Determination of the turbulent fluxes of heat and momentum in the ABL by ground-based remote-sensing techniques (a Review)

Abstract

During the past about 20 years, quite a number of methods for estimation of vertical profiles of the turbulent fluxes of heat and momentum, estimated or measured by means of ground-based remote-sensing techniques have emerged. This paper will focus attention on those, which refer to methods for windprofiler radar, radar/RASS, sodar, sodar/RASS, and to a lesser extent, also to lidar. The paper reviews the current state-of-the-art in flux profiling using these techniques and tries to summarize their capabilities and limitations. It is shown, that considerable progress has been reached over the last decades, although it has to be stated that flux determination by ground-based remote sensing still remains far from being an operational product. Nevertheless, with undergoing improvements in signal processing and hardware modifications, considerable improvements may still be possible in this field for the future. Already now, it can be summarized that ground-based remote-sensing techniques are of similar accuracy than expensive airborne campaigns.