Aeroelectric structures and turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer

Abstract

Abstract.Complex electrical measurements with the use of sodar data show that electric field pulsation analysis is useful for electrodynamics/turbulence monitoring under different conditions. In particular, the number of aeroelectric structures (AES) generated per hour is a convenient measure of the turbulence intensity. During convectively unstable periods, as many as 5-10 AES form per hour. Under stable conditions, AES occasionally form as well, indicating the appearance of occasional mixing events reflected in the electric field perturbations. AES magnitudes under stable conditions are relatively small, except in special cases such as high humidity and fog. The analysis of electric field (EF) spectra gives additional useful information on the parameters of the atmospheric boundary layer and its turbulence. A rather sharp change in the spectrum slope takes place in the vicinity of 0.02 Hz under stable conditions. The characteristic slope of the spectrum and its change are reproduced in a simple model of EF formation.

Polish Polar Research

“…We showed that pulsations of E Z in the 0.007-0.05 Hz frequency range had a power law spectrum under both fair-weather and fog conditions. The spectral shape under pre-fog conditions was similar to the Kolmogorov spectra of temperature, with the spectral index close to -5/3 in the inertial subrange, and wind velocity variations in a turbulent atmosphere (Anderson 1982;Anisimov et al 2013;Nosov et al 2019). One of possible mechanisms of coupling between electric field and temperature fluctuations is based on the light ion mobility variations induced by a temperature change (Anisimov et al 2001(Anisimov et al , 2013.…”

“…The spectral shape under pre-fog conditions was similar to the Kolmogorov spectra of temperature, with the spectral index close to -5/3 in the inertial subrange, and wind velocity variations in a turbulent atmosphere (Anderson 1982;Anisimov et al 2013;Nosov et al 2019). One of possible mechanisms of coupling between electric field and temperature fluctuations is based on the light ion mobility variations induced by a temperature change (Anisimov et al 2001(Anisimov et al , 2013. Otherwise, oscillations of the medium velocity during turbulence might lead to the electric-charge mixing, i.e., to small-scale pulsations (Anisimov et al 2001).…”

“…Several fog investigations are devoted to quasi-periodic oscillations of atmospheric parameters, i.e. liquid water content, visibility, temperature, wind velocity, pressure, electric field, with periods of minutes and tens of minutes (Bott et al 1990;Duynkerke 1991;Richiardone et al 1995;Anisimov et al 2001Anisimov et al , 2013Shumilov et al 2005;Uematsu et al 2007;Bergot 2012;Hang et al 2016). Most studies associated these oscillations with internal gravity waves, including mountain lee waves, which were rather typical under very stable conditions (Duynkerke 1991;Richiardone et al 1995;Uematsu et al 2007;Hang et al 2016).…”

“…To date, several works have been published, having got focus on the short-term spectra (1-100 s) fluctuations of the atmospheric electric field vertical component (Anisimov et al 2001(Anisimov et al , 2013. These oscillations have power law spectra under fog conditions while their intensity is about an order of magnitude greater than the energy of fair-weather electric field pulsations (Anisimov et al 2001(Anisimov et al , 2013.…”

Experimental Study of Diurnal and Seasonal Variations in the Atmospheric Electric Field

“…It was shown that the presence of one (in the evening hours of Universal Time) or two (in the evening hours of Universal Time and at local noon) maxima are characteristic of the above variation [16]. The detection of the diurnal variation according to data of the ground-based monitoring of the electric field requires analysis of long-term time series with allowance for the fair-weather conditions [17][18][19].…”