Vertical Wind Profiles in Non-Neutral Conditions: Comparison of Models and Measurements From Frøya

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of stratification-dependent mean velocity profiles measured in a Norwegian coastal wind climate, and its comparison with models available in the literature. For this purpose, we use 3 years of observations from a 100 m meteorological mast located at the Frøya island (150 km west of Trondheim, Norway), equipped with a set of two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonic anemometers. The presented analysis is preceded by a general description of the site wind climate, the atmospheric stratification, the roughness length, and the surface layer height. Finally, the measured wind velocity profile is compared with selected models: the basic power and logarithmic law and the stability-corrected models: stability-corrected logarithmic wind profile, the Panofsky and Dutton model, the Peña boundary layer height corrected model, and the correlation-based Smedman-Högström model.