WIND VARIABILITY AS A FUNCTION OF TIME

Abstract

Kolmogorov's structure functions for longitudinal and transverse components of isotropic turbulence when combined vectorially provide a prediction that vector time variability of the horizontal wind should vary as the cube root of the lag period. Published wind variability data are examined and found to be generally consistent with this prediction for time periods of up to 4 to 6 hr and, when representative of the hemispheric mean excluding the tropical stratosphere, may be consistent with such a prediction for periods of up to 24 to 36 hr.