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Estimates of turbulent energy dissipation rates from determinations of characteristic vertical wavenumber by EISCAT
Author(s) -
Hall C. M.,
Hoppe U.P.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1998gl900094
Subject(s) - wavenumber , dissipation , turbulence , range (aeronautics) , radar , physics , atmospheric sciences , diffusion , computational physics , meteorology , geology , environmental science , optics , telecommunications , materials science , computer science , composite material , thermodynamics
By measuring the vertical component of velocity in the height range 74–90 km above Tromsø (69°N, 19°), with a 1 km height resolution, we are able to estimate characteristic wavenumbers, m *. In turn, using well‐established theory, these m * may be interpreted in terms of wave energy and an upper limit of the energy dissipation rate, ε. The time‐variation of ε derived in this way is in general agreement with other radar, model and in situ results. These estimates, although now available with good seasonal coverage, are nevertheless for a limited height range only. In order to overcome this restriction to some degree, the results are combined with a season and height dependent model of the eddy diffusion coefficient, K to generate a picture of the seasonal variability of energy dissipation in the height regime 60–90km.