Observation of environmental boundary layers at miltiple scales

Identifying appropriate scaling variables and underlying physical mechanisms of boundary layers in complex environments and ecosystems requires a multi-scale approach. New techniques and technologies must be leveraged to capture, visualize, and understand the interconnectivity of the atmosphere with the land surface, plant canopy and riparian areas. Here multiple physical processes interact to create ‘hot spots’ and ‘hot times’ of activity. In this presentation we will show never-seen-before observations of these complex flows and will use the data to form scaling variables that may be the foundation of a new similarity approach for flows in complex topography.