Abstract
The Obukhov length L is an important meteorological parameter that quantifies the stability of the atmospheric surface layer. Consequently, routine monitoring of L with simple instruments is desirable. I describe here such a monitoring scheme, the SFS method, that has the added advantage of yielding a spatially averaged estimate of L. The SFS method—stability from scintillation—is based on measurements of the refractive-index structure parameter with two matched scintillometers positioned at heights z1 and z2. A sensitivity analysis shows that the method can yield an estimate of the stability parameter = (z1z2)1/2/L with factor of 2 accuracy in the ranges of −3 ≤ ≤ −0.015 and 0.02 ≤ ≤ 10, the stabilities most commonly encountered in the surface layer.
© 1988 Optical Society of America
Full Article | PDF ArticleMore Like This
Edgar L Andreas
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 5(4) 481-495 (1988)
W. Kohsiek
Appl. Opt. 27(11) 2236-2240 (1988)
R. J. Hill
Appl. Opt. 21(7) 1201-1211 (1982)