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Identifying Coherent Structures in the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer

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Air-Sea Exchange: Physics, Chemistry and Dynamics

Part of the book series: Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences Library ((ATSL,volume 20))

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Abstract

Analysis of the various roles of individual phenomena in Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer (MABL) processes depends on the ability to detect these phenomena and to isolate their contribution to the evolving three-dimensional thermodynamic and kinematic fields. Because many MABL phenomena take the form of coherent structures in the turbulence field, much of this task becomes one of identifying and distinguishing the different coherent structure types that occur in the MABL. This task can be straightforward if none of the coherent structures overlap significantly in space, time, or scale; if each is well enough understood a priori , then tailored detection algorithms can be easily developed. In contrast, the task of identifying and separating coherent structures in the turbulence field becomes quite complicated if the structures overlap in space, time, or scale. Likewise, tailored detection algorithms cannot be developed for poorly understood or heretofore unknown structures. To reduce these problems, we develop a multi-pronged statistical approach that makes synergistic use of Principal COmponents Analysis, Fourier Spectral Analysis, and Fractal Dimension Analysis. Once identified by this approach, the contribution of each coherent structure type to MABL processes may be evaluated separately. In particular, the roles of each in the transport and in the generation of intermittency of air/sea fluxes may be identified and quantified.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Hampton Shirer, George Young, Robert Wells, Richard Mason, Nathaniel Winstead & Harry Henderson

  2. Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio, 43210, USA

    Aric Rogers

  3. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA

    Laurentia Suciu

  4. Research and Data Systems Corporation, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA

    Donald Rinker Jr.

  5. Trinity Consultants, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA

    Jeremy Rishel & Joseph Rohrbach

  6. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA

    Jim Edson

  7. University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA

    Carl Friehe, Scott Miller & Tihomir Hristov

  8. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Suzanne Wetzel

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  1. Hampton Shirer
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  2. George Young
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  3. Robert Wells
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  4. Aric Rogers
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  6. Richard Mason
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  7. Laurentia Suciu
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  8. Nathaniel Winstead
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  9. Harry Henderson
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  10. Donald Rinker Jr.
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  11. Joseph Rohrbach
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  12. Jim Edson
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  13. Carl Friehe
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  14. Suzanne Wetzel
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  15. Scott Miller
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  16. Tihomir Hristov
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Environmental Research Institute, Roskilde, Denmark

    G. L. Geernaert

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Shirer, H. et al. (1999). Identifying Coherent Structures in the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer. In: Geernaert, G.L. (eds) Air-Sea Exchange: Physics, Chemistry and Dynamics. Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences Library, vol 20. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9291-8_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9291-8_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5308-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-9291-8

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