Turbulence under Conditions of Sensible Heat Advection

Abstract

Thermal inversions induced by regional advection dominate the daytime climate of the central Great Plains during much of the growing season. The influence of these inversions on the turbulent transfer of momentum, sensible heat and water vapor was investigated through detailed observations over an alfalfa crop. The standard deviations of fluctuations in vertical velocity, air temperature and vapor pressure as well as the correlation coefficients for momentum, sensible heat and water vapor were found to be similar under both advective and lapse conditions. Results indicate that turbulent mixing is effectively maintained under advective conditions to transport large quantities of sensible heat to the crop surface and water vapor away from it.