Takuro Seo

Estimates of velocity-pressure and velocity-pressure gradient interactions in the surface layer over plant canopies

The budget equations of turbulent kinetic energy and shear stress contain interaction terms of velocity-pressure and velocity-pressure gradient. These terms were estimated in the surface layer using the air pressure observed at the surface and wind velocity components over plant canopies. The magnitude of the pressure interaction terms was significantly large; it was not negligible compared with the production terms in each budget equation. The present results obtained over a rough surface also confirmed previous results that pressure terms play an important role in the turbulent kinetic energy budgets and the shear stress budget. The height dependency of nondimensional pressure terms versus (z - d)/z0 was not clear.

Turbulent transport of scalar quantities within and above a paddy field

An experiment was conducted to study turbulent transport processes of scalar quantities within and above a rice plant canopy. A sonic anemometer-thermometer and a Lyman-α humidiometer were used to measure the turbulent fluxes of sensible and latent heat and related turbulence statistics within a paddy field. The sensible and latent heat fluxes measured at two heights within and above the plant canopy showed that the upper layer of this plant canopy was an active source region and that the source strength of sensible and latent heat depended on the solar radiation and physiology of rice plants. Analysis of joint probability distributions of w and T and of w and q within this plant canopy showed that downdrafts were remarkably efficient for upward transport of sensible and latent heat in the daytime. The vertical fluxes of temperature and humidity variance were also divergent from the upper layer of plant canopies. The power spectra of temperature and humidity within the plant canopy decreased rapidly in the high frequency range, compared with the - 2/3 law relationship of nS(n) vs log n observed above plant canopies.

Wave-like wind fluctuations observed in the stable surface layer over a plant canopy

Observations of wind velocity and temperature fluctuations were made in the nocturnal surface inversion layer over a paddy field. A remarkable wave-like motion of about 8 min period was seen in horizontal wind speed and standard deviation of vertical wind velocity. In addition, fluctuations of horizontal wind speed and anticlockwise rotation of wind direction with a period of about 30 min were found by power spectral analysis. The phenomena persisted for more than 2 hours. Similar phenomena were also observed at a coastal site at a distance of about 10 km from the paddy field.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide variations at coastal site, Shibukawa, in Seto Inland Sea, Japan@@@Variationen des atmosphärischen CO2 bei Shibukawa im Küstengebiet des Inlandsees Seto in Japan

SummaryFour years of measurements (1980–83) of carbon dioxide at the northern coast site, Shibukawa, are presented. The data reveal well defined diurnal and seasonal variations. The amplitude of the daily carbon dioxide variation is about 30 ppm during the colder season (January–March; November–December), and about 60 ppm during the warmer season (April–October). The seasonal variation of daily minimum concentration of carbon dioxide has a maximum in the middle of summer (July–September) and a minimum in the winter months. This variation does not correspond to that expected from vegetation activity. The summer peak in carbon dioxide concentration seems to be inherent features at the coast site, Shibukawa; it is probably due to less activity of the vertical mixing under stable stratification of the air layer prevailing throughout the day. The year-to-year comparison of minimums in the winter months reveals an average annual increase of the carbon dioxide content of 6 ppm/year, which is much greater than 1.5 ppm/year observed in the troposphere over Japan [1]. This indicates that the carbon dioxide concentration and its variations at Shibukawa station represent the local scale values rather than the large scale one. The horizontal distribution of carbon dioxide concentration, measured over sea surface near Shibukawa station, also suggests the existence of many patches of high concentration of carbon dioxide due to the local point sources related to the human activity such as ships and industries distributed at the coast site.ZusammenfassungEs werden Ergebnisse über Tages- und Jahresgänge von vierjährigen Messungen (1980–83) des CO2 bei Shibukawa an der nördlichen Küste des Sees vorgelegt. Die Amplitude des Tagesganges beträgt in der kalten Jahreszeit ungefähr 30 ppm und in der warmen Jahreszeit ungefähr 60 ppm. Im Jahresgang des täglichen Minimums des CO2 fällt das Maximum auf den Sommer und das Minimum auf Wintermonate. Dies entspricht nicht der aus der Aktvität der Vegetation zu erwartenden Variation. Das Sommermaximum scheint eine Besonderheit der Lage von Shibukawa an der Küste zu sein und ist wahrscheinlich auf die zu geringe vertikale Durchmischung bei der tagsüber dort vorherrschenden stabilen Schichtung zurückzuführen. Der Vergleich der Minima der Wintermonate von Jahr zu Jahr läßt eine Zunahme um 6 ppm pro Jahr erkennen, die bedeutend größer ist als die Zunahme um 1,5 ppm pro Jahr in der Troposphäre über Japan [ 1 ]. Dies weist darauf hin, daß die CO2-Konzentration und ihre Variationen in Shibukawa eher lokale als großräumige Werte darstellen.Die über der Seeoberfläche in der Nähe von Shibukawa gemessene Verteilung der CO2-Konzentrationen zeigt viele Stellen mit hoher CO2-Konzentration, die auf lokale Punktquellen menschlicher Aktivität wie auf Schiffe und auf an der Küste verteilte Industrien hinweisen.