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Helicity and Turbulence in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

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Abstract

Helicity is inherent in many circulating motions and structures in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), where it is continuously reproduced due to the combined action of the Earth’s rotation and friction, which also is closely related to the phenomena of the inverse cascade and large-scale restructuring of flows. The helicity factor should be correctly considered during the construction of atmosphere models, and, accordingly, the knowledge of the helicity distribution in the ABL and its relation to dynamic atmospheric processes is required. In this study, the helicity of the circulation structures of various spatial and temporal scales in the ABL is determined from an analysis of field measurement data. A qualitative and quantitative comparison with the observed values is carried out on the basis of results of numerical simulations using the quasi-two-dimensional model and a WRF-ARW mesoscale atmospheric nonhydrostatic model, in particular, WRF-LES. A good agreement with the observed spatial distributions of circulating motions is obtained. A link between the turbulent characteristics and helicity of the structures under study is shown. The helicity estimates for circulation structures of various scales in the ABL and in the free atmosphere are compared.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are grateful to G.S. Golitsyn for taking an interest in the work and making constructive notes, as well as for his ongoing support of this study. We thank V.F. Kramar, R.D. Kouznetsov, V.S. Lyulyukin, D.A. Zaitseva, D.D. Kuznetsov, and E.A. Shishov for joint participation in field measurements and for furnishing experimental data. We would like to separately thank V.A. Bezverkhnii and L.O. Maksimenkov for continuous assistance and consultations on issues of data processing and simulation.

We would like to dedicate this work to the memory of Boris Mikhailovich Koprov. His great interest in studying the atmospheric boundary layer, unquenchable optimism, and accuracy and enthusiasm in performing experiments greatly contributed to the development of works on turbulence and helicity.

Funding

This research was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project nos. 19-05-01008, 18-35-00600, and 17-05-01116.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119017, Moscow, Russia

    N. V. Vazaeva, O. G. Chkhetiani, M. V. Kurgansky & M. A. Kallistratova

  2. Bauman Moscow State Technical University, 105005, Moscow, Russia

    N. V. Vazaeva

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  1. N. V. Vazaeva
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  2. O. G. Chkhetiani
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  3. M. V. Kurgansky
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Correspondence to N. V. Vazaeva.

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Translated by M. Samokhina

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Vazaeva, N.V., Chkhetiani, O.G., Kurgansky, M.V. et al. Helicity and Turbulence in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer. Izv. Atmos. Ocean. Phys. 57, 29–46 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0001433821010126

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