Mesoscale Wind Variability below 5 km as Revealed by Sequential High-Resolution Wind Soundings

Abstract

The results of an analysis of the variability of the atmospheric wind field below 5 km is presented for a limited sample of high-resolution wind profiles. The wind was measured by tracking balloons utilizing the Control Data METRAC positioning system installed at St. Cloud, Minnesota. Balloons were launched sequentially 30 min apart for a period of 7 h during the afternoon of 31 March 1976. The wind, averaged over 100 m intervals, was analyzed for temporal variability for lags τ up to 240 min. Temporal variability of the wind at individual altitudes on this day did not support any unique power law. However, when the variability statistics at all levels were combined the averaged variability was consistent with the τ? power law.