Department of Earth Sciences

A plethora of theories exist regarding the behavior of turbulence spectra in the atmospheric surface layer that are commonly checked based on observational data with a rather large uncertainty and potential impact by other processes. Based on existing data from resolved turbulent flow, we will assess the accuracy and possible modifications to these methods. The physical focus of this work (impact of static stability, very-large-scale motions, different spectral estimators etc.) depends on the interest of the student and the scope of the work.

Supplementary information: The candidate will work on large amounts of data from a turbulence-resolving model which requires a background in Python or FORTRAN. Analysis will require solid knowledge and understanding of spectral estimators such as the Fourier transform.