AN EXAMINATION OF THE VERTICAL WIND PROFILE IN THE LOWEST LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE

Abstract

Wind-profile measurements from ½ to 16 m above ground over prairie grass and over a snow surface at the Suffield Experimental Station and from 2 to 16 m over short grass at O'Neill, Nebraska, have been analysed in order to determine the relative accuracy of the logarithmic and power-law representation of the variation of wind speed with height. It was found that over prairie grass and over a snow surface the wind speed increased more rapidly than predicted by the logarithmic law while, except under strong inversion conditions, the data are well represented by a simple power law. The O'Neill data were represented equally well by the two laws under adiabatic and lapse conditions, while the power law represented the data better under inversion conditions.