Accession Number:

ADA169478

Title:

Dependence of C2 sub n(C2 sub T) in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer on Conventional Meteorological Variables

Descriptive Note:

Final rept. 15 Sep 1983-14 Dec 1985

Corporate Author:

MICHIGAN UNIV ANN ARBOR DEPT OF ATMOSPHERIC AND OCEANIC SCIENCE

Personal Author(s):

• Ryznar, Edward
• Bartlo, Joseph A.

Report Date:

1986-01-01

Pagination or Media Count:

149.0

Abstract:

The objective of the research was to develop methods for estimating optical turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer with conventional meteorological variables. There are many such variables, considered here to be those observed and reported hourly from weather stations throughout the world. An additional requirement imposed by the research, however, is that the variables chosen, compared to the others, also have the most pronounced effects on optical turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer. The two variables that meet the requirements of conventionality and effectiveness are cloudiness and wind speed. Data sets consisting of boundary-layer measurements of the structure function parameter for refractive index, C squared sub n measured optically or calculated with various methods of estimating the temperature structure parameter C squared sub T, and meteorological variables, including solar radiation are analyzed. The work concentrates on describing optical turbulence only for sky conditions known to produce the largest values of C squared sub n times C squared sub T in the boundary layer, both in daytime and at night, in that only conditions with a cloudless sky or with scattered clouds half or less of the sky cloud-covered are analyzed. In addition to the restriction in terms of cloudiness, the results are applicable mainly to optical turbulence conditions over land surfaces with small amounts of soil moisture.

Descriptors:

• *TURBULENCE
• *LIGHT TRANSMISSION
• DATA BASES
• FUNCTIONS
• CLOUDS
• MEASUREMENT
• OPTICAL PROPERTIES
• TEMPERATURE
• VARIABLES
• ATMOSPHERES
• CLOUD COVER
• TROPOSPHERE
• WEATHER STATIONS
• MOISTURE
• SOLAR RADIATION
• SKY
• NIGHT
• WIND VELOCITY
• LOW ALTITUDE
• SOILS
• METEOROLOGICAL DATA
• SCATTERING
• PARAMETERS
• STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES
• REFRACTIVE INDEX
• BOUNDARY LAYER

Subject Categories:

• Meteorology

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE