Mesoscale Wind Fields and Transport Estimates Determined From a Network of Wind Towers

Abstract

Techniques are developed to utilize wind data from a network of stations to study mesoscale flow patterns and transport in the lower planetary boundary layer. The data sample for this study is hourly averaged wind data for the year 1969 from 21 stations over the Upper Snake River Plain of southeastern Idaho. Examination of 6-hourly wind field plots for the entire year reveals a strong correlation of the flow patterns with a topographic variation of relatively minor amplitude. Plots of patterns of trajectories of hypothetical ?particles? released once an hour from a single location for the entire year are typed according to season and release period during the day. These patterns provide an estimate of a transport climatology; a climatology not available from a wind rose at the source. Evidence is presented that demonstrates that estimates of transport from the source wind can be seriously in error due to marked spatial variations in the flow.