MODELS OF VERTICAL CORRELATIONS OF THE WIND

Abstract

Interlevel correlations of the wind are shown to be quite stable over large areas of the Northern Hemisphere. Based on this fact, vertical correlation coefficients for 70 stations were categorized into three types, each type occupying certain areas of the hemisphere. The analysis was extended over Asia, but within that area it must be considered, at best, an educated guess. The RMS errors resulting from the use of model-values are probably acceptable for most purposes. The law governing the decay of correlation coefficients with increasing separation was also studied. The rate of decay shows large variations, but it can be approximated, at least in the majority of cases, by a simple exponential function.