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Ann. Geophys., 19, 945-952, 2001
www.ann-geophys.net/19/945/2001/
© European Geosciences Union 2001
Energetics of small scale turbulence in the lower stratosphere from high resolution radar measurements
J. Dole, R. Wilson, F. Dalaudier, and C. Sidi
Service d’Aéronomie, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
Abstract. Very high resolution
radar measurements were performed in the troposphere and lower stratosphere by
means of the PROUST radar. The PROUST radar operates in the UHF band (961 MHz)
and is located in St. Santin, France (44°39’ N, 2°12’ E). A field
campaign involving high resolution balloon measurements and the PROUST radar
was conducted during April 1998. Under the classical hypothesis that refractive
index inhomogeneities at half radar wavelength lie within the inertial subrange,
assumed to be isotropic, kinetic energy and temperature variance dissipation
rates were estimated independently in the lower stratosphere. The dissipation
rate of temperature variance is proportional to the dissipation rate of
available potential energy. We therefore estimate the ratio of dissipation
rates of potential to kinetic energy. This ratio is a key parameter of
atmospheric turbulence which, in locally homogeneous and stationary conditions,
is simply related to the flux Richardson number, Rf .
Key words. Meteorology and
atmospheric dynamics (turbulence) – Radio science (remote sensing)
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