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Abstract. We present novel measurements from a field campaign that aims to characterize multi-scale flow patterns, ranging from 0.1 to 10 km in a time-resolved manner, in a mountainous region in northwestern Spain with a mountain–valley–ridge configuration. We select two flow cases where topographic-flow interactions were measured by five synchronized scanning Doppler wind lidars along a 10 km transect line that includes a cross section of the valley. We observed a hydraulic jump in the lee side of the mountain. For this case, the Froude number transition from supercritical (>1) at the mountain to subcritical (<1) at the valley is in agreement with previous experiments at a smaller scale. For a 1-year period, the measurements show such a transition about 10 % of the time, indicating a possible high occurrence of hydraulic jumps. The second flow case presents valley winds that are decoupled from the northerly flow aloft and show a stratified layered pattern, which is well captured by the lidar scans and complementary ground-based observations. These measurements can aid the evaluation of multi-scale numerical models as well as improve our knowledge with regards to mountain meteorology.

Abstract. We present novel measurements from a field campaign that aims to characterize multi-scale flow patterns, ranging from 0.1 to 10 km, in a mountainous region in Northwestern Spain with a mountain-valley-ridge configuration. We select two flow cases where topographic-flow interactions were measured by five synchronized scanning Doppler wind lidars along a 10-km transect line, including a cross-section of the valley flow. We observed a hydraulic jump in the lee-side of the mountain. The Froude number transition from supercritical (> 1) at the mountain to subcritical (

Abstract. Atmospheric stability has a significant effect on wind shear and turbulence intensity, and these variables, in turn, have a direct impact on wind power production and loads on wind turbines. It is therefore important to know how to characterise atmospheric stability in order to make better energy yield estimation in a wind farm. Based on the research-grade meteorological mast at Alaiz (CENER's test site in Navarre, Spain) named MP5, this work compares and evaluates different instrument set-ups and methodologies for stability characterisation, namely the Obukhov parameter, measured with a sonic anemometer, and the bulk Richardson number based on two temperature and one wind speed measurement. The methods are examined considering their theoretical background, implementation complexity, instrumentation requirements, and practical use in connection to wind energy applications. The sonic method provides a more precise local measurement of stability while the bulk Richardson is a simpler, robust and cost-effective technique to implement in wind assessment campaigns. Using the sonic method as a benchmark, it is shown that to obtain reliable bulk Richardson measurements in onshore sites it is necessary to install one of the temperature sensors close to the ground where the temperature gradient is stronger.

Abstract. Atmospheric stability has a significant effect on wind shear and turbulence intensity, and these variables, in turn, have a direct impact on wind power production and loads on wind turbines. It is therefore important to know how to characterize atmospheric stability in order to make better energy yield estimation in a wind farm. Based on research grade meteorological mast at Alaiz (CENER's Test Site in Navarre, Spain) named MP5, this work compares and evaluates different instrument set-ups and methodologies for stability characterization. The Obukhov parameter ζ = z/L, which can be measured locally with the use of a sonic anemometer, and bulk Richardson number have been studied. The methods are examined considering their theoretical background, implementation complexity, instrumentation requirements, and practical use in connection with wind energy applications. Bulk Richardson number, which is based on one height wind speed measurement and two temperature measurements, is sometimes calculated using values from any two temperature levels without taking into account that one of the measurements would be representative of surface conditions. With the data available in MP5, it will be shown how this approximation is not correct to obtain an adequate stability characterization.