Spatially-Averaged Temperature Structure Parameter Over a Heterogeneous Surface Measured by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

摘要

The structure parameter of temperature, C_T~2 in the lower convective boundary layer was measured using the unmanned mini aerial vehicle M~(2) AV. The measurements were carried out on two hot summer days in July 2010 over a heterogeneous land surfacearound the boundary-layer field site of the Lindenberg Meteorological Observatory—Richard- ABmann-Observatory of the German Meteorological Service. The spatial series of C_T~2 showed considerable variability along the flight path that was caused by bothtemporal variations and surface heterogeneity. Comparison of the aircraft data with C_T~2 values derived from tower-based in situ turbulence measurements showed good agreement with respect to the diurnal variability. The decrease of C_T~2 with height aspredicted by free-convection scaling could be confirmed for the morning and afternoon flights while the flights around noon suggest a different behaviour.