Measurement Science of the Intermittent Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Abstract

At the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory near Erie, CO, we have established an observational testbed for studies of turbulence and propagation in the intermittent atmospheric surface layer. We have tested and refined scientific hypotheses as well as data processing algorithms, with the goal of using optical angle-of-arrival fluctuations along horizontal, near-ground propagation paths for the remote sensing of various characteristics of atmospheric boundary turbulence, such as wind velocities, refractive-index structure parameters, and temporal fluctuations of the vertical temperature gradient.