A42A-05:
Observation of environmental boundary layers at miltiple scales
Thursday, 18 December 2014: 11:20 AM
Chad W Higgins1, Eric Pardyjak2, Heather Holmes3, David Blunck1, Ziru Liu1 and Marc Calaf2, (1)Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States, (2)University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States, (3)University of Nevada Reno, Atmospheric Sciences Program, Department of Physics, Reno, NV, United States
Abstract:
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.
