Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Reconstruction of the surface-layer vertical structure from measurements of wind, temperature and humidity at two levels

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Boundary-Layer Meteorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We present a comparison between several methods used to reconstruct fluxes and vertical profiles of wind, temperature and humidity from measurements at two levels in the atmospheric surface layer for different practical applications. An analytical method and an iterative method are tested by evaluating the quality of estimations of surface fluxes from detailed field measurements obtained during a campaign on the site of Lannemezan in the south-west of France. The iterative method yields better results, but the analytical one can give results of the same level of accuracy provided that specific constants in its formulation are modified. Then these techniques are applied to wind and temperature reconstruction for an experiment dedicated to wind power estimates over flat terrain. If turbulent fluxes are not needed, a simple power law appears to be sufficient, as the method based on Monin–Obukhov theory does not improve the accuracy of the vertical profile reconstruction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beljaars ACM and Holtslag AAM (1991). Flux parameterization over land surfaces for atmospheric models. J Appl Meteorol 30: 327–341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Businger JA, Wyngaard JC, Izumi Y and Bradley EF (1971). Flux-profile relationships in the atmospheric surface layer. J Atmos Sci 28: 181–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carson DJ and Richards PJR (1978). Modeling surface turbulent fluxes in stable conditions. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 14: 67–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng Y and Brutsaert W (2005). Flux-profile relationships for wind speed and temperature in the stable atmospheric boundary layer. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 115: 519–538

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • COST Action 710 – Final report (1998) Harmonisation of the pre-processing of meteorological data for atmospheric dispersion models. Office for official publications of the European communities, L-2985 Luxembourg

  • Foken T (2006). 50 Years of the Monin–Obukhov similarity theory. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 119: 431–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garratt JR (1992) The atmospheric boundary layer. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 316 pp

  • Geleyn JF (1988). Interpolation of wind, temperature and humidity values from model levels to the height of measurement. Tellus 40A: 347–351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hicks BB (1976). Wind profile relationships from the “Wangara” experiment. Quart J Roy Meteorol Soc 102: 535–551

    Google Scholar 

  • Högström U (1988). Non-dimensional wind and temperature profiles in the atmospheric surface layer: a re-evaluation. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 42: 55–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Louis JF, Tiedke M, Geleyn JF (1982) A short history of the PBL parameterization at ECMWF. Proc ECMWF workshop on planetary boundary layer parameterization, pp 59–79

  • Monin AS and Obukhov AM (1954). Basic Laws of turbulent mixing in the atmosphere near the ground. Tr Akad Nauk SSSR Geophiz Inst 24: 1963–1987

    Google Scholar 

  • Randerson D (1984) Atmospheric science and power production. DOE/TIC-27601 (DE84005177). Technical Information Centre, Office of Scientific and Technical Information, United States Department of Energy

  • Wieringa J (1980). A re-evaluation of the Kansas mast influence on measurements of stress and cup anemometer overspeeding. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 18: 411–430

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luc Musson-Genon.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Musson-Genon, L., Dupont, E. & Wendum, D. Reconstruction of the surface-layer vertical structure from measurements of wind, temperature and humidity at two levels. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 124, 235–250 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-007-9178-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-007-9178-5

Keywords

Navigation