Observations of Turbulence in Free Atmosphere by Balloon-Borne Sensors

Abstract

In recent years, Thorpe analysis has been used to retrieve the characteristics of turbulence in free atmosphere from balloon-borne sensor data. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the mid-high latitude region, and this method is still rarely applied at heights above 30 km, especially above 35 km. Therefore, seven sets of upper air (>35 km) sounding data from the Changsha Sounding Station (28°12′ N, 113°05′ E), China are analyzed with Thorpe analysis in this article. It is noted that, in the troposphere, Thorpe analysis can better retrieve the turbulence distribution and the corresponding turbulence parameters. Also, because of the thicker troposphere at low latitudes, the values of the Thorpe scale L T and turbulent energy dissipation rate ε remain greater in a larger height range. In the stratosphere below the height of 35 km, the obtained ε is higher, and Thorpe analysis can only be used to analyze the characteristics of large-scale turbulence. In the stratosphere at a height of 35–40 km, because of the interference of sensor noise, Thorpe analysis can only help to retrieve the rough distribution position of large-scale turbulence, while it can hardly help with the calculation of the turbulence parameters.