Sodar Observation of the ABL Structure and Waves over the Black Sea Offshore Site

Irina Repina,Dmitry Kuznetsov,Margarita Kallistratova,Vasily Lyulyukin,Daria Zaitseva,Rostislav Kouznetsov,Igor Petenko,Arseniy Artamonov,Artem Pashkin

doi:10.3390/atmos10120811

Abstract

Sodar investigations of the breeze circulation and vertical structure of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) were carried out in the coastal zone of the Black Sea for ten days in June 2015. The measurements were preformed at a stationary oceanographic platform located 450 m from the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula. Complex measurements of the ABL vertical structure were performed using the three-axis Doppler minisodar Latan-3m. Auxiliary measurements were provided by a temperature profiler and two automatic weather stations. During the campaign, the weather was mostly fair with a pronounced daily cycle. Characteristic features of breeze circulation in the studied area, primarily determined by the adjacent mountains, were revealed. Wave structures with amplitudes of up to 100 m were regularly observed by sodar over the sea surface. Various forms of Kelvin–Helmholtz billows, observed at the interface between the sea breeze and the return flow aloft, are described.

Highlights

Over the past two decades, several hundred studies of sea breezes have been published
This paper presents the results of a study of sea breezes in the northern part of the Black Sea, held in June 2015 during a two-week expedition of the A.M
Stable and neutral stratification was observed over the sea

Summary

Introduction

Over the past two decades, several hundred studies of sea breezes have been published. This has primarily been driven by an increased interest in wind energy, regional weather events and the dispersion of air pollutants in coastal zones remain important issues as well. The number of experimental studies of sea breezes in various countries and regions has increased significantly. A characteristic feature of experimental studies of sea breezes in recent years is the use of ground-based remote sensing as a supplement to the conventional measurements. Sounding using radar [9], sodar [10], and lidar [11] has made it possible to carry out studies of the vertical structure of sea breeze cells and fronts, encompassing return currents of the air.

Results

Discussion

Conclusion