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Coupled ADCPs can yield complete Reynolds stress tensor profiles in geophysical surface flows
Author(s) -
Vermeulen B.,
Hoitink A. J. F.,
Sassi M. G.
Publication year - 2011
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 - 10.1029/2011gl046684
Subject(s) - reynolds stress , turbulence , geology , anisotropy , tensor (intrinsic definition) , cauchy stress tensor , yield (engineering) , current (fluid) , geophysics , variance (accounting) , statistical physics , acoustic doppler current profiler , mechanics , physics , mathematics , geometry , oceanography , classical mechanics , optics , thermodynamics , accounting , business
We introduce a new technique to measure profiles of each term in the Reynolds stress tensor using coupled acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs). The technique is based on the variance method which is extended to the case with eight acoustic beams. Methods to analyze turbulence from a single ADCP rely on questionable assumptions on turbulence anisotropy ratios and on the requirement of perfect vertical alignment, which are no longer necessary with the coupled system. We apply the technique successfully to data collected in the Mahakam River, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.