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. 2021 Dec 27;22(1):158.
doi: 10.3390/s22010158.

The Search for Atmospheric Laminar Channels: Experimental Results and Method Dissemination

Iulian-Alin Roșu  1   2 , Dragoș-Constantin Nica  3 , Cătălin Dumitraș  4 , Dragoș Chitariu  4 , Luminița Bibire  5 , Adrian Stelian Ghenadi  6 , Valentin-Stelian Dragan  1 , Maricel Agop  2   7
Affiliations

The Search for Atmospheric Laminar Channels: Experimental Results and Method Dissemination

Iulian-Alin Roșu et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

In this paper, a practical application of theoretical developments found in our previous works is explored in relation to atmospheric lidar data. Multifractal structures, previously named "laminar channels", have been identified in atmospheric profiles-these exhibit cellular and self-structuring properties, and are spatially ordered across the atmospheric profile. Furthermore, these structures have been connected to the spontaneous emergence of turbulent behavior in the calm atmospheric flow. Calculating the location and occurrence of these channels can help identify features of atmospheric evolution, such as the development of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). Employing this theoretical background to atmospheric lidar data, attempts are made to confirm this suggestion and extract information about atmospheric structure and evolution by analyzing turbulent vortex scale dynamics and scale-corresponding Lyapunov exponents that form the basis of identifying the laminar channels in atmospheric lidar profiles. A parameter named "scale laminarity index" is then introduced, which quantifies the relation between vortex scale and chaoticity throughout the profile. Finally, the algorithmic methods employed in this study are described and distributed for future use.

Keywords: algorithm; atmosphere; laminarity; lidar; multifractal; turbulence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 10
Figure 10
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:10:00; point of interest: 11,900 m.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:10:00; point of interest: 4500 m.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:10:00; point of interest: 4000 m.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:10:00; point of interest: 3051 m.
Figure 14
Figure 14
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:10:00; point of interest: 2939 m.
Figure 15
Figure 15
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:10:00; point of interest: 2689 m.
Figure 16
Figure 16
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:10:00; point of interest: 2217 m.
Figure 17
Figure 17
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:10:00; point of interest: 1900 m.
Figure 18
Figure 18
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:33:00; point of interest: 12,000 m.
Figure 19
Figure 19
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:33:00; point of interest: 4520 m.
Figure 20
Figure 20
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:33:00; point of interest: 4223 m.
Figure 21
Figure 21
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:33:00; point of interest: 3099 m.
Figure 22
Figure 22
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:33:00; point of interest: 2614 m.
Figure 23
Figure 23
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:33:00; point of interest: 1693 m.
Figure 24
Figure 24
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:33:00; point of interest: 1300 m.
Figure 25
Figure 25
Lyapunov exponent per turbulent cascade stage colormap altitude plot, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019, 07:51:00; point of interest: 1500 m.
Figure 1
Figure 1
RCS timeseries, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019.
Figure 2
Figure 2
RCS timeseries, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019 (zoomed-in, inferior region of interest).
Figure 3
Figure 3
RCS time-series, Bucharest, Romania, 13 June 2019; zoomed-in, superior region of interest.
Figure 4
Figure 4
RCS profile corresponding to point A.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Zoomed-in RCS profile corresponding to point A.
Figure 6
Figure 6
RCS profile corresponding to point B.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Zoomed-in RCS profile corresponding to point B.
Figure 8
Figure 8
RCS profile corresponding to point C.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Zoomed-in RCS profile corresponding to point C.
Figure 26
Figure 26
Scale laminarity index profile plot corresponding to point A.
Figure 27
Figure 27
Zoomed-in scale laminarity index profile plot corresponding to point A.
Figure 28
Figure 28
Scale laminarity index profile plot corresponding to point A in the vicinity of the PBLH.
Figure 29
Figure 29
Scale laminarity index profile plot corresponding to point B.
Figure 30
Figure 30
Zoomed-in scale laminarity index profile plot corresponding to point B.
Figure 31
Figure 31
Scale laminarity index profile plot corresponding to point B in the vicinity of the PBLH.
Figure 32
Figure 32
Scale laminarity index profile plot corresponding to point C.
Figure 33
Figure 33
Zoomed-in scale laminarity index profile plot corresponding to point C.
Figure 34
Figure 34
Scale laminarity index profile plot corresponding to point C in the vicinity of the PBLH.
Figure 35
Figure 35
Algorithm workflow.
Figure 36
Figure 36
Screenshot of software.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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