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Meso‐Scale Effects of Agriculture and a Large Prairie Lake on the Atmospheric Boundary Layer
Author(s) -
Holmes R. M.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1970.00021962006200040037x
Subject(s) - atmosphere (unit) , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , elevation (ballistics) , classification of discontinuities , planetary boundary layer , wind speed , boundary layer , surface layer , hydrology (agriculture) , meteorology , geology , layer (electronics) , materials science , geography , turbulence , mathematical analysis , physics , geometry , mathematics , thermodynamics , geotechnical engineering , composite material
Thermal gradients were measured in the atmospheric boundary layer over an extensive agricultural region using an instrumented aircraft and a mobile ground station mounted on an automobile. It was noted that sharp changes in the temperature of the surface produce similar temperature changes in the atmosphere above. Near the surface the temperature discontinuities in the atmosphere were located almost immediately above the heat sources or sinks. But higher in the atmosphere, the cooled or heated air persisted for appreciable distances down wind. A large lake and an irrigated region produced 3.0 C and 2.0 C cooling, respectively at 20‐m elevation, and virgin prairie caused a temperature increase of 2.0 C in the atmosphere at 20 m. The temperature changes indicated are statistically significant compared to the temperature of prairie air 8 km up wind at the same elevation.