Abstract
Soundings in the stably-stratified boundary layer were executed over the rough terrain of Northern Germany during a night with a low-level jet (LLJ) development. Vertical wind and temperature profiles were obtained at 5 m height intervals using a tethersonde transported up and down along a 300 m high radio tower by an elevator. From these profiles, turbulent fluxes of heat and momentum, coefficients of eddy diffusivity and boundary-layer parameters were estimated. The nocturnal mean state analysis agrees well with the second-order model results of Brost and Wyngaard (1978) and our own first-order numerical testing while the time histories of different profile groups are in accordance with the observations of Izumi and Barad (1963).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blackadar, A. K.: 1957, ‘Boundary Layer Wind Maxima and their Significance for the Growth of Nocturnal Inversions’, Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc. 38, 283–290.
Brost, R. A. and Wyngaard, J. C.: 1978, ‘A Model of the Stably Stratified Boundary Layer’, J. Atm. Sci. 35, 1427–1440.
Deardorff, J. W.: 1971, ‘Rate of Growth of the Nocturnal Boundary Layer’, in H. W. Church and R. C. Luna (eds.), Proc. Symp. on Air Pollution, Turbulence and Diffusion, Las Cruces, New Mexico, December 7–10, 1971.
Findikakis, A. N. and Street, R. L.: 1979, ‘An Algebraic Model for Subgrid Scale Turbulence in Stratified Flows’, J. Atm. Sci. 36, 1934–1949.
Izumi, Y. and Barad, M. L.: 1963, ‘Wind and Temperature Variations during the Development of a Low-Level Jet’, J. Appl. Meteorol. 2, 668–673.
Joffre, S. M.: 1982, ‘Assessment of the Separate Effects of Baroclinity and Thermal Stability in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer over the Sea’, Tellus 34, 567–578.
Johnson, W. B.: 1962, ‘Climatology of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Parameters and Energy Dissipation, Derived from Gregg's Aerological Survey of the U.S.’, Sec. 7 of Studies of the Three-Dimensional Structure of the Planetary Boundary Layer, Final Report, Dept. of Meteor., Univ. of Wisconsin.
Johnson, W. B.: 1965, ‘Atmospheric Boundary Layer Dynamics over the Forests of Northeastern Wisconsin’, Sec. 3 of Studies of the Effects of Variations in Boundary Conditions on the Atmospheric Boundary Layer, Final Report, Dept. of Meteor., Univ. of Wisconsin.
Kottmeier, Ch.: 1982, ‘Die Vertikalstruktur nächtlicher Grenzschichtstrahlströme’, Dissertation, Berichte des Instituts für Meteorologie und Klimatologie, Nr. 21, Univ. Hannover.
Kottmeier, Ch.: 1984, ‘Strukturierte Temperaturprofile bei sehr stabiler Schichtung’, to appear in Meteorol. Rdsch. 37.
Kottmeier, Ch. Lege, D., and Roth, R.: 1980, ‘Ein Meβsystem zur Sondierung der planetarischen Grenzschicht’, Meteorol. Rdsch. 33, 9–13.
Kuhn, M., Lettau, H., and Riordan, A. J.: 1977, ‘‘Stability Wind Spiraling in the Lowest 32 Meters’, in Meteorological Studies at Plateau Station, Antarctica; Pap. 7’, Antarctic Res. Ser. 25, 93–111.
Lettau, H.: 1950, ‘A Re-Examination of the “Leipzig Wind Profile” Considering some Relations between Wind and Turbulence in the Friction Layer’, Tellus 2, 125–129.
Lettau, H.: 1957, ‘Windprofil, innere Reibung und Energieumsatz in den untersten 500 m über dem Meer’, Beitr. Phys. Atmos. 30, 78–96.
Lettau, H. and Hoeber, H.: 1964, ‘Über die Bestimmung der Höhenverteilung von Schubspannung und Austauschkoeffizient in der atmosphärischen Reibungsschicht’, Beitr. Phys. Atmos. 37, 105–118.
Lettau, H. and Zhang, S. F.: 1982, ‘A Diagnostic Study of Wangara Wind Profiles in Quasi-Steady and Near-Neutral Cases’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 23, 265–282.
Leykauf, H.: 1974, ‘Experimentelle Bestimmung universeller Profile und deren Abhängigkeit von Parametern der atmosphärischen Grenzschicht’, Dissertation, Institut für Meteorologie, Univ. Darmstadt.
Mildner, P.: 1932, ‘Über die Reibung in einer speziellen Luftmasse in den untersten Schichten der Atmosphäre’, Beitr. Phys. fr. Atmos. 19, 151–158.
Roth, R., Kottmeier, Ch., and Lege, D.: 1979, ‘Die lokale Feinstruktur eines Grenzschichtstrahlstroms’, Meteorol. Rdsch. 32, 65–72.
Siewert, G.: 1980, ‘Nächtliche Grenzschichtstrahlströme über Norddeutschland; eine synoptische Analyse’, Diplomarbeit, Institut für Meteorologie und Klimatologie, Univ. Hannover, unpublished.
Siewert, G.: 1981, ‘Beschreibung eines neuen Berechnungsverfahrens für den geostrophischen Wind’, Meteorol. Rdsch. 34, 90–94.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wittich, KP., Roth, R. A case study of nocturnal wind and temperature profiles over the inhomogeneous terrain of Northern Germany with some considerations of turbulent fluxes. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 28, 169–186 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00119462
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00119462