Open AccessAn atmospheric turbulent velocity spectrum for three dimensions
Author(s) -
Thebaud L.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2002jd003173
Subject(s) - statistical physics , turbulence , wind speed , spectral line , parametric statistics , physics , phenomenological model , anisotropy , computational physics , parametric model , meteorology , optics , mathematics , statistics , quantum mechanics
A simple parametric model is developed that extends and unifies the usual phenomenological description of turbulent atmospheric velocity variances and correlations. The multidimensional spectral model thus defined allows any second‐order statistical quantity involving velocity to be calculated. The model parameters are determined by fitting them to published single‐point measurements of temporal spectra over land, which shows the ability of the model to efficiently and naturally account for observed differences in the low‐frequency behavior of spectra for different velocity components. The scheme is first tested by comparing its predictions for correlations to other data. The utility of the model is illustrated and its predictions are further tested by comparing to a set of optical ocean image data that exposes the two‐dimensional patterns of wind speed fluctuations in Taylorized flow. These exhibit the predicted anisotropy of the spectrum. Some detailed issues in the model for optical response to wind fluctuations are discussed.