Vertical scaling of temperature, wind and humidity fluctuations: dropsondes from 13 km to the surface of the Pacific Ocean
Résumé
Observational data were taken in the 'vertical' structure at 2 Hz from research dropsondes for temperature, wind speed and relative humidity during the similar to 800 s it takes to reach the surface from the similar to 13 km altitude of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Gulfstream 4SP aircraft. The observations were made mainly through the depth of the troposphere above the eastern Pacific Ocean from 15 degrees N to 43 degrees N (dropsondes) and 60 degrees N (aircraft) in 2004. Grand averages of some key figures and of probability distribution functions (PDFs) were formed by compounding the data from the Winter Storms Projects 2004, 2005 and 2006, comprising 246, 324 and 315 (some dropped up to 60 degrees N) useable sondes, respectively. This sizeable data set was used to representatively characterize the statistical fluctuations in the 'vertical' structure from 13 km to the surface. The fluctuations are resolved at 5-10 m altitude, so covering up to 3 orders of magnitude of typical tropospheric weighting functions for passive remote sounders. Average 'vertical' statistical, multifractal, scaling exponents H, C(1) and alpha of temperature, wind speed and humidity fluctuations observed at high resolution were computed and are available as potential generators of representative, scale-invariant summaries of the vertical structure of the marine troposphere, for use in design and retrieval of remotely sounded observations.