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The partition and intensity of eddy energy at the 91‐metre level during unstable conditions as observed at Brookhaven National Laboratory
Author(s) -
McCormick Robert A.
Publication year - 1954
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.49708034505
Subject(s) - turbulence , buoyancy , mechanics , reynolds number , physics , magnitude (astronomy) , eddy covariance , meteorology , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , astrophysics , ecology , ecosystem , biology
The magnitude and partition of eddy energy is reported for a series of observations near 91 m in which the period of averaging varied from 10 sec to 57 min. Of the 15 observations studied, 14 were made during unstable conditions typical of the predominant daytime regime found at Brookhaven in the lower 125 m. By means of moving averages as frequency filters, theree sections of the eddy‐energy spectrum are investigated. It was found that (a) the magnitude of the turbulent energy is proportional to the rate of energy supplied by the Reynolds's stresses and buoyancy forces, (b) the partition of eddy energy becomes increasingly unequal with increasing eddy size, and (c) two turbulence regimes apparently exist at 91 m with characteristics which depend on the trajectory of the air.