MICROFRONTS: Microfronts Experiment, 1995

Summary

Boundary-layer micro-meteorology measurement program designed to study radiation properties and dissipation properties in frontal regions.

Objectives:

The objectives of the MICROFRONTS Experiment are: 1. To determine the dissipation of kinetic energy in the surface layer under varying conditions; 2. To determine, from dissipation range data, the kinetic energy dissipation in a frontal zone as a check on previous estimates based on lower resolution data; 3. To examine the nature of the coherent structures and microfronts that are revealed in daytime observations for the case of surface heating in order to perform a closer examinitation of near neutral case exisiting surface layer similarity theory and to determine the exchange coefficent in the bulk aerodynamic prediction of the surface heat flux; 4. To study and modify the bulk aerodynamic relationship for use with the surface radiative temperature; 5. To study the dynamic and thermodynamic effects on the atmosphere arising from the contrast of a small lake with the surrounding land, with special attention to the effects of small lakes on the development or suppression of daytime convective cloudiness; 6. To observe the occurrences of breakdowns of the stable boundary layer and the occurrences of atmospheric gravity waves to examine the unverified hypothesis that there exists a relation between the instability of the nighttime planetary boundary layer and the occurence of gravity wave activity.