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Fractal properties of temperature fluctuations in the convective surface layer

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Abstract

Temperature fluctuations in a convective surface layer were investigated. Box counting analysis was performed to investigate fractal properties of surfaces of constant temperature and was performed on sets of points obtained by setting thresholds on detrended records. Results indicate that surfaces of constant temperature have fractal properties for thresholds far from the mean. Estimated fractal dimensions of one-dimensional cuts through these surfaces varied between 0.23 and 0.66, increasing with threshold value approaching the mean temperature. For thresholds close to the mean, no fractal behavior was found. Asymmetry in results for thresholds above and below the mean temperature was attributed to the asymmetry between updrafts and downdrafts in the convective surface layer.

The temperature dissipation rate (TD) was also investigated. It was found to be strongly intermittent with large fluctuations of the intermittency exponent. Moments were analyzed in order to investigate multifractal properties of TD. Results indicate scaling in the range of 50η–1000η (where η is the Kolmogorov scale) and multifractal properties resembling those observed for passive scalar dissipation in laboratory flows.

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Author notes

  1. Szymon P. Malinowski

    Present address: Institute of Geophysics, University of Warsaw, ul. Pasteura 7, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland

  2. Monique Y. Leclerc

    Present address: Centre for Global and Climate Change, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Quebec at Montreal, Station A, P.O. Box 8888, H3C 3P8, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Szymon P. Malinowski & Monique Y. Leclerc

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  1. Szymon P. Malinowski
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  2. Monique Y. Leclerc
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Malinowski, S.P., Leclerc, M.Y. Fractal properties of temperature fluctuations in the convective surface layer. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 71, 169–187 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00709225

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00709225

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