Analysis of wind data in the low atmosphere from a RASS sodar

Abstract. This paper focuses on the ability of a sodar to describe some characteristics of the atmospheric vertical structure and presents some techniques for meteorological data evaluation. The measuring campaign took place in April 2001 and consisted of 10-min averages covering the lower atmosphere from 40 to 500 m at 20-m levels. Three methods were considered, the first of which was a scalar analysis performed using a combination of wind and temperature median profiles. A noticeable contrast between day and night was obtained. Flat wind profiles during the day were a consequence of prevailing convective conditions that determined thermal turbulence. A stable layer above 260 m capped the unstable layer situated below and guaranteed the stability of the boundary layer. During the night, the presence of a low level jet was the most significant feature. The height of the core was 340 m and the higher vertical winds defined it clearly. The second method focused on the wind vector. In this analysis, the anti-cyclonic rotation of hourly averages was considered in the lower levels where it was observed. After a translation of the origin, an empirical, robust model with two parts was then proposed for the resulting vector. The angle was described linearly and the module by a second order model for cylindrical data. Finally, as a third method, three regression analyses were investigated: vectorial, taking every wind component separately and scalar. The two first seemed to be more complete due to their description of anti-cyclonic wind rotation when height increased. Correlation coefficients also proved to be more satisfactory. As a consequence, these techniques, although less frequently used, are more suitable to study wind in the low atmosphere.