Marius Schmidt

Mesoscale Eddies Affect Near-Surface Turbulent Exchange: Evidence from Lidar and Tower Measurements

AbstractThe eddy-covariance technique tends to underestimate turbulent heat fluxes, which results in nonclosure of the surface energy balance. This study shows experimental evidence that mesoscale turbulent organized structures, which are inherently not captured by the standard eddy-covariance technique, can affect near-surface turbulent exchange. By using a combined setup of three Doppler wind lidars above a cropland-dominated area in Germany, low-frequency turbulent structures were detected in the surface layer down to a few meters above ground. In addition, data from two micrometeorological stations in the study area were analyzed with respect to energy balance closure. In accordance with several previous studies, the data confirm a strong friction velocity dependence of the energy balance residual. At both stations, the energy balance residual was found to be positively correlated with the vertical moisture gradient in the lower atmospheric boundary layer, but at only one station was it correlated wit...