In regions of strong sea surface temperature (SST) gradients, the surface "geostrophic" currents have a vertical shear aligned with the surface density front defined by the temperature. This surface geostrophic ("thermal wind") shear can balance a portion of the surface wind stress, altering the classic Ekman response to wind forcing. Here we show that these frontal effects cannot be ignored in...

A vortex method model developed previously for studying the mechanisms in vortex/shear-layer interactions has been validated with large-eddy turbulence simulations by Proctor et al. (Proctor, F. H., Hinton, D. A., Han, J., Schowalter, D. G., andLin,Y. L., “Two DimensionalWake Vortex Simulations in theAtmosphere: Preliminary Sensitivity Studies,” AIAA Paper 97-0056, Jan. 1997) and eld measuremen...

A global observational study of atmospheric conditions associated with tropical disturbance and storm development is presented. This study primarily uses upper air observations which have become available over the tropical oceans in the last decade. Climatological values of vertical stability, low level wind, tropospheric vertical wind shear and other parameters relative to the location and sea...

A theoretical approach proposed by Elperin et al. Phys. Rev. E 66, 066305 2002 is developed further to investigate formation of large-scale coherent structures in a nonrotating turbulent convection via excitation of a large-scale instability. In particular, the convective-wind instability that causes formation of large-scale coherent motions in the form of cells, can be excited in a shear-free ...

The article reviews past accomplishments and recent advances in conceptual understanding, numerical simulation, and physical interpretation of the wind shear phenomena in the atmospheric convective boundary layer.

A theoretical approach proposed in Phys. Rev. E 66, 066305 (2002) is developed further to investigate formation of large-scale coherent structures in a non-rotating turbulent convection via excitation of a large-scale instability. In particular, the convective-wind instability that causes formation of large-scale coherent motions in the form of cells, can be excited in a shear-free regime. It w...

Coherent Doppler lidar measurements are of increasing interest for the wind energy industry. Wind measurements are fundamental inputs for the evaluation of potential energy yield and performance of wind farms. Three-dimensional scanning Doppler lidar may provide a new basis for wind farm site selection, design and optimization. In this paper, the authors discuss Doppler lidar measurements obtai...

The structure of a river plume is related to the vertical mixing using an isohaline-based coordinate system. Salinity coordinates offer the advantage of translating with the plume as it moves or expanding as the plume grows. This coordinate system is used to compare the relative importance of different dynamical processes acting within the plume and to describe the effect each process has on th...

Air flow was observed above and within canopies of a number of kinds of soybeans. The Clark cultivar and two isolines of the Harosoy cultivar were studied in 1979 and 1980, respectively. Wind speed above the canopy was measured with cup anemometers. Heated thermistor anemometers were used to measure air flow within the canopy. Above-canopy air flow was characterized in terms of the zero-plane d...