atmosphere. This is probably due to a pronounced secondary circulation in the southern part of the valley, which induces advection of warm air from above. The secondary circulation appears to be a consequence of sharp curvature in the along-valley topography. Turbulence variables are calculated from flight legs in the along-valley direction. Turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) scales surprisingly well (i) if a TKE criterion (TKE > 0.5 m2s-2) is employed as a definition of the boundary layer height and (ii) if the 'surface fluxes'--which exhibit a substantial spatial variability--from the slope sites are used rather than those from directly beneath the profile considered. Significant site-to-site differences in incoming solar radiation seem to be the reason for this characteristic behaviour. Profiles of momentum flux--scaled with a surface friction velocity--reveal more scatter than the TKE profiles, but still show a consistent behaviour. A surprisingly strong shear in the cross-valley direction can be observed and is probably a result of the secondary circulation.

SeaWinds - Oceans, Land, Polar Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

The SeaWinds scatterometer on the QuikScat satellite makes global radar measurements -- day and night, in clear sky and through clouds. The radar data over the oceans provide scientists and weather forecasters with information on surface wind speed and direction. Scientists also use the radar measurements directly to learn about changes in vegetation and ice extent over land and polar regions.

This false-color image is based entirely on SeaWinds measurements obtained over oceans, land, and polar regions. Over the ocean, colors indicate wind speed with orange as the fastest wind speeds and blue as the slowest. White streamlines indicate the wind direction. The ocean winds in this image were measured by SeaWinds on September 20, 1999. The large storm in the Atlantic off the coast of Florida is Hurricane Gert. Tropical storm Harvey is evident as a high wind region in the Gulf of Mexico, while farther west in the Pacific is tropical storm Hilary. An extensive storm is also present in the South Atlantic Ocean near Antarctica.

The land image was made from four days of SeaWinds data with the aid of a resolution enhancement algorithm developed by Dr. David Long at Brigham Young University. The lightest green areas correspond to the highest radar backscatter. Note the bright Amazon and Congo rainforests compared to the dark Sahara desert. The Amazon River is visible as a dark line running horizontally though the bright South American rain forest. Cities appear as bright spots on the images, especially in the U.S. and Europe.

The image of Greenland and the north polar ice cap was generated from data acquired by SeaWinds on a single day. In the polar region portion of the image, white corresponds to the largest radar return, while purple is the lowest. The variations in color in Greenland and the polar ice cap reveal information about the ice and snow conditions present.

NASA's Earth Science Enterprise is a long-term research and technology program designed to examine Earth's land, oceans, atmosphere, ice and life as a total integrated system. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA.

Determination of wind from NIMBUS 6 satellite sounding data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carle, W. E.; Scoggins, J. R.

1981-01-01

Objective methods of computing upper level and surface wind fields from NIMBUS 6 satellite sounding data are developed. These methods are evaluated by comparing satellite derived and rawinsonde wind fields on gridded constant pressure charts in four geographical regions. Satellite-derived and hourly observed surface wind fields are compared. Results indicate that the best satellite-derived wind on constant pressure charts is a geostrophic wind derived from highly smoothed fields of geopotential height. Satellite-derived winds computed in this manner and rawinsonde winds show similar circulation patterns except in areas of small height gradients. Magnitudes of the standard deviation of the differences between satellite derived and rawinsonde wind speeds range from approximately 3 to 12 m/sec on constant pressure charts and peak at the jet stream level. Fields of satellite-derived surface wind computed with the logarithmic wind law agree well with fields of observed surface wind in most regions. Magnitudes of the standard deviation of the differences in surface wind speed range from approximately 2 to 4 m/sec, and satellite derived surface winds are able to depict flow across a cold front and around a low pressure center.

Observations During GRIP from HIRAD: Ocean Surface Wind Speed and Rain Rate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy L.; James, M. W.; Jones, L.; Ruf, C. S.; Uhlhorn, E. W.; Bailey, M. C.; Buckley, C. D.; Simmons, D. E.; Johnstone, S.; Peterson, A.;

Surface Characteristics of Green Island Wakes from Satellite Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Kai-Ho; Hsu, Po-Chun; Ho, Chung-Ru

2017-04-01

Characteristics of an island wake induced by the Kuroshio Current flows pass by Green Island, a small island 40 km off southeast of Taiwan is investigated by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery. The MODIS sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (chl-a) imagery is produced at 250-meter resolution from 2014 to 2015 using the SeaDAS software package which is developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The wake occurrence is 59% observed from SST images during the data span. The average cooling area is 190 km2, but the area is significantly changed with wind directions. The wake area is increased during southerly winds and is reduced during northerly winds. Besides, the average cooling SST was about 2.1 oC between the front and rear island. Comparing the temperature difference between the wake and its left side, the difference is 1.96 oC. In addition, the wakes have 1 3 times higher than normal in chlorophyll concentration. The results indicate the island mass effect makes the surface water of Green island wake colder and chl-a higher.

Uncovering a New Current: The Southwest MAdagascar Coastal Current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramanantsoa, Juliano D.; Penven, P.; Krug, M.; Gula, J.; Rouault, M.

2018-02-01

Cruise data sets, satellite remote sensing observations, and model data analyses are combined to highlight the existence of a coastal surface poleward flow in the southwest of Madagascar: the Southwest MAdagascar Coastal Current (SMACC). The SMACC is a relatively shallow (<300 m) and narrow (<100 km wide) warm and salty coastal surface current, which flows along the south western coast of Madagascar toward the south, opposite to the dominant winds. The warm water surface signature of the SMACC extends from 22°S (upstream) to 26.4°S (downstream). The SMACC exhibits a seasonal variability: more intense in summer and reduced in winter. The average volume transport of its core is about 1.3 Sv with a mean summer maximum of 2.1 Sv. It is forced by a strong cyclonic wind stress curl associated with the bending of the trade winds along the southern tip of Madagascar. The SMACC directly influences the coastal upwelling regions south of Madagascar. Its existence is likely to influence local fisheries and larval transport patterns, as well as the connectivity with the Agulhas Current, affecting the returning branch of the global overturning circulation.

Exploring the Effects of Atmospheric Forcings on Evaporation: Experimental Integration of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Shallow Subsurface

PubMed Central

Smits, Kathleen; Eagen, Victoria; Trautz, Andrew

2015-01-01

Evaporation is directly influenced by the interactions between the atmosphere, land surface and soil subsurface. This work aims to experimentally study evaporation under various surface boundary conditions to improve our current understanding and characterization of this multiphase phenomenon as well as to validate numerical heat and mass transfer theories that couple Navier-Stokes flow in the atmosphere and Darcian flow in the porous media. Experimental data were collected using a unique soil tank apparatus interfaced with a small climate controlled wind tunnel. The experimental apparatus was instrumented with a suite of state of the art sensor technologies for the continuous and autonomous collection of soil moisture, soil thermal properties, soil and air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. This experimental apparatus can be used to generate data under well controlled boundary conditions, allowing for better control and gathering of accurate data at scales of interest not feasible in the field. Induced airflow at several distinct wind speeds over the soil surface resulted in unique behavior of heat and mass transfer during the different evaporative stages. PMID:26131928

Polarization Rotation and the Third Stokes Parameter: The Effects of Spacecraft Attitude and Faraday Rotation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meissner, Thomas; Wentz, Frank J.

2006-01-01

The third Stokes parameter of ocean surface brightness temperatures measured by the WindSat instrument is sensitive to the rotation angle between the polarization vectors at the ocean surface and the instrument. This rotation angle depends on the spacecraft attitude (roll, pitch, yaw) as well as the Faraday rotation of the electromagnetic radiation passing through the Earth's ionosphere. Analyzing the WindSat antenna temperatures, we find biases in the third Stokes parameter as function of the along-scan position of up to 1.5 K in all feedhorns. This points to a misspecification of the reported spacecraft attitude. A single attitude correction of -0.16deg roll and 0.18deg pitch for the whole instrument eliminates all the biases. We also study the effect of Faraday rotation at 10.7 GHz on the accuracy of the third Stokes parameter and the sea surface wind direction retrieval and demonstrate how this error can be corrected using values from the International Reference Ionosphere for the total electron content when computing Faraday rotation.

The meteorology and chemistry of high nitrogen oxide concentrations in the stable boundary layer at the South Pole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neff, William; Crawford, Jim; Buhr, Marty; Nicovich, John; Chen, Gao; Davis, Douglas

2018-03-01

Four summer seasons of nitrogen oxide (NO) concentrations were obtained at the South Pole (SP) during the Sulfur Chemistry in the Antarctic Troposphere (ISCAT) program (1998 and 2000) and the Antarctic Tropospheric Chemistry Investigation (ANTCI) in (2003, 2005, 2006-2007). Together, analyses of the data collected from these studies provide insight into the large- to small-scale meteorology that sets the stage for extremes in NO and the significant variability that occurs day to day, within seasons, and year to year. In addition, these observations reveal the interplay between physical and chemical processes at work in the stable boundary layer of the high Antarctic plateau. We found a systematic evolution of the large-scale wind system over the ice sheet from winter to summer that controls the surface boundary layer and its effect on NO: initially in early spring (Days 280-310) the transport of warm air and clouds over West Antarctica dominates the environment over the SP; in late spring (Days 310-340), the winds at 300 hPa exhibit a bimodal behavior alternating between northwest and southeast quadrants, which is of significance to NO; in early summer (Days 340-375), the flow aloft is dominated by winds from the Weddell Sea; and finally, during late spring, winds aloft from the southeast are strongly associated with clear skies, shallow stable boundary layers, and light surface winds from the east - it is under these conditions that the highest NO occurs. Examination of the winds at 300 hPa from 1961 to 2013 shows that this seasonal pattern has not changed significantly, although the last twenty years have seen an increasing trend in easterly surface winds at the SP. What has also changed is the persistence of the ozone hole, often into early summer. With lower total ozone column density and higher sun elevation, the highest actinic flux responsible for the photolysis of snow nitrate now occurs in late spring under the shallow boundary layer conditions optimum for high accumulation of NO. This may occur via the non-linear HOX-NOx chemistry proposed after the first ISCAT field programs and NOx recycling to the surface where quantum yields may be large under the low-snow-accumulation regime of the Antarctic plateau. During the 2003 field program a sodar made direct measurements of the stable boundary layer depth (BLD), a key factor in explaining the chemistry of the high NO concentrations. Because direct measurements were not available in the other years, we developed an estimator for BLD using direct observations obtained in 2003 and step-wise linear regression with meteorological data from a 22 m tower (that was tested against independent data obtained in 1993). These data were then used with assumptions about the column abundance of NO to estimate surface fluxes of NOx. These results agreed in magnitude with results at Concordia Station and confirmed significant daily, intraseasonal and interannual variability in NO and its flux from the snow surface. Finally, we found that synoptic to mesoscale eddies governed the boundary layer circulation and accumulation pathways for NO at the SP rather than katabatic forcing. It was the small-scale features of the circulation including the transition from cloudy to clear conditions that set the stage for short-term extremes in NO, whereas larger-scale features were associated with more moderate concentrations.

Experimental study of the impact of large-scale wind farms on land-atmosphere exchanges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, wei; Markfort, Corey; Porté-Agel, Fernando

2013-04-01

Wind energy is one of the fastest growing sources of renewable energy world-wide, and it is expected that many more large-scale wind farms will be built and cover a significant portion of land and ocean surfaces. By extracting kinetic energy from the atmospheric boundary layer and converting it to electricity, wind farms may affect the transport of momentum, heat, moisture and trace gases (e.g. CO2) between the atmosphere and the land surface locally and globally. Understanding wind farm-atmosphere interactions and subsequent environmental impacts are complicated by the effects of turbine array configuration, wind farm size, land-surface characteristics and atmospheric thermal stability. In particular, surface scalar flux is influenced by wind farms and needs to be appropriately parameterized in meso-scale and/or high-resolution numerical models. Wind-tunnel experiments of model wind farms with perfectly aligned and staggered configurations, having the same turbine distribution density, were conducted in a neutral turbulent boundary layer with a surface heat source. Turbulent flow and fluxes over and through the wind farm were measured using a custom x-wire/cold-wire anemometer; and surface scalar flux was measured with an array of surface-mounted heat flux sensors within the quasi-developed flow regime. Although the overall surface heat flux change produced by the wind farms was found to be small, with a net reduction of 4% for the staggered wind farm and nearly zero for the aligned wind farm, the highly heterogeneous spatial distribution of the surface heat flux, dependent on wind farm layout, is significant. The difference between the minimum and maximum surface heat fluxes could be up to 12% and 7% in aligned and staggered wind farms, respectively. This finding is important for planning intensive agriculture practices and optimizing agricultural land use with regard to wind energy project development. The well-controlled wind-tunnel experiments presented here also provide a first comprehensive dataset on turbulent flow and scalar transport in wind farms, which can be further used to develop and validate new parameterizations for surface scalar fluxes in numerical models.

Wind-induced upwelling in the Kerguelen Plateau region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gille, S. T.; Carranza, M. M.; Cambra, R.

2014-11-01

In contrast to most of the Southern Ocean, the Kerguelen Plateau supports an unusually strong spring chlorophyll (Chl a) bloom, likely because the euphotic zone in the region is supplied with higher iron concentrations. This study uses satellite wind, sea surface temperature (SST), and ocean color data to explore the impact of wind-driven processes on upwelling of cold (presumably iron-rich) water to the euphotic zone. Results show that, in the Kerguelen region, cold SSTs correlate with high wind speeds, implying that wind-mixing leads to enhanced vertical mixing. Cold SSTs also correlate with negative wind-stress curl, implying that Ekman pumping can further enhance upwelling. In the moderate to high eddy kinetic energy (EKE) regions surrounding Kerguelen, we find evidence of coupling between winds and SST gradients associated with mesoscale eddies, which can locally modulate the wind-stress curl. This coupling introduces persistent wind-stress curl patterns and Ekman pumping around these long-lived eddies, which may modulate the evolution of Chl a in the downstream plume far offshore. Close to the plateau, this eddy coupling breaks down. Kerguelen has a significant wind shadow on its downwind side, which changes position depending on the prevailing wind and which generates a wind-stress curl dipole that shifts location depending on wind direction. This leads to locally enhanced Ekman pumping for a few hundred kilometers downstream from the Kerguelen Plateau; Chl a values tend to be more elevated in places where wind-stress curl induces Ekman upwelling than in locations of downwelling, although the estimated upwelling rates are too small for this relationship to derive from direct effects on upward iron supply, and thus other processes, which remain to be determined, must also be involved in the establishment of these correlations. During the October and November (2011) KErguelen Ocean and Plateau compared Study (KEOPS-2) field program, wind conditions were fairly typical for the region, with enhanced Ekman upwelling expected to the north of the Kerguelen Islands.

43 CFR 3430.4-4 - Environmental costs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... and analyzing baseline data on surface water quality and quantity (collecting and analyzing samples...). (2) Groundwater—costs of collecting and analyzing baseline data on groundwater quality and quantity... analyzing baseline air quality data (purchasing rain, air direction, and wind guages and air samplers and...

43 CFR 3430.4-4 - Environmental costs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... and analyzing baseline data on surface water quality and quantity (collecting and analyzing samples...). (2) Groundwater—costs of collecting and analyzing baseline data on groundwater quality and quantity... analyzing baseline air quality data (purchasing rain, air direction, and wind guages and air samplers and...

43 CFR 3430.4-4 - Environmental costs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... and analyzing baseline data on surface water quality and quantity (collecting and analyzing samples...). (2) Groundwater—costs of collecting and analyzing baseline data on groundwater quality and quantity... analyzing baseline air quality data (purchasing rain, air direction, and wind guages and air samplers and...

43 CFR 3430.4-4 - Environmental costs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... and analyzing baseline data on surface water quality and quantity (collecting and analyzing samples...). (2) Groundwater—costs of collecting and analyzing baseline data on groundwater quality and quantity... analyzing baseline air quality data (purchasing rain, air direction, and wind guages and air samplers and...

Near-surface temperature lapse rates in a mountainous catchment in the Chilean Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayala; Schauwecker, S.; Pellicciotti, F.; McPhee, J. P.

2011-12-01

In mountainous areas, and in the Chilean Andes in particular, the irregular and sparse distribution of recording stations resolves insufficiently the variability of climatic factors such as precipitation, temperature and relative humidity. Assumptions about air temperature variability in space and time have a strong effect on the performance of hydrologic models that represent snow processes such as accumulation and ablation. These processes have large diurnal variations, and assumptions that average over longer time periods (days, weeks or months) may reduce the predictive capacity of these models under different climatic conditions from those for which they were calibrated. They also introduce large uncertainties when such models are used to predict processes with strong subdiurnal variability such as snowmelt dynamics. In many applications and modeling exercises, temperature is assumed to decrease linearly with elevation, using the free-air moist adiabatic lapse rate (MALR: 0.0065°C/m). Little evidence is provided for this assumption, however, and recent studies have shown that use of lapse rates that are uniform in space and constant in time is not appropriate. To explore the validity of this approach, near-surface (2 m) lapse rates were calculated and analyzed at different temporal resolution, based on a new data set of spatially distributed temperature sensors setup in a high elevation catchment of the dry Andes of Central Chile (approx. 33°S). Five minutes temperature data were collected between January 2011 and April 2011 in the Ojos de Agua catchment, using two Automatic Weather Stations (AWSs) and 13 T-loggers (Hobo H8 Pro Temp with external data logger), ranging in altitude from 2230 to 3590 m.s.l.. The entire catchment was snow free during our experiment. We use this unique data set to understand the main controls over temperature variability in time and space, and test whether lapse rates can be used to describe the spatial variations of air temperature in a high elevation catchment. Our main result is that the assumption of a MALR is appropriate to describe the average variability of temperature over the entire measurement period (and possibly for daily scales), but that hourly near-surface lapse rates vary considerably and can deviate strongly from the MALR. This diurnal variability in lapse rates is associated with changes in wind direction and variations in wind velocity. Shallow lapse rates, in particular, occur during the morning, in correspondence to low wind speeds and change in wind direction from katabatic wind to valley wind and are associated with a weaker correlation between air temperature and elevation, while steeper lapse rates (meaning by this that temperature decreases more with elevation) closer to the MALR are typical of the afternoon hours from 13.00 on (and correspond to high wind speed), and are representative of a more linear dependency between air temperature and elevation. The steepest LRs, however, occur in the evening at 20.00-21.00, when wind velocity drops again and wind direction changes from valley wind to katabatic wind. It is clear that the wind regime is the main controls on LRs variability, and it is important to validate these findings with data sets from a second season.

NFLUX PRE: Validation of New Specific Humidity, Surface Air Temperature, and Wind Speed Algorithms for Ascending/Descending Directions and Clear or Cloudy Conditions

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-18

providing all three surface state variables: TA, QA, and U10. It flies as part of the “A-Train” afternoon constellation (see http://atrain.nasa.gov...Chao (2006). Rainfall Estimation of Mesoscale Convective Systems using AMSU-A data during the Mei-Yu Season . Terr. Atmos. Ocean. Sci., 17, 91-109

Meteorological data for four sites at surface-disruption features in Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, 1985-86

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carman, Rita L.

1994-01-01

Surface-disruption features, or craters, resulting from underground nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site may increase the potential for ground-water recharge in an area that would normally produce little, if any, recharge. This report presents selected meteorological data resulting from a study of two surface-disruption features during May 1985 through June 1986. The data were collected at four adjacent sites in Yucca Flat, about 56 kilometers north of Mercury, Nevada. Three sites (one in each of two craters and one at an undisturbed site at the original land surface) were instrumented to collect meteorological data for calculating bare-soil evaporation. These data include (1) long-wave radiation, (2) short-wave radiation, (3) net radiation, (4) air temperae, and (5) soil surface temperature. Meteorological data also were collected at a weather station at an undisturbed site near the study craters. Data collected at this site include (1) air temperature, (2) relative humidity, (3) wind velocity, and (4) wind direction.

Space Weathering Agent: Solar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martel, L. M. V.

2009-08-01

In the vacuum of space, the interactions of energetic particles with the surfaces of airless planetary bodies cause radiation damage, chemical changes, optical changes, erosional sputtering, and heat. This is an essential part of the process called space weathering. A group at the Laboratory for Atomic and Surface Physics at the University of Virginia specialize in experiments, among other things, where they bombard surfaces with charged particles to see what happens. Recent work by Mark Loeffler, Cathy Dukes, and Raul Baragiola focused on what happens to olivine mineral grains when they are irradiated by helium ions to better understand the effects of solar wind on the surface composition and, therefore, appearance of asteroids. Their experiments were the first to measure chemical and reflectance changes in olivine before and after irradiation while still under vacuum conditions. The resulting changes in the reflectance spectra of olivine slabs and powders are directly correlated with the formation of metallic iron in the very outer surface of the mineral grains.

An Investigation of the Sources of Earth-directed Solar Wind during Carrington Rotation 2053

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazakerley, A. N.; Harra, L. K.; van Driel-Gesztelyi, L.

2016-06-01

In this work we analyze multiple sources of solar wind through a full Carrington Rotation (CR 2053) by analyzing the solar data through spectroscopic observations of the plasma upflow regions and the in situ data of the wind itself. Following earlier authors, we link solar and in situ observations by a combination of ballistic backmapping and potential-field source-surface modeling. We find three sources of fast solar wind that are low-latitude coronal holes. The coronal holes do not produce a steady fast wind, but rather a wind with rapid fluctuations. The coronal spectroscopic data from Hinode’s Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer show a mixture of upflow and downflow regions highlighting the complexity of the coronal hole, with the upflows being dominant. There is a mix of open and multi-scale closed magnetic fields in this region whose (interchange) reconnections are consistent with the up- and downflows they generate being viewed through an optically thin corona, and with the strahl directions and freeze-in temperatures found in in situ data. At the boundary of slow and fast wind streams there are three short periods of enhanced-velocity solar wind, which we term intermediate based on their in situ characteristics. These are related to active regions that are located beside coronal holes. The active regions have different magnetic configurations, from bipolar through tripolar to quadrupolar, and we discuss the mechanisms to produce this intermediate wind, and the important role that the open field of coronal holes adjacent to closed-field active regions plays in the process.

One year of vertical wind profiles measurements at a Mediterranean coastal site of South Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calidonna, Claudia Roberta; Avolio, Elenio; Federico, Stefano; Gullì, Daniel; Lo Feudo, Teresa; Sempreviva, Anna Maria

2015-04-01

In order to develop wind farms projects is challenging to site them on coastal areas both onshore and offshore as suitable sites. Developing projects need high quality databases under a wide range of atmospheric conditions or high resolution models that could resolve the effect of the coastal discontinuity in the surface properties. New parametrizations are important and high quality databases are also needed for formulating them. Ground-based remote sensing devices such as lidars have been shown to be functional for studying the evolution of the vertical wind structure coastal atmospheric boundary layer both on- and offshore. Here, we present results from a year of vertical wind profiles, wind speed and direction, monitoring programme at a site located in the Italian Calabria Region, Central Mediterranean, 600m from the Thyrrenian coastline, where a Lidar Doppler, ZephIr (ZephIr ltd) has been operative since July 2013. The lidar monitors wind speed and direction from 10m up to 300m at 10 vertical levels with an average of 10 minutes and it is supported by a metmast providing: Atmospheric Pressure, Solar Radiation, Precipitation, Relative Humidity, Temperature,Wind Speed and Direction at 10m. We present the characterization of wind profiles during one year period according to the time of the day to transition periods night/day/night classified relating the local scale, breeze scale, to the large scale conditions. The dataset is also functional for techniques for short-term prediction of wind for the renewable energy integration in the distribution grids. The site infrastructure is funded within the Project "Infrastructure of High Technology for Environmental and Climate Monitoring" (I-AMICA) (PONa3_00363) by the Italian National Operative Program (PON 2007-2013) and European Regional Development Fund. Real-time data are show on http://www.i-amica.it/i-amica/?page_id=1122.

Analysis of Wind Characteristics at United States Tall Tower Measurement Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, D.; Schwartz, M.; Scott, G.; Haymes, S.

2008-12-01

A major initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is to ensure that 20% of the country's electricity is produced by wind energy by the year 2030. An understanding of the boundary layer characteristics, especially at elevated heights greater than 80 meters (m) above the surface is a key factor for wind turbine design, wind plant layout, and identifying potential markets for advanced wind technology. The wind resource group at the DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory is analyzing wind data collected at tall (80+ m) towers across the United States. The towers established by both public and private initiative, measure wind characteristics at multiple levels above the surface, with the highest measurement levels generally between 80 and 110 m. A few locations have measurements above 200 m. Measurements of wind characteristics over a wide range of heights are useful to: (1) characterize the local and regional wind climate; (2) validate wind resource estimates derived from numerical models; and (3) directly assess and analyze specific wind resource characteristics such as wind speed shear over the turbine blade swept area. The majority of the available public tall tower measurement sites are located between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains. The towers are not evenly distributed among the states. The states with the largest number of towers include Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas. These states have five or six towers collecting data. Other states with multiple tower locations include Texas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Ohio. The primary consideration when analyzing the data from the tall towers is identifying tower flow effects that not only can produce slightly misleading average wind speeds, but also significantly misleading wind speed shear values. In addition, the periods-of-record of most tall tower data are only one to two years in length. The short data collection time frame does not significantly affect the diurnal wind speed pattern though it does complicate analysis of seasonal wind patterns. The tall tower data analysis revealed some distinct regional features of wind shear climatology. For example, the wind shear exponent (alpha) at the towers in the Central Plains is generally between 0.15 and 0.25, greater than the commonly used 1/7 power law exponent value of 0.143. Another characteristic of Central Plains wind climatology was that winds from the south had alpha values of 0.2 to 0.3, while northerly winds had lower alpha values from 0.1 to 0.2. The wind resource at a particular tower is affected not only by the regional climatology but also by local conditions such as terrain, surface roughness, and structure of the lower boundary layer.

A wind tunnel study of flows over idealised urban surfaces with roughness sublayer corrections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Yat-Kiu; Liu, Chun-Ho

2017-10-01

Dynamics in the roughness (RSLs) and inertial (ISLs) sublayers in the turbulent boundary layers (TBLs) over idealised urban surfaces are investigated analytically and experimentally. In this paper, we derive an analytical solution to the mean velocity profile, which is a continuous function applicable to both RSL and ISL, over rough surfaces in isothermal conditions. Afterwards, a modified mixing-length model for RSL/ISL transport is developed that elucidates how surface roughness affects the turbulence motions. A series of wind tunnel experiments are conducted to measure the vertical profiles of mean and fluctuating velocities, together with momentum flux over various configurations of surface-mounted ribs in cross flows using hot-wire anemometry (HWA). The analytical solution agrees well with the wind tunnel result that improves the estimate to mean velocity profile over urban surfaces and TBL dynamics as well. The thicknesses of RSL and ISL are calculated by monitoring the convergence/divergence between the temporally averaged and spatio-temporally averaged profiles of momentum flux. It is found that the height of RSL/ISL interface is a function of surface roughness. Examining the direct, physical influence of roughness elements on near-surface RSL flows reveals that the TBL flows over rough surfaces exhibit turbulence motions of two different length scales which are functions of the RSL and ISL structure. Conclusively, given a TBL, the rougher the surface, the higher is the RSL intruding upward that would thinner the ISL up to 50 %. Therefore, the conventional ISL log-law approximation to TBL flows over urban surfaces should be applied with caution.

Relationships between airborne pollen grains, wind direction and land cover using GIS and circular statistics.

PubMed

Maya-Manzano, J M; Sadyś, M; Tormo-Molina, R; Fernández-Rodríguez, S; Oteros, J; Silva-Palacios, I; Gonzalo-Garijo, A

2017-04-15

Airborne bio-aerosol content (mainly pollen and spores) depends on the surrounding vegetation and weather conditions, particularly wind direction. In order to understand this issue, maps of the main land cover in influence areas of 10km in radius surrounding pollen traps were created. Atmospheric content of the most abundant 14 pollen types was analysed in relation to the predominant wind directions measured in three localities of SW of Iberian Peninsula, from March 2011 to March 2014. Three Hirst type traps were used for aerobiological monitoring. The surface area for each land cover category was calculated and wind direction analysis was approached by using circular statistics. This method could be helpful for estimating the potential risk of exposure to various pollen types. Thus, the main land cover was different for each monitoring location, being irrigated crops, pastures and hardwood forests the main categories among 11 types described. Comparison of the pollen content with the predominant winds and land cover shows that the atmospheric pollen concentration is related to some source areas identified in the inventory. The study found that some pollen types (e.g. Plantago, Fraxinus-Phillyrea, Alnus) come from local sources but other pollen types (e.g. Quercus) are mostly coming from longer distances. As main conclusions, airborne particle concentrations can be effectively split by addressing wind with circular statistics. By combining circular statistics and GIS method with aerobiological data, we have created a useful tool for understanding pollen origin. Some pollen loads can be explained by immediate surrounding landscape and observed wind patterns for most of the time. However, other factors like medium or long-distance transport or even pollen trap location within a city, may occasionally affect the pollen load recorded using an air sampler. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simulation of oceanic whitecaps and their reflectance characteristics in the short wavelength infrared.

PubMed

Schwenger, Frédéric; Repasi, Endre

2017-02-20

The knowledge of the spatial energy (or power) distribution of light beams reflected at the dynamic sea surface is of great practical interest in maritime environments. For the estimation of the light energy reflected into a specific spatial direction a lot of parameters need to be taken into account. Both whitecap coverage and its optical properties have a large impact upon the calculated value. In published literature, for applications considering vertical light propagation paths, such as bathymetric lidar, the reflectance of sea surface and whitecaps are approximated by constant values. For near-horizontal light propagation paths the optical properties of the sea surface and the whitecaps must be considered in greater detail. The calculated light energy reflected into a specific direction varies statistically and depends largely on the dynamics of the wavy sea surface and the dynamics of whitecaps. A 3D simulation of the dynamic sea surface populated with whitecaps is presented. The simulation considers the evolution of whitecaps depending on wind speed and fetch. The radiance calculation of the maritime scene (open sea/clear sky) populated with whitecaps is done in the short wavelength infrared spectral band. Wave hiding and shadowing, especially occurring at low viewing angles, are considered. The specular reflection of a light beam at the sea surface in the absence of whitecaps is modeled by an analytical statistical bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of the sea surface. For whitecaps, a specific BRDF is used by taking into account their shadowing function. To ensure the credibility of the simulation, the whitecap coverage is determined from simulated image sequences for different wind speeds and compared to whitecap coverage functions from literature. The impact of whitecaps on the radiation balance for bistatic configuration of light source and receiver is calculated for a different incident (zenith/azimuth angles) of the light beam and is presented for two different wind speeds.

Coaxial volumetric velocimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneiders, Jan F. G.; Scarano, Fulvio; Jux, Constantin; Sciacchitano, Andrea

2018-06-01

This study describes the working principles of the coaxial volumetric velocimeter (CVV) for wind tunnel measurements. The measurement system is derived from the concept of tomographic PIV in combination with recent developments of Lagrangian particle tracking. The main characteristic of the CVV is its small tomographic aperture and the coaxial arrangement between the illumination and imaging directions. The system consists of a multi-camera arrangement subtending only few degrees solid angle and a long focal depth. Contrary to established PIV practice, laser illumination is provided along the same direction as that of the camera views, reducing the optical access requirements to a single viewing direction. The laser light is expanded to illuminate the full field of view of the cameras. Such illumination and imaging conditions along a deep measurement volume dictate the use of tracer particles with a large scattering area. In the present work, helium-filled soap bubbles are used. The fundamental principles of the CVV in terms of dynamic velocity and spatial range are discussed. Maximum particle image density is shown to limit tracer particle seeding concentration and instantaneous spatial resolution. Time-averaged flow fields can be obtained at high spatial resolution by ensemble averaging. The use of the CVV for time-averaged measurements is demonstrated in two wind tunnel experiments. After comparing the CVV measurements with the potential flow in front of a sphere, the near-surface flow around a complex wind tunnel model of a cyclist is measured. The measurements yield the volumetric time-averaged velocity and vorticity field. The measurements of the streamlines in proximity of the surface give an indication of the skin-friction lines pattern, which is of use in the interpretation of the surface flow topology.

Chapter 13. Atmospheric Dynamics and Meteorology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flasar, F. M.; Baines, K. H.; Bird, M. K.; Tokano, T.

2009-01-01

Titan, after Venus, is the second example in the solar system of an atmosphere with a global cyclostrophic circulation, but in this case a circulation that has a strong seasonal modulation in the middle atmosphere. Direct measurement of Titan's winds, particularly observations tracking the Huygens probe at 10 deg S, indicate that the zonal winds are mostly in the sense of the satellite's rotation. They generally increase with altitude and become cyclostrophic near 35 km above the surface. An exception to this is a sharp minimum centered near 75 km, where the wind velocity decreases to nearly zero. Zonal winds derived from temperatures retrieved from Cassini orbiter measurements, using the thermal wind equation, indicate a strong winter circumpolar vortex, with maximum winds of 190 m/s at mid northern latitudes near 300 km. Above this level, the vortex decays. Curiously, the stratospheric zonal winds and temperatures in both hemispheres are symmetric about a pole that is offset from the surface pole by about 4 deg. The cause of this is not well understood, but it may reflect the response of a cyclostrophic circulation to the onset between the equator, where the distance to the rotation axis is greatest, and the seasonally varying subsolar latitude. The mean meridional circulation can be inferred from the temperature field and the meridional distribution of organic molecules and condensates and hazes. Both the warm temperatures near 400 km and the enhanced concentration of several organic molecules suggest subsidence in the north polar region during winter and early spring. Stratospheric condensates are localized at high northern latitudes, with a sharp cut-off near 50 deg N. Titan's winter polar vortex appears to share many of the same characteristics of isolating high and low-latitude air masses as do the winter polar vortices on Earth that envelop the ozone holes. Global mapping of temperatures, winds, and composition in the troposphere, by contrast, is incomplete. The few suitable discrete clouds that have been found for tracking indicate smaller velocities than aloft, consistent: with the Huygens measurements, Along the descent trajectory, the Huygens measurements indicate eastward zonal winds down to 7 km, where they shift westward, and then eastward again below 1 km dawn to the surface. The low-latitude dune fields seen in Cassini RADAR images have been interpreted as longitudinal dunes occurring in a mean eastward zonal wind. This is not like Earth, where the low-latitude winds are westward above the surface. Because the net zonal-mean time-averaged torque exerted by the surface on the atmosphere should vanish, there must be westward flow over part of the surface; the question is where and when. The meridional contrast in tropospheric temperatures deduced from radio occultations at low, mid, and high latitudes. is small, approximately 5 K at the tropopause and approximately 3 K at the surface. This implies efficient heat transport, probably by axisymmetric meridional circulations. The effect of the methane "hydrological" cycle on the atmospheric circulation is not well constrained by existing measurements, Understanding the mature of the surface-atmosphere coupling will be critical to elucidating the atmospheric transports of momentum, heat, and volatiles.

Revealing The Impact Of Climate Variability On The Wind Resource Using Data Mining Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clifton, A.; Lundquist, J. K.

2011-12-01

Wind turbines harvest energy from the wind. Winds at heights where industrial-scale turbines operate, up to 200 m above ground, experience a complex interaction between the atmosphere and the Earth's surface. Previous studies for a variety of locations have shown that the wind resource varies over time. In some locations, this variability can be related to large-scale climate oscillations as revealed in climate indices such as the El-Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). These indices can be used to quantify climate change in the past, and can also be extracted from models of future climate. Understanding the correlation between climate indices and wind resources therefore allows us to understand how climate change may influence wind energy production. We present a new methodology for assessing relevant climate modes of oscillation at a given site in order to quantify future wind resource variability. We demonstrate the method on a 14-year record of 10-minute averaged wind speed and wind direction data from several levels of an 80m tower at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) National Wind Technology Center near Boulder, Colorado. Data mining techniques (based on k-means clustering) identify 4 major groups of wind speed and direction. After removing annual means, each cluster was compared to a series of climate indices, including the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI). Statistically significant relationships emerge between individual clusters and climate indices. At this location, this result is consistent with the MEI's relationship with other meteorological parameters, such as precipitation, in the Rocky Mountain Region. The presentation will illustrate these relationships between wind resource at this location and other relevant climate indices, and suggest how these relationships can provide a foundation for quantifying the potential future variability of wind energy production at this site and others.

A morning transition case between the land and the sea breeze regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez, Maria A.; Simó, Gemma; Wrenger, Burkhard; Telisman-Prtenjak, Maja; Guijarro, Jose A.; Cuxart, Joan

2015-04-01

To better understand the diurnal cycle of the Sea-Breeze (SB) in the island of Mallorca, during September 2013 the Mallorca Sea Breeze experimental field campaign (MSB13) took place in the Campos basin (located in the south side of the island). Measurements in the lower boundary layer (captive balloon and multicopter) and close to the surface were taken in a site close to the coast (500m inland). In this work an observed morning transition of the SB is further analysed through the observations and a high-resolution mesoscale simulation of this selected case. With the combined inspection of model results and observations, it is found that during the night-time the air flows out of the island: a land-breeze is found near the coast and downslope winds at the mountain slopes. After sunrise and during the previous phase (0600-0800 UTC) the temperature difference between land and sea is reduced meanwhile the wind has the land-breeze direction. During the preparatory phase (0800-1000 UTC) the land surface temperature is warmer than the sea and the wind weakens and veers towards the SB direction. Finally, during the development phase (1000-1200 UTC) the SB front propagates through the center of the Campos basin to the end of the basin, enhanced by the mountain upslope winds. Therefore, the radiative warming stops. The temperature, momentum and TKE budgets are used to understand the most relevant physical processes involved in each of the phases.

Turbulent flow and scalar transport in a large wind farm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porte-Agel, F.; Markfort, C. D.; Zhang, W.

2012-12-01

Wind energy is one of the fastest growing sources of renewable energy world-wide, and it is expected that many more large-scale wind farms will be built and cover a significant portion of land and ocean surfaces. By extracting kinetic energy from the atmospheric boundary layer and converting it to electricity, wind farms may affect the transport of momentum, heat, moisture and trace gases (e.g. CO_2) between the atmosphere and the land surface locally and globally. Understanding wind farm-atmosphere interaction is complicated by the effects of turbine array configuration, wind farm size, land-surface characteristics, and atmospheric thermal stability. A wind farm of finite length may be modeled as an added roughness or as a canopy in large-scale weather and climate models. However, it is not clear which analogy is physically more appropriate. Also, surface scalar flux is affected by wind farms and needs to be properly parameterized in meso-scale and/or high-resolution numerical models. Experiments involving model wind farms, with perfectly aligned and staggered configurations, having the same turbine distribution density, were conducted in a thermally-controlled boundary-layer wind tunnel. A neutrally stratified turbulent boundary layer was developed with a surface heat source. Measurements of the turbulent flow and fluxes over and through the wind farm were made using a custom x-wire/cold-wire anemometer; and surface scalar flux was measured with an array of surface-mounted heat flux sensors far within the quasi-developed region of the wind-farm. The turbulence statistics exhibit similar properties to those of canopy-type flows, but retain some characteristics of surface-layer flows in a limited region above the wind farms as well. The flow equilibrates faster and the overall momentum absorption is higher for the staggered compared to the aligned farm, which is consistent with canopy scaling and leads to a larger effective roughness. Although the overall surface heat flux change produced by the wind farms is found to be small, with a net reduction of 4% for the staggered wind farm and nearly zero change for the aligned wind farm, the highly heterogeneous spatial distribution of the surface heat flux, dependent on wind farm layout, is significant. This comprehensive first wind-tunnel dataset on turbulent flow and scalar transport in wind farms will be further used to develop and validate new parameterizations of surface fluxes in numerical models.

Expertise effects in cutaneous wind perception.

PubMed

Pluijms, Joost P; Cañal-Bruland, Rouwen; Bergmann Tiest, Wouter M; Mulder, Fabian A; Savelsbergh, Geert J P

2015-08-01

We examined whether expertise effects are present in cutaneous wind perception. To this end, we presented wind stimuli consisting of different wind directions and speeds in a wind simulator. The wind simulator generated wind stimuli from 16 directions and with three speeds by means of eight automotive wind fans. Participants were asked to judge cutaneously perceived wind directions and speeds without having access to any visual or auditory information. Expert sailors (n = 6), trained to make the most effective use of wind characteristics, were compared to less-skilled sailors (n = 6) and to a group of nonsailors (n = 6). The results indicated that expert sailors outperformed nonsailors in perceiving wind direction (i.e., smaller mean signed errors) when presented with low wind speeds. This suggests that expert sailors are more sensitive in picking up differences in wind direction, particularly when confronted with low wind speeds that demand higher sensitivity.

Use of the Azimuth Wavelength Cut-Off to Retrieve the Sea Surface Wind Speed from Sentinel 1 and COSMO-SkyMed SAR Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grieco, G.; Nirchio, F.; Montuori, A.; Migliaccio, M.; Lin, W.; Portabella, M.

2016-08-01

The dependency of the azimuth wavelength cut-off on the wind speed has been studied through a dataset of Sentinel-1 multi look SAR images co-located with wind speed measurements, significant wave height and mean wave direction from ECMWF operational output.A Geophysical Model Function (GMF) has been fitted and a retrieval exercise has been done comparing the results to a set of independent wind speed scatterometer measurements of the Chinese mission HY-2A. The preliminary results show that the dependency of the azimuth cut-off on the wind speed is linear only for fully developed sea states and that the agreement between the retrieved values and the measurements is good especially for high wind speed.A similar approach has been used to assess the dependency of the azimuth cut-off also for X-band COSMO-SkyMed data. The dataset is still incomplete but the preliminary results show a similar trend.

Effect of Space Radiation Processing on Lunar Soil Surface Chemistry: X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dukes, C.; Loeffler, M.J.; Baragiola, R.; Christoffersen, R.; Keller, J.

2009-01-01

Current understanding of the chemistry and microstructure of the surfaces of lunar soil grains is dominated by a reference frame derived mainly from electron microscopy observations [e.g. 1,2]. These studies have shown that the outermost 10-100 nm of grain surfaces in mature lunar soil finest fractions have been modified by the combined effects of solar wind exposure, surface deposition of vapors and accretion of impact melt products [1,2]. These processes produce surface-correlated nanophase Feo, host grain amorphization, formation of surface patinas and other complex changes [1,2]. What is less well understood is how these changes are reflected directly at the surface, defined as the outermost 1-5 atomic monolayers, a region not easily chemically characterized by TEM. We are currently employing X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to study the surface chemistry of lunar soil samples that have been previously studied by TEM. This work includes modification of the grain surfaces by in situ irradiation with ions at solar wind energies to better understand how irradiated surfaces in lunar grains change their chemistry once exposed to ambient conditions on earth.

Historical winter weather assessment for snow fence design using a numerical weather model.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-30

Noriaki Ohara, Ph.D., Assistant Professor (0000-0002-7829-0779) : Snow fence is an effective hazard mitigation measure for the low visibility and low friction of the road surface under : winter weather condition. Prevailing wind directions and snow p...

47 CFR 87.525 - Scope of service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Automatic Weather Stations (AWOS/ASOS) § 87.525 Scope of service. Automatic weather observation stations (AWOS) and automatic surface observation stations (ASOS) must provide up-to-date weather information including the time of the latest weather sequence, altimeter setting, wind speed and direction, dew point...

47 CFR 87.525 - Scope of service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Automatic Weather Stations (AWOS/ASOS) § 87.525 Scope of service. Automatic weather observation stations (AWOS) and automatic surface observation stations (ASOS) must provide up-to-date weather information including the time of the latest weather sequence, altimeter setting, wind speed and direction, dew point...

47 CFR 87.525 - Scope of service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Automatic Weather Stations (AWOS/ASOS) § 87.525 Scope of service. Automatic weather observation stations (AWOS) and automatic surface observation stations (ASOS) must provide up-to-date weather information including the time of the latest weather sequence, altimeter setting, wind speed and direction, dew point...

47 CFR 87.525 - Scope of service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Automatic Weather Stations (AWOS/ASOS) § 87.525 Scope of service. Automatic weather observation stations (AWOS) and automatic surface observation stations (ASOS) must provide up-to-date weather information including the time of the latest weather sequence, altimeter setting, wind speed and direction, dew point...

47 CFR 87.525 - Scope of service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Automatic Weather Stations (AWOS/ASOS) § 87.525 Scope of service. Automatic weather observation stations (AWOS) and automatic surface observation stations (ASOS) must provide up-to-date weather information including the time of the latest weather sequence, altimeter setting, wind speed and direction, dew point...

14 CFR Appendix E to Part 121 - Flight Training Requirements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... takeoff run after reaching a reasonable speed determined by giving due consideration to aircraft characteristics, runway length, surface conditions, wind direction and velocity, brake heat energy, and any other... appropriate speed for nontransport category airplanes For transition training in an airplane group with...

Composite Behavior of Insulated Concrete Sandwich Wall Panels Subjected to Wind Pressure and Suction.

PubMed

Choi, Insub; Kim, JunHee; Kim, Ho-Ryong

2015-03-19

A full-scale experimental test was conducted to analyze the composite behavior of insulated concrete sandwich wall panels (ICSWPs) subjected to wind pressure and suction. The experimental program was composed of three groups of ICSWP specimens, each with a different type of insulation and number of glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) shear grids. The degree of composite action of each specimen was analyzed according to the load direction, type of the insulation, and number of GFRP shear grids by comparing the theoretical and experimental values. The failure modes of the ICSWPs were compared to investigate the effect of bonds according to the load direction and type of insulation. Bonds based on insulation absorptiveness were effective to result in the composite behavior of ICSWP under positive loading tests only, while bonds based on insulation surface roughness were effective under both positive and negative loading tests. Therefore, the composite behavior based on surface roughness can be applied to the calculation of the design strength of ICSWPs with continuous GFRP shear connectors.

Measuring ocean waves from space; Proceedings of the Symposium, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD, Apr. 15-17, 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beal, Robert C. (Editor)

1987-01-01

Papers are presented on ocean-wave prediction; the quasi-universal form of the spectra of wind-generated gravity waves at different stages of their development; the limitations of the spectral measurements and observations of the group structure of surface waves; the effect of swell on the growth of wind wave; operational wave forecasting; ocean-wave models, and seakeeping using directional wave spectra. Consideration is given to microwave measurements of the ocean-wave directional spectra; SIR research; estimating wave energy spectra from SAR imagery, with the radar ocean-wave spectrometer, and SIR-B; the wave-measurement capabilities of the surface contour radar and the airborne oceanographic lidar; and SIR-B ocean-wave enhancement with fast-Fourier transform techniques. Topics discussed include wave-current interaction; the design and applicability of Spectrasat; the need for a global wave monitoring system; the age and source of ocean swell observed in Hurricane Josephine; and the use of satellite technology for insulin treatment.

Thirty-four years of Hawaii wave hindcast from downscaling of climate forecast system reanalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ning; Cheung, Kwok Fai; Stopa, Justin E.; Hsiao, Feng; Chen, Yi-Leng; Vega, Luis; Cross, Patrick

2016-04-01

The complex wave climate of Hawaii includes a mix of seasonal swells and wind waves from all directions across the Pacific. Numerical hindcasting from surface winds provides essential space-time information to complement buoy and satellite observations for studies of the marine environment. We utilize WAVEWATCH III and SWAN (Simulating WAves Nearshore) in a nested grid system to model basin-wide processes as well as high-resolution wave conditions around the Hawaiian Islands from 1979 to 2013. The wind forcing includes the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) for the globe and downscaled regional winds from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Long-term in-situ buoy measurements and remotely-sensed wind speeds and wave heights allow thorough assessment of the modeling approach and data products for practical application. The high-resolution WRF winds, which include orographic and land-surface effects, are validated with QuickSCAT observations from 2000 to 2009. The wave hindcast reproduces the spatial patterns of swell and wind wave events detected by altimeters on multiple platforms between 1991 and 2009 as well as the seasonal variations recorded at 16 offshore and nearshore buoys around the Hawaiian Islands from 1979 to 2013. The hindcast captures heightened seas in interisland channels and around prominent headlands, but tends to overestimate the heights of approaching northwest swells and give lower estimates in sheltered areas. The validated high-resolution hindcast sets a baseline for future improvement of spectral wave models.

Perturbations to the Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of the Diurnally-Varying Atmospheric Boundary Layer Due to an Extensive Wind Farm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, V.; Parlange, M. B.; Calaf, M.

2017-02-01

The effect of extensive terrestrial wind farms on the spatio-temporal structure of the diurnally-evolving atmospheric boundary layer is explored. High-resolution large-eddy simulations of a realistic diurnal cycle with an embedded wind farm are performed. Simulations are forced by a constant geostrophic velocity with time-varying surface boundary conditions derived from a selected period of the CASES-99 field campaign. Through analysis of the bulk statistics of the flow as a function of height and time, it is shown that extensive wind farms shift the inertial oscillations and the associated nocturnal low-level jet vertically upwards by approximately 200 m; cause a three times stronger stratification between the surface and the rotor-disk region, and as a consequence, delay the formation and growth of the convective boundary layer (CBL) by approximately 2 h. These perturbations are shown to have a direct impact on the potential power output of an extensive wind farm with the displacement of the low-level jet causing lower power output during the night as compared to the day. The low-power regime at night is shown to persist for almost 2 h beyond the morning transition due to the reduced growth of the CBL. It is shown that the wind farm induces a deeper entrainment region with greater entrainment fluxes. Finally, it is found that the diurnally-averaged effective roughness length for wind farms is much lower than the reference value computed theoretically for neutral conditions.

Model under-representation of decadal Pacific trade wind trends and its link to tropical Atlantic bias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kajtar, Jules B.; Santoso, Agus; McGregor, Shayne; England, Matthew H.; Baillie, Zak

2018-02-01

The strengthening of the Pacific trade winds in recent decades has been unmatched in the observational record stretching back to the early twentieth century. This wind strengthening has been connected with numerous climate-related phenomena, including accelerated sea-level rise in the western Pacific, alterations to Indo-Pacific ocean currents, increased ocean heat uptake, and a slow-down in the rate of global-mean surface warming. Here we show that models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 underestimate the observed range of decadal trends in the Pacific trade winds, despite capturing the range in decadal sea surface temperature (SST) variability. Analysis of observational data suggests that tropical Atlantic SST contributes considerably to the Pacific trade wind trends, whereas the Atlantic feedback in coupled models is muted. Atmosphere-only simulations forced by observed SST are capable of recovering the time-variation and the magnitude of the trade wind trends. Hence, we explore whether it is the biases in the mean or in the anomalous SST patterns that are responsible for the under-representation in fully coupled models. Over interannual time-scales, we find that model biases in the patterns of Atlantic SST anomalies are the strongest source of error in the precipitation and atmospheric circulation response. In contrast, on decadal time-scales, the magnitude of the model biases in Atlantic mean SST are directly linked with the trade wind variability response.

Meroe Patera

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-11-26

This image is located in Meroe Patera (longitude: 292W/68E, latitude: 7.01), which is a small region within Syrtis Major Planitia. Syrtis Major is a low-relief shield volcano whose lava flows make up a plateau more than 1000 km across. These flows are of Hesperian age (Martian activity of intermediate age) and are believed to have originated from a series of volcanic depressions, called calderas. The caldera complex lies on extensions of the ring faults associated with the Isidis impact basin toward the northeast - thus Syrtis Major volcanism may be associated with post-impact adjustments of the Martian crust. The most striking feature in this image is the light streaks across the image that lead to dunes in the lower left region. Wind streaks are albedo markings interpreted to be formed by aeolian action on surface materials. Most are elongate and allow an interpretation of effective wind directions. Many streaks are time variable and thus provide information on seasonal or long-term changes in surface wind directions and strengths. The wind streaks in this image are lighter than their surroundings and are the most common type of wind streak found on Mars. These streaks are formed downwind from crater rims (as in this example), mesas, knobs, and other positive topographic features. The dune field in this image is a mixture of barchan dunes and transverse dunes. Dunes are among the most distinctive aeolian feature on Mars, and are similar in form to barchan and transverse dunes on Earth. This similarity is the best evidence to indicate that martian dunes are composed of sand-sized material, although the source and composition of the sand remain controversial. Both the observations of dunes and wind streaks indicate that this location has a windy environment - and these winds are persistent enough to product dunes, as sand-sized material accumulates in this region. These features also indicate that the winds in this region are originating from the right side of the image, and moving towards the left. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04012

Early Spring in Europe: A Result of More Dominant North-Atlantic Southwesterlies?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otterman, J.; Atlas, R.; Chase, T. N.; Chou, S.-H.; Jusem, J. C.; Pielke, R. A., Sr.; Rogers, J.; Russell, G. L.; Schubert, S. D.; Sud, Y. C.;

A comparison of wake characteristics of model and prototype buildings in transverse winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Logan, E., Jr.; Phataraphruk, P.; Chang, J.

1978-01-01

Previously measured mean velocity and turbulence intensity profiles in the wake of a 26.8-m long building 3.2 m high and transverse to the wind direction in an atmospheric boundary layer several hundred meters thick were compared with profiles at corresponding stations downstream of a 1/50-scale model on the floor of a large meteorological wind tunnel in a boundary layer 0.61 m in thickness. The validity of using model wake data to predict full scale data was determined. Preliminary results are presented which indicate that disparities result from differences in relative depth of logarithmic layers, surface roughness, and the proximity of upstream obstacles.

Wind-tunnel experiments of scalar transport in aligned and staggered wind farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, W.; Markfort, C. D.; Porté-Agel, F.

2012-04-01

Wind energy is the fastest growing renewable energy worldwide, and it is expected that many more large-scale wind farms will be built and will cover a significant portion of land and ocean surfaces. By extracting kinetic energy from the atmospheric boundary layer, wind farms may affect the exchange/transport of momentum, heat and moisture between the atmosphere and land surface. To ensure the long-term sustainability of wind energy, it is important to understand the influence of large-scale wind farms on land-atmosphere interaction. Knowledge of this impact will also be useful to improve parameterizations of wind farms in numerical prediction tools, such as large-scale weather models and large-eddy simulation. Here, we present wind-tunnel measurements of the surface scalar (heat) flux from model wind farms, consisting of more than 10 rows of wind turbines, in a turbulent boundary layer with a surface heat source. Spatially distributed surface heat flux was obtained in idealized aligned and staggered wind farm layouts, having the same turbine distribution density. Measurements, using surface-mounted heat flux sensors, were taken at the 11th out of 12 rows of wind turbines, where the mean flow achieves a quasi-equilibrium state. In the aligned farm, there exist two distinct regions of increased and decreased surface heat flux on either side of turbine columns. The regions are correlated with coherent wake rotation in the turbine-array. On the upwelling side there is decreased flux, while on the downwelling side cool air moves towards the surface causing increased flux. For the staggered farm, the surface heat flux exhibits a relatively uniform distribution and an overall reduction with respect to the boundary layer flow, except in the vicinity of the turbine tower. This observation is also supported by near-surface temperature and turbulent heat flux measured using a customized x-wire/cold-wire. The overall surface heat flux, relative to that of the boundary layer flow without wind turbines, is reduced by approximately 4% in the staggered wind farm and remains nearly the same in the aligned wind farm.

Measuring wintertime surface fluxes at the Tiksi observatory in northern Sakha (Yakutia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurila, Thomas; Aurela, Mika; Hatakka, Juha; Tuovinen, Juha-Pekka; Asmi, Eija; Kondratyev, Vladimir; Ivakhov, Victor; Reshetnikov, Alexander; Makshtas, Alexander; Uttal, Taneil

2013-04-01

Tiksi hydrometeorological observatory has been equipped by new instrumentation for meteorology, turbulence, trace gas and aerosols studies as a joint effort by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Roshydromet (Yakutian Hydrometeorological Service, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute and Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory units) and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI). The site is close to the coast of the Laptev Sea on deep permafrost soil with low tundra vegetation and patches of arctic semidesert. Near-by terrain is gently sloping to the south. Further away they are hills in the NE- and W-directions. Turbulence (3-d wind components and sonic temperature) was measured at 10 Hz by USA-1Scientific sonic by Metek, Gmbh. Concentrations of CO2 and H2O were measured by LiCor LI7000 analyzer and CH4 concentrations by Los Gatos RMT200 analyzer. Measurement height was 2.5m. Active layer freeze up took place in extended October period. Methane and carbon dioxide emissions were observed up to early December. Emissions to the atmosphere were enhanced by turbulence created by high wind speeds. Midwinter conditions existed from the end of October to the beginning of April based on rather constant negative net radiation between 20-30 Wm-2 that cools the surface and forms highly stable stratification. Weather conditions are characterized by either low or high wind speed modes. Roughly half of the time wind speed was low, below 2 ms-1. Then, katabatic winds were common and air temperature was between -40..-30°C. High wind speeds, up to 24 ms-1, were observed during synoptic disturbances which lasted typically a few days. In this presentation we will show climatology of surface layer characteristics in late autumn and winter. We will show frequency of well-developed turbulence vs. katabatic low wind speed conditions and related atmospheric stability. The effect of wind speed on methane and carbon dioxide emissions during the freezing period will be shown.

A two-concentric-loop iterative method in estimation of displacement height and roughness length for momentum and sensible heat.

PubMed

Zhao, Wenguang; Qualls, Russell J; Berliner, Pedro R

2008-11-01

A two-concentric-loop iterative (TCLI) method is proposed to estimate the displacement height and roughness length for momentum and sensible heat by using the measurements of wind speed and air temperature at two heights, sensible heat flux above the crop canopy, and the surface temperature of the canopy. This method is deduced theoretically from existing formulae and equations. The main advantage of this method is that data measured not only under near neutral conditions, but also under unstable and slightly stable conditions can be used to calculate the scaling parameters. Based on the data measured above an Acacia Saligna agroforestry system, the displacement height (d0) calculated by the TCLI method and by a conventional method are compared. Under strict neutral conditions, the two methods give almost the same results. Under unstable conditions, d0 values calculated by the conventional method are systematically lower than those calculated by the TCLI method, with the latter exhibiting only slightly lower values than those seen under strictly neutral conditions. Computation of the average values of the scaling parameters for the agroforestry system showed that the displacement height and roughness length for momentum are 68% and 9.4% of the average height of the tree canopy, respectively, which are similar to percentages found in the literature. The calculated roughness length for sensible heat is 6.4% of the average height of the tree canopy, a little higher than the percentages documented in the literature. When wind direction was aligned within 5 degrees of the row direction of the trees, the average displacement height calculated was about 0.6 m lower than when the wind blew across the row direction. This difference was statistically significant at the 0.0005 probability level. This implies that when the wind blows parallel to the row direction, the logarithmic profile of wind speed is shifted lower to the ground, so that, at a given height, the wind speeds are faster than when the wind blows perpendicular to the row direction.

Wind-Powered Wheel Locomotion, Initiated by Leaping Somersaults, in Larvae of the Southeastern Beach Tiger Beetle (Cicindela dorsalis media)

PubMed Central

Harvey, Alan; Zukoff, Sarah

2011-01-01

Rapid movement is challenging for elongate, soft-bodied animals with short or no legs. Leaping is known for only a few animals with this “worm-like” morphology. Wheel locomotion, in which the animal's entire body rolls forward along a central axis, has been reported for only a handful of animals worldwide. Here we present the first documented case of wind-powered wheel locomotion, in larvae of the coastal tiger beetle Cicindela dorsalis media. When removed from their shallow burrows, larvae easily can be induced to enter a behavioral sequence that starts with leaping; while airborne, larvae loop their body into a rotating wheel and usually either “hit the ground rolling” or leap again. The direction larvae wheel is closely related to the direction in which winds are blowing; thus, all our larvae wheeled up-slope, as winds at our study site consistently blew from sea to land. Stronger winds increased both the proportion of larvae wheeling, and the distance traveled, exceeding 60 m in some cases. In addition, the proportion of larvae that wheel and the distance traveled by wheeling larvae are significantly greater on smooth sandy beaches than on beach surfaces made rough and irregular by pedestrian, equestrian, and vehicular traffic. Like other coastal species of tiger beetles, C. dorsalis media has suffered major declines in recent years that are clearly correlated with increased human impacts. The present study suggests that the negative effects of beach traffic may be indirect, preventing larvae from escaping from predators using wheel locomotion by disrupting the flat, hard surface necessary for efficient wheeling. PMID:21448275

Will surface winds weaken in response to global warming?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Jian; Foltz, Gregory R.; Soden, Brian J.; Huang, Gang; He, Jie; Dong, Changming

2016-12-01

The surface Walker and tropical tropospheric circulations have been inferred to slow down from historical observations and model projections, yet analysis of large-scale surface wind predictions is lacking. Satellite measurements of surface wind speed indicate strengthening trends averaged over the global and tropical oceans that are supported by precipitation and evaporation changes. Here we use corrected anemometer-based observations to show that the surface wind speed has not decreased in the averaged tropical oceans, despite its reduction in the region of the Walker circulation. Historical simulations and future projections for climate change also suggest a near-zero wind speed trend averaged in space, regardless of the Walker cell change. In the tropics, the sea surface temperature pattern effect acts against the large-scale circulation slow-down. For higher latitudes, the surface winds shift poleward along with the eddy-driven mid-latitude westerlies, resulting in a very small contribution to the global change in surface wind speed. Despite its importance for surface wind speed change, the influence of the SST pattern change on global-mean rainfall is insignificant since it cannot substantially alter the global energy balance. As a result, the precipitation response to global warming remains ‘muted’ relative to atmospheric moisture increase. Our results therefore show consistency between projections and observations of surface winds and precipitation.

Vortex Flap Technology: a Stability and Control Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carey, K. M.; Erickson, G. E.

1984-01-01

A comprehensive low-speed wind tunnel investigation was performed of leading edge vortex flaps applied to representative aircraft configurations. A determination was made of the effects of analytically- and empirically-designed vortex flaps on the static longitudinal and lateral-directional aerodynamics, stability, and control characteristics of fighter wings having leading-edge sweep angles of 45 to 76.5 degrees. The sensitivity to several configuration modifications was assessed, which included the effects of flap planform, leading- and trailing-edge flap deflection angles, wing location on the fuselage, forebody strakes, canards, and centerline and outboard vertical tails. Six-component forces and moments, wing surface static pressure distributions, and surface flow patterns were obtained using the Northrop 21- by 30-inch low-speed wind tunnel.

Cerberus Wind Streaks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

(Released 6 May 2002) The Science Cerberus is a dark region on Mars that has shrunk down from a continuous length of about 1000 km to roughly three discontinuous spots a few 100 kms in length in less than 20 years. There are two competing processes at work in the Cerberus region that produce the bright and dark features seen in this THEMIS image. Bright dust settles out of the atmosphere, especially after global dust storms, depositing a layer just thick enough to brighten the dark surfaces. Deposition occurs preferentially in the low wind 'shadow zones' within craters and downwind of crater rims, producing the bright streaks. The direction of the streaks clearly indicates that the dominant winds come from the northeast. Dust deposition would completely blot out the dark areas if it were not for the action of wind-blown sand grains scouring the surface and lifting the dust back into the atmosphere. Again, the shadow zones are protected from the blowing sand, preserving the bright layer of dust. Also visible in this image are lava flow features extending from the flanks of the huge Elysium volcanoes to the northwest. Two shallow channels and a raised flow lobe are just barely discernable. The lava channel in the middle of the image crosses the boundary of the bright and dark surfaces without any obvious change in its morphology. This demonstrates that the bright dust layer is very thin in this location, perhaps as little as a few millimeters. The Story Mars is an ever-changing land of spectacular contrasts. This THEMIS image shows the Cerberus region of Mars, a dark area located near the Elysium volcanoes and fittingly named after the three-headed, dragon-tailed dog who guards the door of the underworld. Two opposing processes are at work here: a thin layer of dust falling from the atmosphere and/or dust storms creating brighter surface areas (e.g. the top left portion of this image) and dust being scoured away by the action of the Martian wind disturbing the sand grains and freeing the lighter dust to fly away once more (the darker portions of this image). There are, however, some darker areas that are somewhat shielded and protected from the wind that have yielded bright, dusty crater floors and wind streaks that trail out behind the craters. These wind streaks tell a story all their own as to the prevailing wind direction coming from the northeast. This, added to the fact that this dark region was once 1000 km in length and has dwindled to just a few isolated dark splotches of 100 kilometers in the past 20 years, help us to see that the Martian environment is still quite dynamic and capable of changing. Finally, this being a volcanic region, a lobe of a lava flow from the immense Elysium volcanoes to the northwest is visible stretching across the bottom one-quarter of the image.

Final Report DE-EE0005380: Assessment of Offshore Wind Farm Effects on Sea Surface, Subsurface and Airborne Electronic Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ling, Hao; Hamilton, Mark F.; Bhalla, Rajan

2013-09-30

Offshore wind energy is a valuable resource that can provide a significant boost to the US renewable energy portfolio. A current constraint to the development of offshore wind farms is the potential for interference to be caused by large wind farms on existing electronic and acoustical equipment such as radar and sonar systems for surveillance, navigation and communications. The US Department of Energy funded this study as an objective assessment of possible interference to various types of equipment operating in the marine environment where offshore wind farms could be installed. The objective of this project was to conduct a baselinemore » evaluation of electromagnetic and acoustical challenges to sea surface, subsurface and airborne electronic systems presented by offshore wind farms. To accomplish this goal, the following tasks were carried out: (1) survey electronic systems that can potentially be impacted by large offshore wind farms, and identify impact assessment studies and research and development activities both within and outside the US, (2) engage key stakeholders to identify their possible concerns and operating requirements, (3) conduct first-principle modeling on the interactions of electromagnetic signals with, and the radiation of underwater acoustic signals from, offshore wind farms to evaluate the effect of such interactions on electronic systems, and (4) provide impact assessments, recommend mitigation methods, prioritize future research directions, and disseminate project findings. This report provides a detailed description of the methodologies used to carry out the study, key findings of the study, and a list of recommendations derived based the findings.« less

Mesh Dependence on Shear Driven Boundary Layers in Stable Stratification Generated by Large Eddy-Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Jacob; Patton, Edward G.; Sullivan, Peter S.

2017-11-01

The effect of mesh resolution and size on shear driven atmospheric boundary layers in a stable stratified environment is investigated with the NCAR pseudo-spectral LES model (J. Atmos. Sci. v68, p2395, 2011 and J. Atmos. Sci. v73, p1815, 2016). The model applies FFT in the two horizontal directions and finite differencing in the vertical direction. With vanishing heat flux at the surface and a capping inversion entraining potential temperature into the boundary layer the situation is often called the conditional neutral atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). Due to its relevance in high wind applications such as wind power meteorology, we emphasize on second order statistics important for wind turbines including spectral information. The simulations range from mesh sizes of 643 to 10243 grid points. Due to the non-stationarity of the problem, different simulations are compared at equal eddy-turnover times. Whereas grid convergence is mostly achieved in the middle portion of the ABL, statistics close to the surface of the ABL, where the presence of the ground limits the growth of the energy containing eddies, second order statistics are not converged on the studies meshes. Higher order structure functions also reveal non-Gaussian statistics highly dependent on the resolution.

Impact-generated winds on Venus: Causes and effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, Pater H.

1992-01-01

The pressure of the dense atmosphere of Venus significantly changes the appearance of ejecta deposits relative to craters on the Moon and Mercury. Conversely, specific styles and sequences of ejecta emplacement can be inferred to represent different intensities of atmospheric response winds acting over different timescales. Three characteristic timescales can be inferred from the geologic record: surface scouring and impactor-controlled (angle and direction) initiation of the long fluidized run-out flows; nonballistic emplacement of inner, radar-bright ejecta facies and radar-dark outer facies; and very late reworking of surface materials. These three timescales roughly correspond to processes observed in laboratory experiments that can be scaled to conditions on Venus (with appropriate assumptions): coupling between the atmosphere and earlytime vapor/melt (target and impactor) that produces an intense shock that subsequently evolves into blast/response winds; less energetic dynamic response of the atmosphere to the outward-moving ballistic ejecta curtain that generates nonthermal turbulent eddies; and late recovery of the atmosphere to impact-generated thermal and pressure gradients expressed as low-energy but long-lived winds. These different timescales and processes can be viewed as the atmosphere equivalent of shock melting, material motion, and far-field seismic response in the target. The three processes (early Processes, Atmospheric Processes, and Late Recovery Winds) are discussed at length.

Widespread land surface wind decline in the Northern Hemisphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vautard, R.; Cattiaux, J.; Yiou, P.; Thépaut, J.-N.; Ciais, P.

2010-09-01

The decline of surface wind observed in many regions of the world is a potential source of concern for wind power electricity generation. It is also suggested as the main cause of decreasing pan evaporation. In China, a persistent and significant decrease of monsoon winds was observed in all seasons. Surface wind declines were also evidenced in several regions of the world (U.S., Australia, several European countries). Except over China, no clear explanation was given for the wind decrease in the regions studied. Whether surface winds decrease is due to changes in the global atmospheric circulation or its variability, in surface processes or to observational trends has therefore not been elucidated. The identification of the drivers of such a decline requires a global investigation of available surface and upper-air wind data, which has not been conducted so far. Here we use global datasets of in-situ wind measurements that contain surface weather stations wind data (hourly or three-hourly data acquisition time step) and rawinsonde vertical wind data profiles (monthly time step) prepared by the NCAR. A set of 822 worldwide surface stations with continuous wind records was selected after a careful elimination of stations with obvious breaks and large gaps. This dataset mostly covers the Northern mid latitudes over the period 1979-2008. Using this data set, we found that annual mean wind speeds have declined at 73% of the surface stations over the past 30 years. In the Northern Hemisphere, positive wind trends are found only in a few places. In Europe, Central Asia, Eastern Asia and in North America the annual mean surface wind speed has decreased on average at a rate of -2.9, -5.9, -4.2, and -1.8 %/decade respectively, i.e. a decrease of about 10% in 30 years and up to about 20% in Central Asia. These results are robust to changes in the station selection method and parameters. By contrast, upper-air winds observed from rawinsondes, geostrophic winds deduced from pressure gradients, and modeled winds from weather re-analyses do not exhibit any comparable stilling trends than at surface stations. For instance, large-scale circulation changes captured in the most recent European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast re-analysis (ERA-interim) can only explain only up to 30% of the Eurasian wind stilling. In addition, a significant amount of the slow-down could originate from a generalized increase in surface roughness, due for instance to forest growth and expansion, and urbanization. This hypothesis is supported by theoretical calculations combined with meso-scale model simulations. For future wind power energy resource, the part of wind decline due to land cover changes is easier to cope with than that due to global atmospheric circulation slow down.

Wind Measurements from Arc Scans with Doppler Wind Lidar

DOE PAGES

Wang, H.; Barthelmie, R. J.; Clifton, Andy; ...

2015-11-25

When defining optimal scanning geometries for scanning lidars for wind energy applications, we found that it is still an active field of research. Our paper evaluates uncertainties associated with arc scan geometries and presents recommendations regarding optimal configurations in the atmospheric boundary layer. The analysis is based on arc scan data from a Doppler wind lidar with one elevation angle and seven azimuth angles spanning 30° and focuses on an estimation of 10-min mean wind speed and direction. When flow is horizontally uniform, this approach can provide accurate wind measurements required for wind resource assessments in part because of itsmore » high resampling rate. Retrieved wind velocities at a single range gate exhibit good correlation to data from a sonic anemometer on a nearby meteorological tower, and vertical profiles of horizontal wind speed, though derived from range gates located on a conical surface, match those measured by mast-mounted cup anemometers. Uncertainties in the retrieved wind velocity are related to high turbulent wind fluctuation and an inhomogeneous horizontal wind field. Moreover, the radial velocity variance is found to be a robust measure of the uncertainty of the retrieved wind speed because of its relationship to turbulence properties. It is further shown that the standard error of wind speed estimates can be minimized by increasing the azimuthal range beyond 30° and using five to seven azimuth angles.« less

The correction of infrasound signals for upper atmospheric winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mutschlecner, J. Paul; Whitaker, Rodney W.

1990-01-01

Infrasound waves propagate in the atmosphere by a well known mechanism produced by refraction of the waves, return to earth, and reflection at the surface into the atmosphere for subsequent bounces. A figure illustrates this phenomenon with results from a ray trace model. In this instance three rays are returned to earth from a region centered at about 50 kilometers in altitude and two from a region near 110 kilometers in altitude. The control of the wave refraction is largely dominated by the temperature-height profile and inversions; however, a major influence is also produced by the atmospheric wind profile. Another figure illustrates the considerable ray differences for rays moving in the wind direction (to the right) and in the counter direction (to the left). It obviously can be expected that infrasonic signal amplitudes will be greatly influenced by the winds in the atmosphere. The seasonal variation of the high altitude atmospheric winds is well documented. A third figure illustrates this with average statistics on the observed zonal wind in the region of 50 plus or minus 5 kilometers in altitude. The results are based upon a survey by Webb; Webb terms this parameterization the Stratospheric Circulation Index (SCI). The very strong seasonal variation has the ability to exert a major seasonal influence on infrasonic signals. The purpose here is to obtain a method for the correction of this effect.

Observations of the structure and evolution of surface and flight-level wind asymmetries in Hurricane Rita (2005)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, Robert; Uhlhorn, Eric

2008-11-01

Knowledge of the magnitude and distribution of surface winds, including the structure of azimuthal asymmetries in the wind field, are important factors for tropical cyclone forecasting. With its ability to remotely measure surface wind speeds, the stepped frequency microwave radiometer (SFMR) has assumed a prominent role for the operational tropical cyclone forecasting community. An example of this instrument's utility is presented here, where concurrent measurements of aircraft flight-level and SFMR surface winds are used to document the wind field evolution over three days in Hurricane Rita (2005). The amplitude and azimuthal location (phase) of the wavenumber-1 asymmetry in the storm-relative winds varied at both levels over time. The peak was found to the right of storm track at both levels on the first day. By the third day, the peak in flight-level storm-relative winds remained to the right of storm track, but it shifted to left of storm track at the surface, resulting in a 60-degree shift between the surface and flight-level and azimuthal variations in the ratio of surface to flight-level winds. The asymmetric differences between the surface and flight-level maximum wind radii also varied, indicating a vortex whose tilt was increasing.

Observed surface wind speed declining induced by urbanization in East China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhengquan; Song, Lili; Ma, Hao; Xiao, Jingjing; Wang, Kuo; Chen, Lian

2018-02-01

Monthly wind data from 506 meteorological stations and ERA-Interim reanalysis during 1991-2015, are used to examine the surface wind trend over East China. Furthermore, combining the urbanization information derived from the DMSP/OLS nighttime light data during 1992-2013, the effects of urbanization on surface wind change are investigated by applying the observation minus reanalysis (OMR) method. The results show that the observed surface wind speed over East China is distinctly weakening with a rate of -0.16 m s-1 deca-1 during 1991-2015, while ERA-Interim wind speed does not have significant decreasing or increasing trend in the same period. The observed surface wind declining is mainly attributed to underlying surface changes of stations observational areas that were mostly induced by the urbanization in East China. Moreover, the wind declining intensity is closely related to the urbanization rhythms. The OMR annual surface wind speeds of Rhythm-VS, Rhythm-S, Rhythm-M, Rhythm-F and Rhythm-VF, have decreasing trends with the rates of -0.02 to -0.09, -0.16 to -0.26, -0.22 to -0.30, -0.26 to -0.36 and -0.33 to -0.51 m s-1 deca-1, respectively. The faster urbanization rhythm is, the stronger wind speed weakening presents. Additionally urban expansion is another factor resulted in the observed surface wind declining.

CWEX: Crop/wind-energy experiment: Observations of surface-layer, boundary-layer and mesoscale interactions with a wind farm

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Large wind turbines perturb mean and turbulent wind characteristics, which modify fluxes between the vegetated surface and the lower boundary layer. While simulations have suggested that wind farms could create significant changes in surface fluxes of heat, momentum, moisture, and CO2 over hundreds ...

Crop/Wind-energy Experiment (CWEX): Observations of surface-layer, boundary-layer and mesoscale interactions with a wind farm

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Perturbations of mean and turbulent wind characteristics by large wind turbines modify fluxes between the vegetated surface and the lower boundary layer. While simulations have suggested that wind farms could significantly change surface fluxes of heat, momentum, moisture, and CO2 over hundreds of s...

Comparison of Magnetospheric Multiscale Ion Jet Signatures with Predicted Reconnection Site Locations at the Magnetopause

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petrinec, S. M.; Burch, J. L.; Fuselier, S. A.; Gomez, R. G.; Lewis, W.; Trattner, K. J.; Ergun, R.; Mauk, B.; Pollock, C. J.; Schiff, C.;

Analysis and characterization of the vertical wind profile in UAE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, W.; Ghedira, H.; Ouarda, T.; Gherboudj, I.

2011-12-01

In this study, temporal and spatial analysis of the vertical wind profiles in the UAE has been performed to estimate wind resource potential. Due to the very limited number of wind masts (only two wind masts in the UAE, operational for less than three years), the wind potential analysis will be mainly derived from numerical-based models. Additional wind data will be derived from the UAE met stations network (at 10 m elevation) managed by the UAE National Center of Meteorology and Seismology. However, since wind turbines are generally installed at elevations higher than 80 m, it is vital to extrapolate wind speed correctly from low heights to wind turbine hub heights to predict potential wind energy properly. To do so, firstly two boundary layer based models, power law and logarithmic law, were tested to find the best fitting model. Power law is expressed as v/v0 =(H/H0)^α and logarithmic law is represented as v/v0 =[ln(H/Z0))/(ln(H0/Z0)], where V is the wind speed [m/s] at height H [m] and V0 is the known wind speed at a reference height H0. The exponent (α) coefficient is an empirically derived value depending on the atmospheric stability and z0 is the roughness coefficient length [m] that depends on topography, land roughness and spacing. After testing the two models, spatial and temporal analysis for wind profile was performed. Many studies about wind in different regions have shown that wind profile parameters have hourly, monthly and seasonal variations. Therefore, it can be examined whether UAE wind characteristics follow general wind characteristics observed in other regions or have specific wind features due to its regional condition. About 3 years data from August 2008 to February 2011 with 10-minutes resolution were used to derive monthly variation. The preliminary results(Fig.1) show that during that period, wind profile parameters like alpha from power law and roughness length from logarithmic law have monthly variation. Both alpha and roughness have low values during summer and high values during winter. This variation is mainly explained by the direct effect of air temperature on atmospheric stability. When the surface temperature becomes high, air is mixed well in atmospheric boundary layer. This phenomenon leads to vertically low wind speed change indicating low wind profile parameter. On the contrary, cold surface temperature prevents air from being mixed well in the boundary layer. This analysis is applied to different regions to see the spatial characteristics of wind in UAE. As a next step, a mesoscale model coupled with UAE roughness maps will be used to predict elevated wind speed. A micro-scale modeling approach will be also used to capture small-scale wind speed variability. This data will be combined with the NCMS data and tailored to the UAE by modeling the effects due to local changes in terrain elevation and local surface roughness changes and obstacles.

The Santa Barbara Channel - Santa Maria Basin Study: Wind Measurements and Modeling Resolving Coastal Mesoscale Meteorology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorman, C. E.; Koracin, D.

2002-12-01

The importance of winds in driving the coastal ocean has long been recognized. Pre-World War II literature links wind stress and wind stress curl to coastal ocean responses. Nevertheless, direct measurements plausibly representative of a coastal area are few. Multiple observations on the scale of the simplest mesoscale atmospheric structure, such as the cross-coast variation along a linear coast, are even less frequent. The only wind measurements that we are aware of in a complicated coastal area backed by higher topography are in the MMS sponsored, Santa Barbara Channel/Santa Marina basin study. Taking place from 1994 to present, this study had an unheard of dense surface automated meteorological station array of up to 5 meteorological buoys, 4 oil platforms, 2 island stations, and 11 coastal stations within 1 km of the beach. Most of the land stations are maintained by other projects. Only a large, a well funded project with backed by an agency with the long-view could dedicate the resources and effort into filling the mesoscale "holes" and maintaining long-term, remotely located stations. The result of the MMS funded project is a sufficiently dense surface station array to resolve the along-coast and cross-coast atmospheric mesoscale wind structure. Great temporal and spatial variation is found in the wind, wind stress and the wind stress curl, during the extended summer season. The MM5 atmospheric mesoscale model with appropriate boundary layer physics and high-resolution horizontal and vertical grid structure successfully simulates the measured wind field from large scale down to the lower end of the mesoscale. Atmospheric models without appropriate resolution and boundary layer physics fail to capture significant mesoscale wind features. Satellite microwave wind measurements generally capture the offshore synoptic scale temporal and spatial scale in twice-a-day snap shots but fail in the crucial, innermost coastal waters and the diurnal scale.

Wind effect on salt transport variability in the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandeep, K. K.; Pant, V.

2017-12-01

The Bay of Bengal (BoB) exhibits large spatial variability in sea surface salinity (SSS) pattern caused by its unique hydrological, meteorological and oceanographical characteristics. This SSS variability is largely controlled by the seasonally reversing monsoon winds and the associated currents. Further, the BoB receives substantial freshwater inputs through excess precipitation over evaporation and river discharge. Rivers like Ganges, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, and Irawwady discharge annually a freshwater volume in range between 1.5 x 1012 and 1.83 x 1013 m3 into the bay. A major volume of this freshwater input to the bay occurs during the southwest monsoon (June-September) period. In the present study, a relative role of winds in the SSS variability in the bay is investigated by using an eddy-resolving three dimensional Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) numerical model. The model is configured with realistic bathymetry, coastline of study region and forced with daily climatology of atmospheric variables. River discharges from the major rivers are distributed in the model grid points representing their respective geographic locations. Salt transport estimate from the model simulation for realistic case are compared with the standard reference datasets. Further, different experiments were carried out with idealized surface wind forcing representing the normal, low, high, and very high wind speed conditions in the bay while retaining the realistic daily varying directions for all the cases. The experimental simulations exhibit distinct dispersal patterns of the freshwater plume and SSS in different experiments in response to the idealized winds. Comparison of the meridional and zonal surface salt transport estimated for each experiment showed strong seasonality with varying magnitude in the bay with a maximum spatial and temporal variability in the western and northern parts of the BoB.

Observations of C-Band Brightness Temperatures and Ocean Surface Wind Speed and Rain Rate from the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) during GRIP and HS3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy L.; James, M. W.; Roberts, J. B.; Jones, W. L.; Biswas, S.; Ruf, C. S.; Uhlhorn, E. W.; Atlas, R.; Black, P.; Albers, C.

2013-01-01

HIRAD flew on high-altitude aircraft over Earl and Karl during NASA s GRIP (Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes) campaign in August - September of 2010, and at the time of this writing plans to fly over Atlantic tropical cyclones in September of 2012 as part of the Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) mission. HIRAD is a new C-band radiometer using a synthetic thinned array radiometer (STAR) technology to obtain cross-track resolution of approximately 3 degrees, out to approximately 60 degrees to each side of nadir. By obtaining measurements of emissions at 4, 5, 6, and 6.6 GHz, observations of ocean surface wind speed and rain rate can be retrieved. This technique has been used for many years by precursor instruments, including the Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR), which has been flying on the NOAA and USAF hurricane reconnaissance aircraft for several years to obtain observations within a single footprint at nadir angle. Results from the flights during the GRIP and HS3 campaigns will be shown, including images of brightness temperatures, wind speed, and rain rate. Comparisons will be made with observations from other instruments on the campaigns, for which HIRAD observations are either directly comparable or are complementary. Features such as storm eye and eye-wall, location of storm wind and rain maxima, and indications of dynamical features such as the merging of a weaker outer wind/rain maximum with the main vortex may be seen in the data. Potential impacts on operational ocean surface wind analyses and on numerical weather forecasts will also be discussed.

Improving model biases in an ESM with an isopycnic ocean component by accounting for wind work on oceanic near-inertial motions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Wet, P. D.; Bentsen, M.; Bethke, I.

2016-02-01

It is well-known that, when comparing climatological parameters such as ocean temperature and salinity to the output of an Earth System Model (ESM), the model exhibits biases. In ESMs with an isopycnic ocean component, such as NorESM, insufficient vertical mixing is thought to be one of the causes of such differences between observational and model data. However, enhancing the vertical mixing of the model's ocean component not only requires increasing the energy input, but also sound physical reasoning for doing so. Various authors have shown that the action of atmospheric winds on the ocean's surface is a major source of energy input into the upper ocean. However, due to model and computational constraints, oceanic processes linked to surface winds are incompletely accounted for. Consequently, despite significantly contributing to the energy required to maintain ocean stratification, most ESMs do not directly make provision for this energy. In this study we investigate the implementation of a routine in which the energy from work done on oceanic near-inertial motions is calculated in an offline slab model. The slab model, which has been well-documented in the literature, runs parallel to but independently from the ESM's ocean component. It receives wind fields with a frequency higher than that of the coupling frequency, allowing it to capture the fluctuations in the winds on shorter time scales. The additional energy calculated thus is then passed to the ocean component, avoiding the need for increased coupling between the components of the ESM. Results show localised reduction in, amongst others, the salinity and temperature biases of NorESM, confirming model sensitivity to wind-forcing and points to the need for better representation of surface processes in ESMs.

Surface drifter derived circulation in the northern and middle Adriatic Sea: Response to wind regime and season

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ursella, L.; Poulain, P.-M.; Signell, R.P.

2007-01-01

More than 120 satellite-tracked drifters were deployed in the northern and middle Adriatic (NMA) Sea between September 2002 and November 2003, with the purpose of studying the surface circulation at mesoscale to seasonal scale in relation to wind forcing, river runoff, and bottom topography. Pseudo-Eulerian and Lagrangian statistics were calculated from the low-pass-filtered drifter velocity data between September 2002 and December 2003. The structure of the mean circulation is determined with unprecedented high horizontal resolution by the new data. In particular, mean currents, velocity variance, and kinetic energy levels are shown to be maximal in the Western Adriatic Current (WAC). Separating data into seasons, we found that the mean kinetic energy is maximal in fall, with high values also in winter, while it is significantly weaker in summer. High-resolution Local Area Model Italy winds were used to relate the drifter velocities to the wind fields. The surface currents appear to be significantly influenced by the winds. The mean flow during the northeasterly bora regime shows an intensification of the across-basin recirculating currents. In addition, the WAC is strongly intensified both in intensity and in its offshore lateral extension. In the southeasterly sirocco regime, northward flow without recirculation dominates in the eastern half of the basin, while during northwesterly maestro the WAC is enhanced. Separating the data into low and high Po River discharge rates for low-wind conditions shows that the WAC and the velocity fluctuations in front of the Po delta are stronger for high Po River runoff. Lagrangian covariance, diffusivity, and integral time and space scales are larger in the along-basin direction and are maximal in the southern portion of the WAC. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.