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Classification of Vertical Wind Speed Profiles Observed Above a Sloping Forest at Nighttime Using the Bulk Richardson Number

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Abstract

Wind speed profiles above a forest canopy relate to scalar exchange between the forest canopy and the atmosphere. Many studies have reported that vertical wind speed profiles above a relatively flat forest can be classified by a stability index developed assuming wind flow above a flat plane. However, can such a stability index be used to classify vertical wind speed profiles observed above a sloping forest at nighttime, where drainage flow often occurs? This paper examines the use of the bulk Richardson number to classify wind speed profiles observed above a sloping forest at nighttime. Wind speed profiles above a sloping forest were classified by the bulk Richardson number Ri B . Use of Ri B distinguished between drainage flow, shear flow, and transitional flow from drainage flow to shear flow. These results suggest that Ri B is useful to interpret nighttime CO2 and energy fluxes above a sloping forest. Through clear observational evidence, we also show that the reference height should be high enough to avoid drainage-flow effects when calculating Ri B .

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Author notes

  1. Hikaru Komatsu & Taikan Oki

    Present address: Oki/Kanae Lab, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, 602-0878, Japan

    Hikaru Komatsu & Taikan Oki

  2. Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan

    Norifumi Hotta & Masakazu Suzuki

  3. University Forests in Aichi, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 11-44 Goizuka-cho, Seto, Aichi, 489-0031, Japan

    Koichiro Kuraji

Authors
  1. Hikaru Komatsu
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  2. Norifumi Hotta
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  3. Koichiro Kuraji
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  4. Masakazu Suzuki
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Correspondence to Hikaru Komatsu.

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Komatsu, H., Hotta, N., Kuraji, K. et al. Classification of Vertical Wind Speed Profiles Observed Above a Sloping Forest at Nighttime Using the Bulk Richardson Number. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 115, 205–221 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-004-3408-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-004-3408-x

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