Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Landscape Roughness Parameters for Sherwood Forest – Experimental Results

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

Abstract

The aim of this work is to present experimentally evaluated effective roughnesses (zoe) of a partly forested landscape. Although the ratio of boundary-layer height to obstacle size was only of the order of 50, there still seemed to exist a height range of 75–200 m where surface-layer similarity was approximately valid. Attempts were made to use conventional wind profile analysis to evaluate zoe, but the small height range and the large number of variables initially led to unacceptable uncertainties. Fixing the displacement height zd, rather than fitting it, reduced the data scatter to an acceptable level. The profile-derived roughness lengths zop obtained in this way were in good agreement with previous work, and with an alternative roughness length estimate zof for which flux-derived profile parameters u* and θ* were used. This implies that the profile-derived roughnesses were consistent with the measured surface-layer momentum flux. Comparison of both roughness estimates also yielded an improved estimate of the displacement height. Besides this, the authors tested a landscape roughness evaluation method which makes use of the gustiness parameter Tu = σu/U in the surface layer. The results obtained by this method were in fair agreement with the profile-derived data. In previous work, the gustiness method was advocated because it could be used at relatively low levels, perhaps even within the roughness sub-layer. At the present measuring site, this was not the case as the gustiness method was only valid in an approximate way, and for a limited height range.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arya, S. P. S.: 1984, 'Parametric Relations for the Atmospheric Boundary Layer', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 30, 57-73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batchelor, G. K.: 1956, The Theory of Homogeneous Turbulence, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K., 197 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beljaars, A. C. M.: 1987, 'On the Memory of Wind Standard Deviation for Upstream Roughness', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 38, 95-101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beljaars, A. C. M., Walmsley, J. L., and Taylor, P. A.: 1987, 'A Mixed Finite-Difference Model for Neutrally Stratified Boundary-Layer Flow over Roughness Changes and Topography', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 38, 273-303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackadar, A. K.: 1962, The Vertical Distribution of Wind and Turbulent Exchange in a Neutral Atmosphere', J. Geophys. Res. 67, 3095-3102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bottema, M.: 1997, 'Urban Roughness Modelling in Relation to Pollutant Dispersion', Atmos. Environ. 31, 3059-3075.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bottema, M., Klaassen, W., and Hopwood, W. P.: 1997, 'Effective Roughnesses over Sherwood Forest', Proc. 12th Am. Meteorol. Soc. Symp. on Boundary-Layers and Turb. (Vancouver BC, CA) 22(11), 557-558.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bottema, M., Klaassen, W., and Hopwood, W. P.: 1998, 'Landscape Roughness Parameters for Sherwood Forest - Validation of Aggregation Models', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 89, 317-347.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, E. F.: 1968, 'A Micrometeorological Study of Velocity Profiles and Surface Drag in the Region Modified by a Change in Surface Roughness', Quart J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 94, 361-379.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, E. F., Antonia, R. A., and Chambers, A. J.: 1981, 'Turbulence Reynolds Number and the Turbulent Kinetic Energy Balance in the Atmospheric Surface Layer', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 21,183-198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Claussen, M.: 1990, 'Area-Averaging of Surface Fluxes in a Neutrally Stratified, Horizontally Inhomogeneous Armospheric Boundary Layer', Atmos. Environ. 24A, 1349-1360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Claussen, M.: 1995, 'Estimation of Regional Heat and Moisture Fluxes in Homogeneous Terrain with Bluff Roughness Elements', J. Hydrol. 166, 353-369.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, A. L. M.: 1991, 'Surface Drag and Turbulence over an Inhomogeneous Land Surface', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 56, 309-337.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, A. L. M.: 1992, 'The Structure of Turbulence in the Near-Neutral Atmospheric Boundary Layer', J. Atmos. Sci. 49, 226-239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hignett, P. and Hopwood, W. P.: 1994, 'Estimates of Effective Surface Roughness over Complex Terrain', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 68, 51-73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopwood, W. P.: 1993, Performance of the Cardington Turbulence Probe - The Pershore Intercomparison, Met 0 (APR) Cardington Technical Note No. 18 (available on request from UKMO)

  • Hopwood, W. P.: 1995, 'Surface Transfer of Heat and Momentum over an Inhomogeneous Vegetated Land Surface', Quart J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 121, 1549-1574.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopwood, W. P.: 1996, 'Observations and Parametrization of Momentum Transfer in Heterogeneous Terrain Consisting of Regularly Spaced Obstacles', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 81, 217-243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaimal, J. C., Wyngaard, J. C., Izumi, Y., and Coté, O. R.: 1972, 'Spectral Characteristics of Surface Layer Turbulence', Quart J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 98, 563-589.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaimal, J. C. and Finnigan, J. J.: 1994, Atmospheric Boundary Layer Flows, Oxford University Press, New York, 289 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klaassen, W.: 1992, 'Average Fluxes from Heterogeneous Vegetated Regions', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 58, 329-354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lapworth, A. J. and Mason, P. J.: 1988, 'The New Cardington Balloon-Borne Turbulence Probe System', J. Atmos. Oceanic Tech. 5, 699-714.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larsen, S. E.: 1993, 'Observing and Modelling the Planetary Boundary Layer', in E. Raschke and D. Jacob (eds.), Energy and Water Cycles in the Climate System, Chapter 14, NATO ASI Series, Vol. I(5), Springer Verlag, Berlin, pp. 366-418.

    Google Scholar 

  • Legg, B. J., Long, I. F., and Zemiroch, P. J.: 1981, 'Aerodynamic Properties of Field Bean and Potato Crops', Agric. Meteorol. 23, 21-43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason, P. J.: 1988, 'The Formation of Areally-Averaged Roughness Lengths', Quart J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 114, 399-420.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIlveen, R.: 1992, Fundamentals of Weather and Climate, 2nd ed., Chapman and Hall, London, 500 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panofsky, H. and Dutton, J. A.: 1984, Atmospheric Turbulence, Models and Methods for Engineering Applications, John Wiley and Sons, 396 pp.

  • Paulson, C. A.: 1970, 'The Mathematical Representation of Wind Speed and Temperature Profiles in the Unstable Atmospheric Surface Layer', J. Appl. Meteorol. 9, 857-861.

    Google Scholar 

  • Press, W. H., Flannery, B. P., Teukolsky, S. A., and Vetterling, W. T.: 1986, Numerical Recipes - the Art of Scientific Computing, Cambridge University Press, New York, 818 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raupach, M. R., Thom, A. S., and Edwards, I.: 1980, 'A Wind-Tunnel Study of Turbulent Flow Close to Regularly Arrayed Rough Surfaces', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 18, 373-397.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raupach, M. R., Antonia, R. A., and Rajagopalan, S.: 1991, 'Rough-Wall Turbulent Boundary Layers', Appl. Mech. Rev. 44, 1-25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raupach, M. R.: 1994, 'Simplified Expressions for Vegetation Roughness Length and Zero-Plane Displacement Height as Functions of Canopy Height and Area Index', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 71, 211-216; with corrigendum (1995) in Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 76, 303-304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raupach, M. R. and Finnigan, J. J.: 1997, 'The Influence of Topography on Meteorological Variables and Surface-Atmosphere Interactions', J. Hydrol. 190, 182-213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rayment, R. and Readings, C. J.: 1971, 'The Importance of Instrumental Tilt on Measurements of Atmospheric Turbulence', Quart J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 97, 124-130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spanton, A. M. and Williams, M. L.: 1988, 'A Comparison of the Structure of the Atmospheric Boundary Layers in Central London and a Rural/Suburban Site Using Acoustic Sounding', Atmos. Environ. 22, 211-223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, P. A., Sykes, R. I., and Mason, P. J.: 1989, 'On the Parameterization of Drag over Small-Scale Topography in Neutrally-Stratified Boundary-Layer Flow', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 48, 409-422.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tennekes, H.: 1973, 'The Logarithmic Wind Profile', J. Atmos. Sci. 30, 234-238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verkaik, J. W.: 1997, 'Wind Profiles and Momentum Fluxes in the Lower Neutral PBL over Flat Heterogeneous Terrain', Proc. 12th Am. Meteorol. Soc. Symp. on Boundary-Layers and Turb. (Vancouver BC, CA) 22(5), 546-547.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieringa, J.: 1986, 'Roughness-Dependent Geographical Interpolation of Surface Wind Speed Averages', Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 112, 867-889.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieringa, J.: 1993, 'Representative Roughness Parameters for Homogeneous Terrain', Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 63, 323-363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, N. and Mason, P. J.: 1991, 'The Influence of Static Stability on the Effective Roughness Lengths for Momentum and Heat Transfer', Quart J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 117, 1025-1056.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyngaard, J. C.: 1973, 'On Surface-Layer Turbulence', in D. A. Haugen (ed.), Workshop on Micrometeorology, Am. Met. Soc. Boston, U.S.A., pp. 101-149.

  • Wyngaard, J. C.: 1981, 'The Effects of Probe Induced Flow Distortion on Atmospheric Turbulence Measurements', J. Appl. Meteorol. 20, 784-794.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. M. Bottema
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bottema, M. Landscape Roughness Parameters for Sherwood Forest – Experimental Results. Boundary-Layer Meteorology 89, 285–316 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1001743525309

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1001743525309

Search

Navigation