Derivation of turbulent energy dissipation rate with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) and radiosondes at Andøya, Norway
We present the derivation of turbulent energy dissipation rate <i>ε</i> from a total of 522 days of observations with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar SYstem (MAARSY) mesosphere–stratosphere–troposphere (MST) radar running tropospheric experiments during the period of 2010–2013 as we...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2016-12-01
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| Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Online Access: | https://www.ann-geophys.net/34/1209/2016/angeo-34-1209-2016.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811308339303284736 |
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| author | Q. Li M. Rapp M. Rapp A. Schrön A. Schneider G. Stober |
| author_facet | Q. Li M. Rapp M. Rapp A. Schrön A. Schneider G. Stober |
| author_sort | Q. Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present the derivation of turbulent energy dissipation rate <i>ε</i>
from a total of 522 days of observations with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar SYstem (MAARSY) mesosphere–stratosphere–troposphere (MST) radar running
tropospheric experiments during the period of 2010–2013 as well as with
balloon-borne radiosondes based on a campaign in the summer 2013.
Spectral widths are converted to <i>ε</i> after the removal of the
broadening effects due to the finite beam width of the radar. With the
simultaneous in situ measurements of <i>ε</i> with balloon-borne
radiosondes at the MAARSY radar site, we compare the <i>ε</i>
values derived from both techniques and reach an encouraging agreement between them. Using
all the radar data available, we present a preliminary climatology of
atmospheric turbulence in the UTLS (upper troposphere and lower
stratosphere) region above the MAARSY site showing a variability of more than 5 orders of
magnitude inherent in turbulent energy dissipation rates. The
derived <i>ε</i> values reveal a log-normal distribution with a negative
skewness, and the <i>ε</i> profiles show an increase with height which is
also the case for each individual month. Atmospheric turbulence based on our
radar measurements reveals a seasonal variation but no clear diurnal variation
in the UTLS region. Comparison of <i>ε</i> with the gradient Richardson
number <i>Ri</i> shows that only 1.7 % of all the data with
turbulence occur under the condition of <i>Ri</i> < 1 and that the values
of <i>ε</i> under the condition of <i>Ri</i> < 1 are significantly
larger than those under <i>Ri</i> > 1. Further, there is a roughly negative
correlation between <i>ε</i> and <i>Ri</i> that is independent of the scale
dependence of <i>Ri</i>. Turbulence under active dynamical conditions
(velocity of horizontal wind <i>U</i> > 10 m s<sup>−1</sup>) is significantly stronger than under quiet conditions
(<i>U</i> < 10 m s<sup>−1</sup>). Last but not least, the derived <i>ε</i> values
are compared with the corresponding vertical shears of background wind
velocity showing a linear relation with a corresponding correlation
coefficient <i>r</i> = 58 % well above the 99.9 % significance level. This
implies that wind shears play an important role in the turbulence generation
in the troposphere and lower stratosphere (through the Kelvin–Helmholtz
instability). |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T09:20:20Z |
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| issn | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T09:20:20Z |
| publishDate | 2016-12-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Annales Geophysicae |
| spelling | doaj.art-cd999b23eb2f46f3a238c84e397b4fb62022-12-22T02:52:37ZengCopernicus PublicationsAnnales Geophysicae0992-76891432-05762016-12-01341209122910.5194/angeo-34-1209-2016Derivation of turbulent energy dissipation rate with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) and radiosondes at Andøya, NorwayQ. Li0M. Rapp1M. Rapp2A. Schrön3A. Schneider4G. Stober5Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, 82234 Oberpfaffenhofen, GermanyDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, 82234 Oberpfaffenhofen, Germanyalso at: Meteorologisches Institut München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, GermanyLeibniz-Institut für Atmosphärenphysik, 18225 Kühlungsborn, GermanyLeibniz-Institut für Atmosphärenphysik, 18225 Kühlungsborn, GermanyLeibniz-Institut für Atmosphärenphysik, 18225 Kühlungsborn, GermanyWe present the derivation of turbulent energy dissipation rate <i>ε</i> from a total of 522 days of observations with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar SYstem (MAARSY) mesosphere–stratosphere–troposphere (MST) radar running tropospheric experiments during the period of 2010–2013 as well as with balloon-borne radiosondes based on a campaign in the summer 2013. Spectral widths are converted to <i>ε</i> after the removal of the broadening effects due to the finite beam width of the radar. With the simultaneous in situ measurements of <i>ε</i> with balloon-borne radiosondes at the MAARSY radar site, we compare the <i>ε</i> values derived from both techniques and reach an encouraging agreement between them. Using all the radar data available, we present a preliminary climatology of atmospheric turbulence in the UTLS (upper troposphere and lower stratosphere) region above the MAARSY site showing a variability of more than 5 orders of magnitude inherent in turbulent energy dissipation rates. The derived <i>ε</i> values reveal a log-normal distribution with a negative skewness, and the <i>ε</i> profiles show an increase with height which is also the case for each individual month. Atmospheric turbulence based on our radar measurements reveals a seasonal variation but no clear diurnal variation in the UTLS region. Comparison of <i>ε</i> with the gradient Richardson number <i>Ri</i> shows that only 1.7 % of all the data with turbulence occur under the condition of <i>Ri</i> < 1 and that the values of <i>ε</i> under the condition of <i>Ri</i> < 1 are significantly larger than those under <i>Ri</i> > 1. Further, there is a roughly negative correlation between <i>ε</i> and <i>Ri</i> that is independent of the scale dependence of <i>Ri</i>. Turbulence under active dynamical conditions (velocity of horizontal wind <i>U</i> > 10 m s<sup>−1</sup>) is significantly stronger than under quiet conditions (<i>U</i> < 10 m s<sup>−1</sup>). Last but not least, the derived <i>ε</i> values are compared with the corresponding vertical shears of background wind velocity showing a linear relation with a corresponding correlation coefficient <i>r</i> = 58 % well above the 99.9 % significance level. This implies that wind shears play an important role in the turbulence generation in the troposphere and lower stratosphere (through the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability).https://www.ann-geophys.net/34/1209/2016/angeo-34-1209-2016.pdf |
| spellingShingle | Q. Li M. Rapp M. Rapp A. Schrön A. Schneider G. Stober Derivation of turbulent energy dissipation rate with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) and radiosondes at Andøya, Norway Annales Geophysicae |
| title | Derivation of turbulent energy dissipation rate with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) and radiosondes at Andøya, Norway |
| title_full | Derivation of turbulent energy dissipation rate with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) and radiosondes at Andøya, Norway |
| title_fullStr | Derivation of turbulent energy dissipation rate with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) and radiosondes at Andøya, Norway |
| title_full_unstemmed | Derivation of turbulent energy dissipation rate with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) and radiosondes at Andøya, Norway |
| title_short | Derivation of turbulent energy dissipation rate with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) and radiosondes at Andøya, Norway |
| title_sort | derivation of turbulent energy dissipation rate with the middle atmosphere alomar radar system maarsy and radiosondes at andoya norway |
| url | https://www.ann-geophys.net/34/1209/2016/angeo-34-1209-2016.pdf |
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