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The Evolution Of Turbulence Across A Forest Edge

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Abstract

An experiment was set-up to investigate the adjustment of turbulence over a roughness transition (moorland to forest). Results from this experiment support the development of an internal boundary layer (IBL) at the transition, which propagates upwards by turbulent diffusion as a function of distance downwind from the transition. Spectra and length-scale results uphold the hypothesis that, over a transition to a rough surface, the variance distribution shifts towards smaller wavelengths/length scales. However, results suggest that the adjustment of streamwise velocity variance may be faster than the adjustment of the vertical velocity variance. The concept of an equilibrium layer developing above the new surface is supported. Fetch requirements for equilibrium are, however, found to differ between first order and second order (flux) statistics, with second order statistics requiring a longer fetch. Results indicate that fetch should exceed 25 times the height of the measurement above the zero plane, which is a 2° (±0.5) growth angle, for flux equilibrium.

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Author notes

  1. M. R. Irvine

    Present address: INRA-Bioclimatologie, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Liverpool, U.K

    M. R. Irvine

  2. Forestry Commission, Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9SY, U.K

    B. A. Gardiner

  3. Holtech Associates, Harwood-in-Teesdale, County Durham, DL12 OXY, U.K

    M. K. Hill

Authors
  1. M. R. Irvine
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  2. B. A. Gardiner
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  3. M. K. Hill
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Irvine, M.R., Gardiner, B.A. & Hill, M.K. The Evolution Of Turbulence Across A Forest Edge. Boundary-Layer Meteorology 84, 467–496 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1000453031036

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