Spectra of Velocity and Temperature Fluctuations in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Over the Sea

Abstract

Measurements of the spectra of fluctuations in wind velocity over the sea sensed by three basically different instruments are described. One comparison shows good agreement between spectra from a thrust anemometer and cup anemometers. Another shows that greatly improved precision of spectra derived from a hot wire anemometer can be gained by calibrating the low frequency response against spectra from cup anemometers. The measurements confirm Kolmogoroff's prediction of the existence of a universal form of the spectrum at high wave numbers. The shape of a spectrum of temperature fluctuations agrees with that found by earlier workers.